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FileBrowser Quantum vs SparkleShare

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?
FileBrowser Quantum Enhanced web file manager fork with extra features VS SP SparkleShare Git-backed file synchronization with version history
FeatureFileBrowser QuantumSparkleShare
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score92 · Excellent71 · Good
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseApache-2.0GPL-3.0
LanguageGoC#
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarybare-metal, binary
GitHub stars★ 8,406★ 4,981
First released20242010
ReplacesGoogle Drive, DropboxDropbox

What are FileBrowser Quantum and SparkleShare?

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

SparkleShare

SparkleShare is a file synchronization tool that uses Git repositories as the storage backend, giving every change a full version history. It is well suited to syncing collaborative projects and small text-heavy files across machines.

  • Git-backed versioning
  • Automatic conflict handling
  • End-to-end encryption option
  • Self-hosted on any SSH host

Read the full SparkleShare guide →

FileBrowser Quantum vs SparkleShare: key differences

FileBrowser Quantum is written in Go, while SparkleShare is built with C#. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for FileBrowser Quantum versus GPL-3.0 for SparkleShare. SparkleShare is the more established project (first released 2010), while FileBrowser Quantum arrived in 2024. FileBrowser Quantum lists first-class Docker deployment; SparkleShare does not.

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 SparkleShare if…

  • Full history of every change
  • Works over plain SSH

Watch out for

  • Poor with large binary files
  • Slower development pace
SparkleShare details

Frequently asked questions

Is FileBrowser Quantum or SparkleShare better?

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

Are FileBrowser Quantum and SparkleShare free and open-source?

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

Can I run FileBrowser Quantum and SparkleShare with Docker?

FileBrowser Quantum: yes. SparkleShare: check the project docs for container support.

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