Pingvin Share vs Plik
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?
Pingvin Share
Self-hosted file sharing alternative to WeTransfer
VS
Plik
Temporary file upload system (Wetransfer like)
| Feature | Pingvin Share | Plik |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,684 | ★ 1,810 |
| First released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | WeTransfer |
Why pick each one
Choose Pingvin Share if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.7k GitHub stars)
Choose Plik if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Pingvin Share or Plik better?
Pingvin Share is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Plik if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Pingvin Share and Plik free and open-source?
Yes. Pingvin Share is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and Plik under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pingvin Share and Plik with Docker?
Pingvin Share: yes. Plik: check the project docs for container support.