SHSelfHostIndex

SFTPGo vs WebDAV Server Go

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?
SFTPGo Full-featured SFTP, FTP and WebDAV server VS WE WebDAV Server Go Lightweight standalone WebDAV file server
FeatureSFTPGoWebDAV Server Go
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score94 · Excellent90 · Excellent
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseAGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageGoGo
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM128 MB64 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 12,570★ 5,877
First released20192017
ReplacesDropboxDropbox

What are SFTPGo and WebDAV Server Go?

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

Read the full SFTPGo guide →

WebDAV Server Go

A lightweight standalone WebDAV server that exposes a directory tree for syncing with WebDAV-capable clients. It is useful as a minimal sync backend for many file managers and apps.

  • Standalone WebDAV
  • Per-user permissions
  • Minimal backend
  • Cross-platform clients

SFTPGo vs WebDAV Server Go: key differences

Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for SFTPGo versus MIT for WebDAV Server Go. WebDAV Server Go is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for SFTPGo. WebDAV Server Go is the more established project (first released 2017), while SFTPGo arrived in 2019. SFTPGo has the considerably larger community, at 12,570 GitHub stars versus 5,877.

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
SFTPGo details

Choose WebDAV Server Go if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Mature project with 5.9k GitHub stars
WebDAV Server Go details

Frequently asked questions

Is SFTPGo or WebDAV Server Go better?

Neither is universally better. SFTPGo has the larger community, while WebDAV Server Go is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are SFTPGo and WebDAV Server Go free and open-source?

Yes. SFTPGo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and WebDAV Server Go under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run SFTPGo and WebDAV Server Go with Docker?

SFTPGo: yes. WebDAV Server Go: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, SFTPGo or WebDAV Server Go?

WebDAV Server Go has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for SFTPGo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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