croc vs Lufi
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | croc | Lufi |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 40,431 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2018 | 2015 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | WeTransfer, Firefox Send |
What are croc and Lufi?
croc
croc is a tool that allows two computers to transfer files and folders simply and securely. It uses a relay with end-to-end encryption and a code-phrase system for pairing.
- End-to-end encrypted transfers
- Code-phrase pairing
- Self-hostable relay server
Lufi
Lufi is a file hosting application where files are encrypted in the browser before being uploaded, so the server never sees their contents. Files can be set to delete after a chosen expiration period.
- Client-side encryption
- Automatic file expiration
- Part of the Framasoft suite
croc vs Lufi: key differences
Croc is written in Go, while Lufi is built with Perl. Licensing differs — MIT for croc versus AGPL-3.0 for Lufi. Croc is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Lufi. Lufi is the more established project (first released 2015), while croc arrived in 2018. Croc has the considerably larger community, at 40,431 GitHub stars versus 300. Lufi lists first-class Docker deployment; croc does not.
Why pick each one
Choose croc if…
- Simple code-phrase pairing
- End-to-end encrypted
- Resumable transfers
Watch out for
- CLI only
- Public relay by default
Choose Lufi if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Perl
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is croc or Lufi better?
croc is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Lufi if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are croc and Lufi free and open-source?
Yes. croc is licensed under MIT and Lufi under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run croc and Lufi with Docker?
croc: check the project docs for container support. Lufi: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, croc or Lufi?
croc has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Lufi. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.