ownCloud Infinite Scale vs elFinder
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ownCloud Infinite Scale | elFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,127 | ★ 4,804 |
| First released | 2020 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive | Google Drive, Dropbox |
What are ownCloud Infinite Scale and elFinder?
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
elFinder
elFinder is an open-source web file manager with a user interface inspired by the macOS Finder. It supports multiple storage backends, drag and drop, and image editing.
- macOS Finder-style UI
- Multiple storage backends
- Built-in image editor
ownCloud Infinite Scale vs elFinder: key differences
OwnCloud Infinite Scale is written in Go, while elFinder is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for ownCloud Infinite Scale versus BSD-3-Clause for elFinder. ElFinder is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for ownCloud Infinite Scale. ElFinder is the more established project (first released 2010), while ownCloud Infinite Scale arrived in 2020. ElFinder has the considerably larger community, at 4,804 GitHub stars versus 2,127. OwnCloud Infinite Scale lists first-class Docker deployment; elFinder does not.
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
Choose elFinder if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Active community (4.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ownCloud Infinite Scale or elFinder better?
Neither is universally better. elFinder has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ownCloud Infinite Scale and elFinder free and open-source?
Yes. ownCloud Infinite Scale is licensed under Apache-2.0 and elFinder under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ownCloud Infinite Scale and elFinder with Docker?
ownCloud Infinite Scale: yes. elFinder: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ownCloud Infinite Scale or elFinder?
elFinder has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for ownCloud Infinite Scale. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.