Magic Wormhole vs Updog
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Magic Wormhole | Updog |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 54 · Fair |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,946 | ★ 3,412 |
| First released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | WeTransfer |
What are Magic Wormhole and Updog?
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
Updog
Updog is a small Python utility that improves upon SimpleHTTPServer by adding upload capability, HTTPS, and optional password protection. It is useful for quick file transfers.
- Upload support over HTTP
- Optional HTTPS and auth
- Simple drop-in replacement
Magic Wormhole vs Updog: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Magic Wormhole is the more established project (first released 2016), while Updog arrived in 2019. Magic Wormhole has the considerably larger community, at 22,946 GitHub stars versus 3,412.
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 Updog if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Magic Wormhole or Updog 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 Updog free and open-source?
Yes. Magic Wormhole is licensed under MIT and Updog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Magic Wormhole and Updog with Docker?
Magic Wormhole: check the project docs for container support. Updog: check the project docs for container support.