PicoShare vs Pomf
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
PicoShare
Minimalist file sharing for permanent direct links
VS
Pomf
Simple file uploading and sharing platform
| Feature | PicoShare | Pomf |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 13 · At risk |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,039 | ★ 923 |
| First released | 2021 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, WeTransfer | WeTransfer, Imgur |
What are PicoShare and Pomf?
PicoShare
PicoShare is a minimal file-sharing app that makes it easy to share files with simple, permanent URLs. It is designed to be a single-binary deployment with no external dependencies.
- Permanent shareable links
- SQLite-backed storage
- Single-binary deployment
Pomf
Pomf is a lightweight file uploading and sharing platform written in PHP. It powers many community file hosts and is easy to deploy on shared hosting.
- Runs on shared hosting
- Drag-and-drop uploads
- Simple API
PicoShare vs Pomf: key differences
PicoShare is written in Go, while Pomf is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for PicoShare versus MIT for Pomf. Pomf is the more established project (first released 2015), while PicoShare arrived in 2021. PicoShare has the considerably larger community, at 3,039 GitHub stars versus 923. PicoShare lists first-class Docker deployment; Pomf does not.
Why pick each one
Choose PicoShare if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
Choose Pomf if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is PicoShare or Pomf better?
Neither is universally better. PicoShare has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are PicoShare and Pomf free and open-source?
Yes. PicoShare is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Pomf under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PicoShare and Pomf with Docker?
PicoShare: yes. Pomf: check the project docs for container support.