Dufs vs Spacedrive
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Dufs | Spacedrive |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,778 | ★ 39,022 |
| First released | 2022 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive | Google Drive, Dropbox |
What are Dufs and Spacedrive?
Dufs
Dufs is a lightweight single-binary file server that supports static serving, uploading, searching, and WebDAV. It offers access control, resumable uploads, and a clean web UI.
- Single-binary file server
- WebDAV support
- Access control and resumable uploads
Spacedrive
Spacedrive is an open-source, cross-platform file manager written in Rust, built around a virtual distributed filesystem (VDFS). It indexes and organizes files across multiple devices and storage locations from a single native app.
- Virtual distributed filesystem
- Indexes files across devices
- Cross-platform native app
Dufs vs Spacedrive: key differences
Both projects are written in Rust. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Dufs versus AGPL-3.0 for Spacedrive. Dufs is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Spacedrive. Spacedrive has the considerably larger community, at 39,022 GitHub stars versus 10,778. Dufs lists first-class Docker deployment; Spacedrive does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Dufs if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 10.8k GitHub stars
Choose Spacedrive if…
- Unified multi-device view
- Modern Rust core
- Cross-platform clients
Watch out for
- Still beta quality
- Sync features incomplete
Frequently asked questions
Is Dufs or Spacedrive better?
Neither is universally better. Spacedrive has the larger community, while Dufs is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dufs and Spacedrive free and open-source?
Yes. Dufs is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Spacedrive under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dufs and Spacedrive with Docker?
Dufs: yes. Spacedrive: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Dufs or Spacedrive?
Dufs has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Spacedrive. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.