Kleeja vs Magic Wormhole
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Kleeja | Magic Wormhole |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 75 · Good | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 193 | ★ 22,946 |
| First released | 2006 | 2016 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer | WeTransfer, AirDrop |
What are Kleeja and Magic Wormhole?
Kleeja
Kleeja is a long-running PHP application for uploading and sharing files and images. It supports multiple languages, themes, and a plugin system for extension.
- Plugin and theme system
- Multilingual interface
- Long-standing project
Magic Wormhole
Magic Wormhole is a library and CLI tool for securely transferring files and directories between computers. It uses short human-pronounceable codes and PAKE encryption for safe transfers.
- PAKE-based encryption
- Human-readable transfer codes
- Self-hostable relay and mailbox
Kleeja vs Magic Wormhole: key differences
Kleeja is written in PHP, while Magic Wormhole is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Kleeja versus MIT for Magic Wormhole. Magic Wormhole is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Kleeja. Kleeja is the more established project (first released 2006), while Magic Wormhole arrived in 2016. Magic Wormhole has the considerably larger community, at 22,946 GitHub stars versus 193.
Why pick each one
Choose Kleeja if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Magic Wormhole if…
- Dead-simple pairing codes
- End-to-end encrypted
- No account needed
Watch out for
- Terminal-based workflow
- Both ends online simultaneously
Frequently asked questions
Is Kleeja or Magic Wormhole better?
Neither is universally better. Magic Wormhole has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Kleeja and Magic Wormhole free and open-source?
Yes. Kleeja is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Magic Wormhole under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kleeja and Magic Wormhole with Docker?
Kleeja: check the project docs for container support. Magic Wormhole: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Kleeja or Magic Wormhole?
Magic Wormhole has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Kleeja. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.