FilePizza vs PsiTransfer
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
PsiTransfer
Simple open-source file sharing solution
| Feature | FilePizza | PsiTransfer |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 76 · Good |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,189 | ★ 1,951 |
| First released | 2023 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer | WeTransfer |
What are FilePizza and PsiTransfer?
FilePizza
Peer-to-peer file transfers in your browser.
PsiTransfer
PsiTransfer is a self-hosted file sharing application with a drag-and-drop web interface. It supports resumable uploads, file expiration, and password protection.
- Resumable uploads
- Password-protected buckets
- Drag-and-drop interface
FilePizza vs PsiTransfer: key differences
FilePizza is written in TypeScript, while PsiTransfer is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for FilePizza versus MIT for PsiTransfer. FilePizza is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 128 MB for PsiTransfer. PsiTransfer is the more established project (first released 2017), while FilePizza arrived in 2023. FilePizza has the considerably larger community, at 10,189 GitHub stars versus 1,951. PsiTransfer 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 PsiTransfer if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is FilePizza or PsiTransfer better?
Neither is universally better. FilePizza has the larger community, while PsiTransfer is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are FilePizza and PsiTransfer free and open-source?
Yes. FilePizza is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and PsiTransfer under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FilePizza and PsiTransfer with Docker?
FilePizza: check the project docs for container support. PsiTransfer: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, FilePizza or PsiTransfer?
FilePizza has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for PsiTransfer. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.