croc vs rustypaste
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 | rustypaste |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 40,431 | ★ 1,207 |
| First released | 2018 | 2021 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | WeTransfer, Imgur |
What are croc and rustypaste?
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
rustypaste
rustypaste is a minimal self-hosted file upload and pastebin service written in Rust. It supports expiring uploads, one-shot files, and command-line usage with curl.
- One-shot expiring uploads
- Curl-friendly API
- Minimal resource usage
croc vs rustypaste: key differences
Croc is written in Go, while rustypaste is built with Rust. Croc is the more established project (first released 2018), while rustypaste arrived in 2021. Croc has the considerably larger community, at 40,431 GitHub stars versus 1,207. Rustypaste 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 rustypaste if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is croc or rustypaste 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 rustypaste free and open-source?
Yes. croc is licensed under MIT and rustypaste under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run croc and rustypaste with Docker?
croc: check the project docs for container support. rustypaste: yes.