Magic Wormhole 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 | Magic Wormhole | Pingvin Share |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,946 | ★ 4,668 |
| First released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | WeTransfer, Firefox Send |
What are Magic Wormhole and Pingvin Share?
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
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
Magic Wormhole vs Pingvin Share: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pingvin Share's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Magic Wormhole is actively maintained. Magic Wormhole is written in Python, while Pingvin Share is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Magic Wormhole versus BSD-2-Clause for Pingvin Share. Magic Wormhole is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pingvin Share. Magic Wormhole is the more established project (first released 2016), while Pingvin Share arrived in 2022. Magic Wormhole has the considerably larger community, at 22,946 GitHub stars versus 4,668. Pingvin Share lists first-class Docker deployment; Magic Wormhole does not.
Why pick each one
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
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 Magic Wormhole or Pingvin Share 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 Pingvin Share free and open-source?
Yes. Magic Wormhole is licensed under MIT and Pingvin Share under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Magic Wormhole and Pingvin Share with Docker?
Magic Wormhole: check the project docs for container support. Pingvin Share: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Magic Wormhole or Pingvin Share?
Magic Wormhole has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pingvin Share. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.