File Browser vs Zipline

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? Compare File Browser with Compare Zipline with

File Browser Archived Lightweight web file manager for a directory VS ZI Zipline ShareX and file upload server with a clean dashboard

Feature	File Browser	Zipline
Deploy effort	Under-an-hour setup	Under-an-hour setup
Health score	15 · At risk	88 · Excellent
Status	Archived	Actively maintained
Category	File Sync & Storage	File Sync & Storage
License	Apache-2.0	MIT
Language	Go	TypeScript
Setup difficulty	Easy	Medium
Min. RAM	64 MB	256 MB
Deployment	docker, binary	docker
GitHub stars	★ 35,937	★ 3,429
First released	2017	2021
Replaces	Dropbox	Imgur, Dropbox

What are File Browser and Zipline?

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 →

Zipline

Zipline is a fast self-hosted file upload server with a modern dashboard. It supports ShareX, image embeds, URL shortening, and detailed statistics.

ShareX integration
URL shortener built in
Detailed upload statistics

File Browser vs Zipline: key differences

The biggest difference is maintenance: File Browser's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Zipline is actively maintained. File Browser is written in Go, while Zipline is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for File Browser versus MIT for Zipline. File Browser is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Zipline. File Browser is the more established project (first released 2017), while Zipline arrived in 2021. File Browser has the considerably larger community, at 35,937 GitHub stars versus 3,429.

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 Zipline if…

Released under the MIT license
First-class Docker support for quick deployment
Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
Written in TypeScript

Zipline details

Frequently asked questions

Is File Browser or Zipline 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 Zipline free and open-source?

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

Can I run File Browser and Zipline with Docker?

File Browser: yes. Zipline: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, File Browser or Zipline?

File Browser has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Zipline. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.