SHSelfHostIndex

File Browser 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?
File Browser Archived Lightweight web file manager for a directory VS SP SparkleShare Git-backed file synchronization with version history
FeatureFile BrowserSparkleShare
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score15 · At risk71 · Good
StatusArchivedActively maintained
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseApache-2.0GPL-3.0
LanguageGoC#
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM64 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarybare-metal, binary
GitHub stars★ 35,937★ 4,981
First released20172010
ReplacesDropboxDropbox

What are File Browser and SparkleShare?

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 →

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 →

File Browser vs SparkleShare: key differences

The biggest difference is maintenance: File Browser's repository is archived and no longer developed, while SparkleShare is actively maintained. File Browser is written in Go, while SparkleShare is built with C#. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for File Browser versus GPL-3.0 for SparkleShare. File Browser is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for SparkleShare. SparkleShare is the more established project (first released 2010), while File Browser arrived in 2017. File Browser has the considerably larger community, at 35,937 GitHub stars versus 4,981. File Browser lists first-class Docker deployment; SparkleShare does not.

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 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 File Browser or SparkleShare 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 SparkleShare free and open-source?

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

Can I run File Browser and SparkleShare with Docker?

File Browser: yes. SparkleShare: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, File Browser or SparkleShare?

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

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