CryptPad vs File Browser

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureCryptPadFile Browser
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseAGPL-3.0Apache-2.0
LanguageJavaScriptGo
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB64 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 7,832★ 35,800
First released20152017
ReplacesGoogle Drive, Microsoft 365Dropbox

Why pick each one

Choose CryptPad if…

  • Strong privacy guarantees
  • Real-time collaboration
  • No account needed to start
CryptPad details

Choose File Browser if…

  • Extremely lightweight
  • Trivial to deploy
  • Good for quick file access
File Browser details

Frequently asked questions

Is CryptPad or File Browser better?

File Browser is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider CryptPad if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are CryptPad and File Browser free and open-source?

Yes. CryptPad is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and File Browser under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run CryptPad and File Browser with Docker?

CryptPad: yes. File Browser: yes.

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