Filebin vs transfer.sh
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Filebin | transfer.sh |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 77 · Good | 76 · Good |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 282 | ★ 15,897 |
| First released | 2014 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | WeTransfer |
What are Filebin and transfer.sh?
Filebin
Filebin is a self-hosted file-sharing service where users drop files into shareable bins that expire automatically. It requires no registration and is convenient for quick transfers.
- Auto-expiring bins
- No registration
- Drag-and-drop upload
- Simple deployment
transfer.sh
transfer.sh is a service that lets you upload and share files directly from the command line using curl. It supports encryption, S3 and Google Cloud Storage backends, and maximum download counts.
- Command-line uploads with curl
- Multiple storage backends
- Optional encryption
Filebin vs transfer.sh: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Filebin versus MIT for transfer.sh. Transfer.sh is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Filebin. Transfer.sh has the considerably larger community, at 15,897 GitHub stars versus 282.
Why pick each one
Choose Filebin if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
Choose transfer.sh if…
- Curl-friendly uploads
- S3 backend support
- Download limits and encryption
Watch out for
- Sparse recent development
- Minimal web interface
Frequently asked questions
Is Filebin or transfer.sh better?
Neither is universally better. transfer.sh has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Filebin and transfer.sh free and open-source?
Yes. Filebin is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and transfer.sh under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Filebin and transfer.sh with Docker?
Filebin: yes. transfer.sh: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Filebin or transfer.sh?
transfer.sh has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Filebin. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.