ownCloud Infinite Scale vs Tiny File Manager

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?
FeatureownCloud Infinite ScaleTiny File Manager
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score86 · Excellent69 · Good
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseApache-2.0GPL-3.0
LanguageGoPHP
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB64 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarybare-metal, docker
GitHub stars★ 2,127★ 5,978
First released20202016
ReplacesDropbox, Google DriveGoogle Drive

What are ownCloud Infinite Scale and Tiny File Manager?

ownCloud Infinite Scale

ownCloud Infinite Scale (oCIS) is the Go-based successor to the PHP ownCloud server. It provides file sync and share with a microservices architecture, Spaces for team collaboration, and OpenID Connect authentication.

  • Built in Go for performance
  • Spaces-based collaboration
  • OpenID Connect support

Tiny File Manager

Tiny File Manager is a web-based file manager contained in a single PHP file. It provides multi-user support, file editing, archive handling, and a clean responsive interface.

  • Single-file deployment
  • Built-in code editor
  • Multi-user access control

ownCloud Infinite Scale vs Tiny File Manager: key differences

OwnCloud Infinite Scale is written in Go, while Tiny File Manager is built with PHP. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for ownCloud Infinite Scale versus GPL-3.0 for Tiny File Manager. Tiny File Manager is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for ownCloud Infinite Scale. Tiny File Manager is the more established project (first released 2016), while ownCloud Infinite Scale arrived in 2020. Tiny File Manager has the considerably larger community, at 5,978 GitHub stars versus 2,127.

Why pick each one

Choose ownCloud Infinite Scale if…

  • Released under the Apache-2.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Go
ownCloud Infinite Scale details

Choose Tiny File Manager if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Mature project with 6k GitHub stars
Tiny File Manager details

Frequently asked questions

Is ownCloud Infinite Scale or Tiny File Manager better?

Tiny File Manager is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider ownCloud Infinite Scale if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are ownCloud Infinite Scale and Tiny File Manager free and open-source?

Yes. ownCloud Infinite Scale is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Tiny File Manager under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run ownCloud Infinite Scale and Tiny File Manager with Docker?

ownCloud Infinite Scale: yes. Tiny File Manager: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, ownCloud Infinite Scale or Tiny File Manager?

Tiny File Manager has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for ownCloud Infinite Scale. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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