PicoShare vs ShareDrop
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
ShareDrop
Peer-to-peer file transfer in the browser
| Feature | PicoShare | ShareDrop |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 30 · At risk |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,039 | ★ 10,753 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, WeTransfer | AirDrop, WeTransfer |
What are PicoShare and ShareDrop?
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
ShareDrop
ShareDrop is a browser-based peer-to-peer file sharing app using WebRTC. It lets devices on the same network exchange files directly without uploading to a server.
- WebRTC peer-to-peer transfer
- No server-side storage
- Works across local networks
PicoShare vs ShareDrop: key differences
PicoShare is written in Go, while ShareDrop is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for PicoShare versus MIT for ShareDrop. ShareDrop is the more established project (first released 2014), while PicoShare arrived in 2021. ShareDrop has the considerably larger community, at 10,753 GitHub stars versus 3,039.
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 ShareDrop if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 10.8k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is PicoShare or ShareDrop better?
Neither is universally better. ShareDrop has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are PicoShare and ShareDrop free and open-source?
Yes. PicoShare is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ShareDrop under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PicoShare and ShareDrop with Docker?
PicoShare: yes. ShareDrop: yes.