FileBrowser Quantum 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.

Not the right match-up? Compare FileBrowser Quantum with Compare Pydio Cells with

FileBrowser Quantum Enhanced web file manager fork with extra features VS PY Pydio Cells Document sharing and collaboration for organizations

Feature	FileBrowser Quantum	Pydio Cells
Deploy effort	Under-an-hour setup	Under-an-hour setup
Health score	92 · Excellent	86 · Excellent
Category	File Sync & Storage	File Sync & Storage
License	Apache-2.0	AGPL-3.0
Language	Go	Go
Setup difficulty	Easy	Medium
Min. RAM	128 MB	512 MB
Deployment	docker, binary	docker, binary
GitHub stars	★ 8,406	★ 2,252
First released	2024	2018
Replaces	Google Drive, Dropbox	Dropbox, Box, Google Drive

What are FileBrowser Quantum and Pydio Cells?

FileBrowser Quantum

FileBrowser Quantum is a community fork of File Browser that adds advanced search, multiple sources, and improved performance. It provides a web interface for managing files on a server.

Advanced indexed search
Multiple file sources
Improved performance over original

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

Read the full Pydio Cells guide →

FileBrowser Quantum vs Pydio Cells: key differences

Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for FileBrowser Quantum versus AGPL-3.0 for Pydio Cells. FileBrowser Quantum is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Pydio Cells. Pydio Cells is the more established project (first released 2018), while FileBrowser Quantum arrived in 2024. FileBrowser Quantum has the considerably larger community, at 8,406 GitHub stars versus 2,252.

Why pick each one

Choose FileBrowser Quantum if…

Released under the Apache-2.0 license
Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
First-class Docker support for quick deployment
Mature project with 8.4k GitHub stars

FileBrowser Quantum details

Choose Pydio Cells if…

Strong enterprise features
Modern Go codebase
Good access governance

Watch out for

Heavier than simple tools
Smaller community

Pydio Cells details

Frequently asked questions

Is FileBrowser Quantum or Pydio Cells better?

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

Are FileBrowser Quantum and Pydio Cells free and open-source?

Yes. FileBrowser Quantum is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Pydio Cells under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run FileBrowser Quantum and Pydio Cells with Docker?

FileBrowser Quantum: yes. Pydio Cells: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, FileBrowser Quantum or Pydio Cells?

FileBrowser Quantum has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Pydio Cells. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.