Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare vs Updog

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

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FeatureResilio Sync alternative OnionshareUpdog
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectRead-the-docs project
Health score91 · Excellent54 · Fair
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseGPL-3.0MIT
LanguagePythonPython
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM256 MB32 MB
Deploymentbinary, bare-metalbinary
GitHub stars★ 7,098★ 3,412
First released20142019
ReplacesWeTransfer, DropboxWeTransfer

What are Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare and Updog?

Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare

OnionShare is an open-source tool that lets you securely and anonymously share files using the Tor network. It can also host websites and run a chat server accessible only as a Tor onion service.

  • Anonymous sharing over Tor
  • No central server needed
  • Host sites and chat anonymously

Updog

Updog is a small Python utility that improves upon SimpleHTTPServer by adding upload capability, HTTPS, and optional password protection. It is useful for quick file transfers.

  • Upload support over HTTP
  • Optional HTTPS and auth
  • Simple drop-in replacement

Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare vs Updog: key differences

Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare versus MIT for Updog. Updog is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare. Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare is the more established project (first released 2014), while Updog arrived in 2019. Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare has the considerably larger community, at 7,098 GitHub stars versus 3,412.

Why pick each one

Choose Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Mature project with 7.1k GitHub stars
  • Written in Python
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare details

Choose Updog if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Python
Updog details

Frequently asked questions

Is Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare or Updog better?

Neither is universally better. Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare has the larger community, while Updog is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare and Updog free and open-source?

Yes. Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Updog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare and Updog with Docker?

Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare: check the project docs for container support. Updog: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare or Updog?

Updog has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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