CryptPad vs Pydio Cells
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
CryptPad
End-to-end encrypted collaboration suite
VS
Pydio Cells
Document sharing and collaboration for organizations
| Feature | CryptPad | Pydio Cells |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,953 | ★ 2,252 |
| First released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Google Drive, Microsoft 365 | Dropbox, Box, Google Drive |
What are CryptPad and Pydio Cells?
CryptPad
CryptPad is an end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite with documents, spreadsheets, and a personal drive, where the server cannot read user data. It suits privacy-focused individuals and teams. It is deployed via Docker or a Node.js installation.
- Zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Documents, sheets and forms
- Personal encrypted drive
Pydio Cells
Pydio Cells is a content collaboration platform for organizations, offering file sharing, workspaces, and access controls. It is designed for teams and enterprises needing governed document collaboration. It is deployed via Docker or native binaries.
- Workspace-based collaboration
- Granular access control
- Built-in search and metadata
- Mobile and desktop clients
CryptPad vs Pydio Cells: key differences
CryptPad is written in JavaScript, while Pydio Cells is built with Go. CryptPad is the more established project (first released 2015), while Pydio Cells arrived in 2018. CryptPad has the considerably larger community, at 7,953 GitHub stars versus 2,252.
Why pick each one
Choose CryptPad if…
- Strong privacy guarantees
- Real-time collaboration
- No account needed to start
Watch out for
- Encryption limits server-side search
- Heavier client than plain editors
Choose Pydio Cells if…
- Strong enterprise features
- Modern Go codebase
- Good access governance
Watch out for
- Heavier than simple tools
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is CryptPad or Pydio Cells better?
Neither is universally better. CryptPad has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are CryptPad and Pydio Cells free and open-source?
Yes. CryptPad is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Pydio Cells under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CryptPad and Pydio Cells with Docker?
CryptPad: yes. Pydio Cells: yes.