File Browser vs Garage

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 BrowserGarage
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseApache-2.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageGoRust
Setup difficultyEasyHard
Min. RAM64 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 35,800★ 1,600
First released20172021
ReplacesDropboxAmazon S3, Dropbox

Why pick each one

Choose File Browser if…

  • Extremely lightweight
  • Trivial to deploy
  • Good for quick file access
File Browser details

Choose Garage if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Rust
Garage details

Frequently asked questions

Is File Browser or Garage better?

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

Are File Browser and Garage free and open-source?

Yes. File Browser is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Garage under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run File Browser and Garage with Docker?

File Browser: yes. Garage: yes.

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