File Drop vs SeaweedFS

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?
FeatureFile DropSeaweedFS
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicensefreeApache-2.0
LanguageGoGo
Setup difficultyEasyHard
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, one-clickdocker, kubernetes, binary
GitHub stars★ 82★ 33,952
First released20222015
ReplacesAmazon S3

Why pick each one

Choose File Drop if…

  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • One-click install on common self-host platforms
  • Written in Go
File Drop details

Choose SeaweedFS if…

  • Released under the Apache-2.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
  • Mature project with 34k GitHub stars
SeaweedFS details

Frequently asked questions

Is File Drop or SeaweedFS better?

Neither is universally better. SeaweedFS has the larger community, while File Drop is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are File Drop and SeaweedFS free and open-source?

Yes. File Drop is licensed under free and SeaweedFS under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run File Drop and SeaweedFS with Docker?

File Drop: yes. SeaweedFS: yes.

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