Magic Wormhole vs transfer.sh
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
transfer.sh
Easy file sharing from the command line
| Feature | Magic Wormhole | transfer.sh |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,792 | ★ 15,881 |
| First released | 2016 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | 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 transfer.sh if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 15.9k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Magic Wormhole or transfer.sh 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 transfer.sh free and open-source?
Yes. Magic Wormhole is licensed under MIT and transfer.sh under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Magic Wormhole and transfer.sh with Docker?
Magic Wormhole: check the project docs for container support. transfer.sh: yes.