PairDrop vs Seafile
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
Seafile
High-performance file sync and share with block storage
| Feature | PairDrop | Seafile |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,133 | ★ 15,077 |
| First released | 2022 | 2012 |
| Replaces | AirDrop, WeTransfer | Dropbox, Google Drive |
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 Seafile if…
- Excellent sync performance
- Stable and battle-tested
- Good for large libraries
Frequently asked questions
Is PairDrop or Seafile better?
Neither is universally better. Seafile has the larger community, while PairDrop is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are PairDrop and Seafile free and open-source?
Yes. PairDrop is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Seafile under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PairDrop and Seafile with Docker?
PairDrop: yes. Seafile: yes.