Filestash vs I, Librarian
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted document management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Filestash
Web-based file manager and document gateway
VS
I, Librarian
Organize PDF papers and office documents
| Feature | Filestash | I, Librarian |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document Management | Document Management |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,451 | ★ 346 |
| First released | 2017 | 2025 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, SharePoint | — |
Why pick each one
Choose I, Librarian if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Filestash or I, Librarian better?
Filestash is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider I, Librarian if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Filestash and I, Librarian free and open-source?
Yes. Filestash is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and I, Librarian under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Filestash and I, Librarian with Docker?
Filestash: yes. I, Librarian: check the project docs for container support.