Lufi vs Send
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 | Send |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 5,914 |
| First released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | WeTransfer, Firefox Send |
What are Lufi and Send?
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
Send
Send is a community-maintained fork of the discontinued Firefox Send. It provides end-to-end encrypted file sharing with links that expire after a download limit or time period.
- End-to-end encryption
- Expiring share links
- No account required
Lufi vs Send: key differences
Lufi is written in Perl, while Send is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Lufi versus MPL-2.0 for Send. Lufi is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Send. Lufi is the more established project (first released 2015), while Send arrived in 2020. Send has the considerably larger community, at 5,914 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 Send if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.9k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Lufi or Send better?
Neither is universally better. Send has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Lufi and Send free and open-source?
Yes. Lufi is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Send under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lufi and Send with Docker?
Lufi: yes. Send: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Lufi or Send?
Lufi has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Send. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.