SFTPGo vs Zipline
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
Zipline
ShareX and file upload server with a clean dashboard
| Feature | SFTPGo | Zipline |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 12,570 | ★ 3,429 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Dropbox | Imgur, Dropbox |
What are SFTPGo and Zipline?
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
Zipline
Zipline is a fast self-hosted file upload server with a modern dashboard. It supports ShareX, image embeds, URL shortening, and detailed statistics.
- ShareX integration
- URL shortener built in
- Detailed upload statistics
SFTPGo vs Zipline: key differences
SFTPGo is written in Go, while Zipline is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for SFTPGo versus MIT for Zipline. SFTPGo is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Zipline. SFTPGo is the more established project (first released 2019), while Zipline arrived in 2021. SFTPGo has the considerably larger community, at 12,570 GitHub stars versus 3,429.
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 Zipline if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is SFTPGo or Zipline better?
Neither is universally better. SFTPGo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are SFTPGo and Zipline free and open-source?
Yes. SFTPGo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zipline under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SFTPGo and Zipline with Docker?
SFTPGo: yes. Zipline: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, SFTPGo or Zipline?
SFTPGo has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Zipline. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.