Linx vs Pingvin Share
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Pingvin Share
Archived
Self-hosted file sharing alternative to WeTransfer
| Feature | Linx | Pingvin Share |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 18 · At risk | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,582 | ★ 4,668 |
| First released | 2015 | 2022 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Imgur | WeTransfer, Firefox Send |
What are Linx and Pingvin Share?
Linx
Linx is a self-hosted file and code-paste sharing server with a clean interface. It supports expiring uploads, file deletion keys, an API, and torrent download generation.
- Expiring uploads
- Code syntax highlighting
- Torrent download support
Pingvin Share
Pingvin Share is a self-hosted file sharing platform with a clean interface, designed as an alternative to WeTransfer and Firefox Send. It supports expiring shares and password protection.
- Expiring share links
- OAuth and LDAP login
- Password-protected shares
Linx vs Pingvin Share: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pingvin Share's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Linx is actively maintained. Linx is written in Go, while Pingvin Share is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Linx versus BSD-2-Clause for Pingvin Share. Linx is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pingvin Share. Linx is the more established project (first released 2015), while Pingvin Share arrived in 2022. Pingvin Share has the considerably larger community, at 4,668 GitHub stars versus 1,582.
Why pick each one
Choose Linx if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
Choose Pingvin Share if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.7k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Linx or Pingvin Share better?
Neither is universally better. Pingvin Share has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Linx and Pingvin Share free and open-source?
Yes. Linx is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Pingvin Share under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Linx and Pingvin Share with Docker?
Linx: yes. Pingvin Share: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Linx or Pingvin Share?
Linx has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pingvin Share. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.