FileGator vs Seafile
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?
FileGator
Multi-user file manager with role-based access
VS
Seafile
High-performance file sync and share with block storage
| Feature | FileGator | Seafile |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,048 | ★ 15,077 |
| First released | 2019 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Google Drive, Dropbox | Dropbox, Google Drive |
Why pick each one
Choose FileGator if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
Choose Seafile if…
- Excellent sync performance
- Stable and battle-tested
- Good for large libraries
Frequently asked questions
Is FileGator or Seafile better?
Neither is universally better. Seafile has the larger community, while FileGator is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are FileGator and Seafile free and open-source?
Yes. FileGator is licensed under MIT and Seafile under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FileGator and Seafile with Docker?
FileGator: yes. Seafile: yes.