Plik 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.
| Feature | Plik | Pomf |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 13 · At risk |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,821 | ★ 923 |
| First released | None | 2015 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer | WeTransfer, Imgur |
What are Plik and Pomf?
Plik
Temporary file upload system (Wetransfer like).
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
Plik vs Pomf: key differences
Plik is written in Go, while Pomf is built with PHP. Plik is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 64 MB for Pomf.
Why pick each one
Choose Plik if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
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 Plik or Pomf better?
Neither is universally better. Plik has the larger community, while Pomf is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Plik and Pomf free and open-source?
Yes. Plik is licensed under MIT and Pomf under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Plik and Pomf with Docker?
Plik: check the project docs for container support. Pomf: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Plik or Pomf?
Plik has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for Pomf. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.