head to head · open source
Files vs ffsend
Files has 46,461 GitHub stars, 3,012 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ffsend has 7,423 stars, 206 forks, 33 open issues and last shipped 12 months ago. Files leads on adoption by 526% (46,461 vs 7,423 stars). Files is written in C# under MIT; ffsend is written in Rust under GPL-3.0. Files has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, ffsend 3%. Files was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Files | ffsend | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 7.4K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C# | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2025-11-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 206 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Files if
- You weight community size — 46K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick ffsend if
- You want the ffsend feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and ffsend fits your workflow better
About Files
Files is a modern file manager that helps users organize their files and folders. Our mission with Files is to build the best file manager for Windows, and we’re proud to be building it out in the open so everyone can participate. User feedback helps shape the features we work on, & the bug reports on GitHub help to make Files more reliable. Built and maintained by the open source community, Files features robust multitasking experiences, file tags, deep integrations, and an intuitive design. Installing and running Files Files is a community driven project that depends on your support to grow and improve. Please…
read the full Files overview →
About ffsend
[![Build status on GitLab CI][gitlab ci master badge]][gitlab ci link] [![Newest release on crates.io][crate version badge]][crate link] [![Project license][crate license badge]](LICENSE) [crate license badge]: [crate link]: [crate version badge]: [gitlab ci link]: [gitlab ci master badge]: Notice: the default Send host is provided by [@timvisee][timvisee] (info). Please consider to [donate] and help keep it running. ffsend Easily and securely share files from the command line. A [Send][send] client. Easily and securely share files and directories from the command line through a safe, private and encrypted link…
read the full ffsend overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Files or ffsend more popular?
Files has 46,461 GitHub stars and ffsend has 7,423. Files has the larger community by that measure.
Are Files and ffsend free?
Both are open source. Files is licensed under MIT and ffsend under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Files and ffsend?
Files is written in C# and ffsend in Rust. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Files or ffsend?
Choose Files if you want the larger community (46,461 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose ffsend if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.