h5ai vs elFinder
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
h5ai
Modern HTTP web server index for browsing files
VS
elFinder
Web file manager with a desktop-style interface
| Feature | h5ai | elFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,052 | ★ 4,800 |
| First released | 2012 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Google Drive | Google Drive, Dropbox |
Why pick each one
Choose h5ai if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 6.1k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Choose elFinder if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Active community (4.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is h5ai or elFinder better?
h5ai is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider elFinder if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are h5ai and elFinder free and open-source?
Yes. h5ai is licensed under MIT and elFinder under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run h5ai and elFinder with Docker?
h5ai: check the project docs for container support. elFinder: check the project docs for container support.