Lufi 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 | Lufi | Magic Wormhole |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Perl | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 22,946 |
| First released | 2015 | 2016 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | WeTransfer, AirDrop |
What are Lufi and Magic Wormhole?
Lufi
Lufi is a file hosting application where files are encrypted in the browser before being uploaded, so the server never sees their contents. Files can be set to delete after a chosen expiration period.
- Client-side encryption
- Automatic file expiration
- Part of the Framasoft suite
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
Lufi vs Magic Wormhole: key differences
Lufi is written in Perl, while Magic Wormhole is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Lufi versus MIT for Magic Wormhole. Magic Wormhole is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Lufi. Magic Wormhole has the considerably larger community, at 22,946 GitHub stars versus 300. Lufi lists first-class Docker deployment; Magic Wormhole does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Lufi if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Perl
- 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 Lufi or Magic Wormhole better?
Magic Wormhole is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Lufi if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Lufi and Magic Wormhole free and open-source?
Yes. Lufi is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Magic Wormhole under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lufi and Magic Wormhole with Docker?
Lufi: yes. Magic Wormhole: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Lufi or Magic Wormhole?
Magic Wormhole has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Lufi. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.