croc vs Updog
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 | Updog |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 54 · Fair |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 40,431 | ★ 3,412 |
| First released | 2018 | 2019 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | WeTransfer |
What are croc and Updog?
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
Updog
Updog is a small Python utility that improves upon SimpleHTTPServer by adding upload capability, HTTPS, and optional password protection. It is useful for quick file transfers.
- Upload support over HTTP
- Optional HTTPS and auth
- Simple drop-in replacement
croc vs Updog: key differences
Croc is written in Go, while Updog is built with Python. Croc has the considerably larger community, at 40,431 GitHub stars versus 3,412.
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 Updog if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is croc or Updog 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 Updog free and open-source?
Yes. croc is licensed under MIT and Updog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run croc and Updog with Docker?
croc: check the project docs for container support. Updog: check the project docs for container support.