SHSelfHostIndex

Linx vs transfer.sh

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 TR transfer.sh Easy file sharing from the command line
FeatureLinxtransfer.sh
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score18 · At risk76 · Good
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageGoGo
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM64 MB64 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 1,582★ 15,897
First released20152014
ReplacesWeTransfer, ImgurWeTransfer

What are Linx and transfer.sh?

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

transfer.sh

transfer.sh is a service that lets you upload and share files directly from the command line using curl. It supports encryption, S3 and Google Cloud Storage backends, and maximum download counts.

  • Command-line uploads with curl
  • Multiple storage backends
  • Optional encryption

Read the full transfer.sh guide →

Linx vs transfer.sh: key differences

Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Linx versus MIT for transfer.sh. Transfer.sh has the considerably larger community, at 15,897 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 transfer.sh if…

  • Curl-friendly uploads
  • S3 backend support
  • Download limits and encryption

Watch out for

  • Sparse recent development
  • Minimal web interface
transfer.sh details

Frequently asked questions

Is Linx or transfer.sh better?

Neither is universally better. transfer.sh has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Linx and transfer.sh free and open-source?

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

Can I run Linx and transfer.sh with Docker?

Linx: yes. transfer.sh: yes.

Related comparisons