SHSelfHostIndex

Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare vs elFinder

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?
RE Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare Anonymous file sharing over the Tor network VS EL elFinder Web file manager with a desktop-style interface
FeatureResilio Sync alternative OnionshareelFinder
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectRead-the-docs project
Health score91 · Excellent87 · Excellent
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseGPL-3.0BSD-3-Clause
LanguagePythonJavaScript
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM256 MB128 MB
Deploymentbinary, bare-metalbare-metal
GitHub stars★ 7,098★ 4,804
First released20142010
ReplacesWeTransfer, DropboxGoogle Drive, Dropbox

What are Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare and elFinder?

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

elFinder

elFinder is an open-source web file manager with a user interface inspired by the macOS Finder. It supports multiple storage backends, drag and drop, and image editing.

  • macOS Finder-style UI
  • Multiple storage backends
  • Built-in image editor

Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare vs elFinder: key differences

Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare is written in Python, while elFinder is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare versus BSD-3-Clause for elFinder. ElFinder is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare. ElFinder is the more established project (first released 2010), while Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare arrived in 2014.

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 elFinder if…

  • Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
  • Active community (4.8k GitHub stars)
  • Written in JavaScript
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
elFinder details

Frequently asked questions

Is Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare or elFinder better?

Neither is universally better. Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

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

Yes. Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare is licensed under GPL-3.0 and elFinder under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

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

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

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

elFinder has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 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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