SFTPGo vs Spacedrive
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
SFTPGo
Full-featured SFTP, FTP and WebDAV server
VS
Spacedrive
Cross-platform file explorer powered by a virtual distributed filesystem
| Feature | SFTPGo | Spacedrive |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 12,570 | ★ 39,022 |
| First released | 2019 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Dropbox | Google Drive, Dropbox |
What are SFTPGo and Spacedrive?
SFTPGo
SFTPGo is a configurable file transfer server supporting SFTP, FTP/S, WebDAV, and HTTP access with cloud storage backends. It suits administrators who need secure, multi-protocol file access. It is deployed via Docker or a single binary.
- SFTP, FTP, WebDAV and HTTP support
- Cloud storage backends
- Per-user quotas and rules
- Web admin and REST API
Spacedrive
Spacedrive is an open-source, cross-platform file manager written in Rust, built around a virtual distributed filesystem (VDFS). It indexes and organizes files across multiple devices and storage locations from a single native app.
- Virtual distributed filesystem
- Indexes files across devices
- Cross-platform native app
SFTPGo vs Spacedrive: key differences
SFTPGo is written in Go, while Spacedrive is built with Rust. SFTPGo is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Spacedrive. SFTPGo is the more established project (first released 2019), while Spacedrive arrived in 2022. Spacedrive has the considerably larger community, at 39,022 GitHub stars versus 12,570. SFTPGo lists first-class Docker deployment; Spacedrive does not.
Why pick each one
Choose SFTPGo if…
- Multi-protocol in one binary
- Flexible storage backends
- Strong access controls
Watch out for
- No sync client
- Configuration can be complex
Choose Spacedrive if…
- Unified multi-device view
- Modern Rust core
- Cross-platform clients
Watch out for
- Still beta quality
- Sync features incomplete
Frequently asked questions
Is SFTPGo or Spacedrive better?
Neither is universally better. Spacedrive has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are SFTPGo and Spacedrive free and open-source?
Yes. SFTPGo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Spacedrive under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SFTPGo and Spacedrive with Docker?
SFTPGo: yes. Spacedrive: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, SFTPGo or Spacedrive?
SFTPGo has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Spacedrive. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.