Magic Wormhole vs PicoShare
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?
Magic Wormhole
Get things from one computer to another, safely
VS
PicoShare
Minimalist file sharing for permanent direct links
| Feature | Magic Wormhole | PicoShare |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,792 | ★ 2,971 |
| First released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | Dropbox, WeTransfer |
Why pick each one
Choose Magic Wormhole if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 22.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Choose PicoShare if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Magic Wormhole or PicoShare better?
Neither is universally better. Magic Wormhole has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Magic Wormhole and PicoShare free and open-source?
Yes. Magic Wormhole is licensed under MIT and PicoShare under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Magic Wormhole and PicoShare with Docker?
Magic Wormhole: check the project docs for container support. PicoShare: yes.