SHSelfHostIndex

Linx 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.

Not the right match-up?
LI Linx Self-hosted file and code paste sharing server VS SH ShareDrop Peer-to-peer file transfer in the browser
FeatureLinxShareDrop
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score18 · At risk30 · At risk
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageGoJavaScript
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM64 MB64 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 1,582★ 10,753
First released20152014
ReplacesWeTransfer, ImgurAirDrop, WeTransfer

What are Linx and ShareDrop?

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

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

Linx vs ShareDrop: key differences

Linx is written in Go, while ShareDrop is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Linx versus MIT for ShareDrop. ShareDrop has the considerably larger community, at 10,753 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)
Linx details

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
ShareDrop details

Frequently asked questions

Is Linx 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 Linx and ShareDrop free and open-source?

Yes. Linx is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ShareDrop under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Linx and ShareDrop with Docker?

Linx: yes. ShareDrop: yes.

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