Gokapi vs Pomf
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 | Pomf |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 13 · At risk |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,881 | ★ 923 |
| First released | 2021 | 2015 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | WeTransfer, Imgur |
What are Gokapi and Pomf?
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
Pomf
Pomf is a lightweight file uploading and sharing platform written in PHP. It powers many community file hosts and is easy to deploy on shared hosting.
- Runs on shared hosting
- Drag-and-drop uploads
- Simple API
Gokapi vs Pomf: key differences
Gokapi is written in Go, while Pomf is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Gokapi versus MIT for Pomf. Pomf 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 923. Gokapi lists first-class Docker deployment; Pomf does not.
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 Pomf if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Gokapi or Pomf better?
Neither is universally better. Gokapi has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Gokapi and Pomf free and open-source?
Yes. Gokapi is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Pomf under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gokapi and Pomf with Docker?
Gokapi: yes. Pomf: check the project docs for container support.