Gokapi vs ShareDrop
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 | ShareDrop |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 30 · At risk |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,881 | ★ 10,753 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | AirDrop, WeTransfer |
What are Gokapi and ShareDrop?
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
ShareDrop
ShareDrop is a browser-based peer-to-peer file sharing app using WebRTC. It lets devices on the same network exchange files directly without uploading to a server.
- WebRTC peer-to-peer transfer
- No server-side storage
- Works across local networks
Gokapi vs ShareDrop: key differences
Gokapi is written in Go, while ShareDrop is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Gokapi versus MIT for ShareDrop. ShareDrop is the more established project (first released 2014), while Gokapi arrived in 2021. ShareDrop has the considerably larger community, at 10,753 GitHub stars versus 2,881.
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 ShareDrop if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 10.8k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Gokapi or ShareDrop better?
Neither is universally better. ShareDrop has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Gokapi and ShareDrop free and open-source?
Yes. Gokapi is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ShareDrop under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gokapi and ShareDrop with Docker?
Gokapi: yes. ShareDrop: yes.