SHSelfHostIndex

File Browser vs OpenCloud

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 OpenCloud Modern open-source file platform from ownCloud team
FeatureFile BrowserOpenCloud
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score15 · At risk90 · Excellent
StatusArchivedActively maintained
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguageGoGo
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM64 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker
GitHub stars★ 35,937★ 6,056
First released20172025
ReplacesDropboxDropbox, Google Drive

What are File Browser and OpenCloud?

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 →

OpenCloud

OpenCloud is a modern open-source file sync, share, and collaboration platform built on a microservice architecture. It targets organizations wanting a current, lightweight content collaboration server. It is deployed via Docker Compose.

  • Microservice-based architecture
  • Web-based collaboration
  • Lightweight Go backend
  • Compatible desktop clients

Read the full OpenCloud guide →

File Browser vs OpenCloud: key differences

The biggest difference is maintenance: File Browser's repository is archived and no longer developed, while OpenCloud is actively maintained. Both projects are written in Go. File Browser is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for OpenCloud. File Browser is the more established project (first released 2017), while OpenCloud arrived in 2025. File Browser has the considerably larger community, at 35,937 GitHub stars versus 6,056.

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 OpenCloud if…

  • Modern, fast codebase
  • Lightweight footprint
  • Permissively licensed

Watch out for

  • Very new project
  • Smaller ecosystem so far
OpenCloud details

Frequently asked questions

Is File Browser or OpenCloud better?

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

Are File Browser and OpenCloud free and open-source?

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

Can I run File Browser and OpenCloud with Docker?

File Browser: yes. OpenCloud: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, File Browser or OpenCloud?

File Browser has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for OpenCloud. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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