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File Browser vs FileBrowser Quantum

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?
File Browser Archived Lightweight web file manager for a directory VS FileBrowser Quantum Enhanced web file manager fork with extra features
FeatureFile BrowserFileBrowser Quantum
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score15 · At risk92 · Excellent
StatusArchivedActively maintained
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguageGoGo
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM64 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 35,937★ 8,406
First released20172024
ReplacesDropboxGoogle Drive, Dropbox

What are File Browser and FileBrowser Quantum?

File Browser

File Browser provides a clean web interface to manage files within a specified directory, supporting upload, download, sharing, and user accounts. It suits users who want simple browser-based access to a folder rather than a full sync platform. It ships as a single Go binary and a small Docker image.

  • Single-binary web file manager
  • User accounts and share links
  • Built-in editor and previews
  • Minimal resource usage

Read the full File Browser guide →

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

File Browser vs FileBrowser Quantum: key differences

The biggest difference is maintenance: File Browser's repository is archived and no longer developed, while FileBrowser Quantum is actively maintained. Both projects are written in Go. File Browser is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for FileBrowser Quantum. File Browser is the more established project (first released 2017), while FileBrowser Quantum arrived in 2024. File Browser has the considerably larger community, at 35,937 GitHub stars versus 8,406.

Why pick each one

Choose File Browser if…

  • Extremely lightweight
  • Trivial to deploy
  • Good for quick file access

Watch out for

  • No sync client
  • Limited collaboration features
File Browser details

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

Frequently asked questions

Is File Browser or FileBrowser Quantum better?

Neither is universally better. File Browser has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are File Browser and FileBrowser Quantum free and open-source?

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

Can I run File Browser and FileBrowser Quantum with Docker?

File Browser: yes. FileBrowser Quantum: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, File Browser or FileBrowser Quantum?

File Browser has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for FileBrowser Quantum. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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