Send vs XBackBone
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?
Send
Encrypted file sharing fork of Firefox Send
VS
XBackBone
Lightweight file manager with full ShareX support
| Feature | Send | XBackBone |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,847 | ★ 1,161 |
| First released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Firefox Send | WeTransfer |
Why pick each one
Choose Send if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.8k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Choose XBackBone if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Send or XBackBone better?
Neither is universally better. Send has the larger community, while XBackBone is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Send and XBackBone free and open-source?
Yes. Send is licensed under MPL-2.0 and XBackBone under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Send and XBackBone with Docker?
Send: yes. XBackBone: check the project docs for container support.