Gokapi vs Lufi
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Gokapi | Lufi |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,881 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2021 | 2015 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | WeTransfer, Firefox Send |
What are Gokapi and Lufi?
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
Lufi
Lufi is a file hosting application where files are encrypted in the browser before being uploaded, so the server never sees their contents. Files can be set to delete after a chosen expiration period.
- Client-side encryption
- Automatic file expiration
- Part of the Framasoft suite
Gokapi vs Lufi: key differences
Gokapi is written in Go, while Lufi is built with Perl. Gokapi is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Lufi. Lufi is the more established project (first released 2015), while Gokapi arrived in 2021. Gokapi has the considerably larger community, at 2,881 GitHub stars versus 300.
Why pick each one
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)
Choose Lufi if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Perl
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Gokapi or Lufi better?
Gokapi is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Lufi if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Gokapi and Lufi free and open-source?
Yes. Gokapi is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Lufi under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gokapi and Lufi with Docker?
Gokapi: yes. Lufi: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Gokapi or Lufi?
Gokapi has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Lufi. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.