croc vs Pingvin Share
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Pingvin Share
Archived
Self-hosted file sharing alternative to WeTransfer
| Feature | croc | Pingvin Share |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 40,431 | ★ 4,668 |
| First released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | WeTransfer, Firefox Send |
What are croc and Pingvin Share?
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
Pingvin Share
Pingvin Share is a self-hosted file sharing platform with a clean interface, designed as an alternative to WeTransfer and Firefox Send. It supports expiring shares and password protection.
- Expiring share links
- OAuth and LDAP login
- Password-protected shares
croc vs Pingvin Share: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pingvin Share's repository is archived and no longer developed, while croc is actively maintained. Croc is written in Go, while Pingvin Share is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for croc versus BSD-2-Clause for Pingvin Share. Croc is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pingvin Share. Croc is the more established project (first released 2018), while Pingvin Share arrived in 2022. Croc has the considerably larger community, at 40,431 GitHub stars versus 4,668. Pingvin Share 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 Pingvin Share if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.7k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is croc or Pingvin Share better?
Neither is universally better. croc has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are croc and Pingvin Share free and open-source?
Yes. croc is licensed under MIT and Pingvin Share under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run croc and Pingvin Share with Docker?
croc: check the project docs for container support. Pingvin Share: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, croc or Pingvin Share?
croc has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pingvin Share. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.