Pingvin Share vs ProjectSend
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
ProjectSend
Self-hosted client-oriented file sharing
| Feature | Pingvin Share | ProjectSend |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 85 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,668 | ★ 2,022 |
| First released | 2022 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | Dropbox, WeTransfer |
What are Pingvin Share and ProjectSend?
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
ProjectSend
ProjectSend is a self-hosted application for sharing files with clients in a private, organized way with per-client access. It targets freelancers and agencies delivering files to customers. It is deployed via a PHP stack or Docker.
- Per-client file delivery
- Group and permission management
- Email notifications
- Branding options
Pingvin Share vs ProjectSend: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pingvin Share's repository is archived and no longer developed, while ProjectSend is actively maintained. Pingvin Share is written in TypeScript, while ProjectSend is built with PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-2-Clause for Pingvin Share versus GPL-2.0 for ProjectSend. ProjectSend is the more established project (first released 2012), while Pingvin Share arrived in 2022. Pingvin Share has the considerably larger community, at 4,668 GitHub stars versus 2,022.
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 ProjectSend if…
- Great for client deliverables
- Simple to operate
- Clear access control
Watch out for
- Not a general sync tool
- Dated interface
Frequently asked questions
Is Pingvin Share or ProjectSend better?
Neither is universally better. Pingvin Share has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Pingvin Share and ProjectSend free and open-source?
Yes. Pingvin Share is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and ProjectSend under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pingvin Share and ProjectSend with Docker?
Pingvin Share: yes. ProjectSend: yes.