Lufi 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 | Lufi | Pingvin Share |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Perl | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 4,668 |
| First released | 2015 | 2022 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | WeTransfer, Firefox Send |
What are Lufi and Pingvin Share?
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
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
Lufi vs Pingvin Share: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pingvin Share's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Lufi is actively maintained. Lufi is written in Perl, while Pingvin Share is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Lufi versus BSD-2-Clause for Pingvin Share. Lufi is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pingvin Share. Lufi 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 300.
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 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 Lufi or Pingvin Share better?
Pingvin Share is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Pingvin Share if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Lufi and Pingvin Share free and open-source?
Yes. Lufi is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Pingvin Share under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lufi and Pingvin Share with Docker?
Lufi: yes. Pingvin Share: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Lufi or Pingvin Share?
Lufi has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pingvin Share. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.