PairDrop vs Filebin
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?
PairDrop
Local and internet file sharing inspired by Snapdrop
VS
Filebin
Quick file sharing with auto-expiring bins
| Feature | PairDrop | Filebin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,133 | ★ 274 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | AirDrop, WeTransfer | WeTransfer, Firefox Send |
Why pick each one
Choose PairDrop if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 11.1k GitHub stars
Choose Filebin if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is PairDrop or Filebin better?
Neither is universally better. PairDrop has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are PairDrop and Filebin free and open-source?
Yes. PairDrop is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Filebin under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PairDrop and Filebin with Docker?
PairDrop: yes. Filebin: yes.