FilePizza vs Gokapi
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
FilePizza
Peer-to-peer file transfers in your browser
VS
Gokapi
Lightweight self-hosted file sharing with expiring links
| Feature | FilePizza | Gokapi |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,189 | ★ 2,881 |
| First released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer | WeTransfer, Firefox Send |
What are FilePizza and Gokapi?
FilePizza
Peer-to-peer file transfers in your browser.
Gokapi
Gokapi is a minimalist file sharing server inspired by Firefox Send. It lets you upload files and generate download links that can expire after a set time or number of downloads.
- Expiring download links
- End-to-end encryption option
- AWS S3 storage support
FilePizza vs Gokapi: key differences
FilePizza is written in TypeScript, while Gokapi is built with Go. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for FilePizza versus AGPL-3.0 for Gokapi. FilePizza is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 64 MB for Gokapi. Gokapi is the more established project (first released 2021), while FilePizza arrived in 2023. FilePizza has the considerably larger community, at 10,189 GitHub stars versus 2,881. Gokapi lists first-class Docker deployment; FilePizza does not.
Why pick each one
Choose FilePizza if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Mature project with 10.2k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Choose Gokapi if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.9k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is FilePizza or Gokapi better?
Neither is universally better. FilePizza has the larger community, while Gokapi is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are FilePizza and Gokapi free and open-source?
Yes. FilePizza is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Gokapi under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FilePizza and Gokapi with Docker?
FilePizza: check the project docs for container support. Gokapi: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, FilePizza or Gokapi?
FilePizza has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for Gokapi. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.