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.
Pingvin Share
Archived
Self-hosted file sharing alternative to WeTransfer
VS
Plik
Temporary file upload system (Wetransfer like)
| Feature | Pingvin Share | Plik |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 82 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| 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 | ★ 4,668 | ★ 1,821 |
| First released | 2022 | None |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | WeTransfer |
What are Pingvin Share and Plik?
Pingvin Share
Pingvin Share is a self-hosted file sharing platform with a clean interface, designed as an alternative to WeTransfer and Firefox Send. It supports expiring shares and password protection.
- Expiring share links
- OAuth and LDAP login
- Password-protected shares
Plik
Temporary file upload system (Wetransfer like).
Pingvin Share vs Plik: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pingvin Share's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Plik is actively maintained. Pingvin Share is written in TypeScript, while Plik is built with Go. Licensing differs — BSD-2-Clause for Pingvin Share versus MIT for Plik. Plik is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pingvin Share. Pingvin Share has the considerably larger community, at 4,668 GitHub stars versus 1,821. Pingvin Share lists first-class Docker deployment; Plik does not.
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 Pingvin Share 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.
Which is lighter on resources, Pingvin Share or Plik?
Plik has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pingvin Share. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.