rustypaste 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.
| Feature | rustypaste | ShareDrop |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 30 · At risk |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Rust | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,207 | ★ 10,753 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Imgur | AirDrop, WeTransfer |
What are rustypaste and ShareDrop?
rustypaste
rustypaste is a minimal self-hosted file upload and pastebin service written in Rust. It supports expiring uploads, one-shot files, and command-line usage with curl.
- One-shot expiring uploads
- Curl-friendly API
- Minimal resource usage
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
rustypaste vs ShareDrop: key differences
Rustypaste is written in Rust, while ShareDrop is built with JavaScript. Rustypaste is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for ShareDrop. ShareDrop is the more established project (first released 2014), while rustypaste arrived in 2021. ShareDrop has the considerably larger community, at 10,753 GitHub stars versus 1,207.
Why pick each one
Choose rustypaste if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.2k 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 rustypaste 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 rustypaste and ShareDrop free and open-source?
Yes. rustypaste is licensed under MIT and ShareDrop under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run rustypaste and ShareDrop with Docker?
rustypaste: yes. ShareDrop: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, rustypaste or ShareDrop?
rustypaste has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for ShareDrop. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.