head to head · open source
Files vs updog
Files has 45,660 GitHub stars, 2,938 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped yesterday. updog has 3,412 stars, 341 forks, 14 open issues and last shipped 10 months ago. Files leads on adoption by 1,238% (45,660 vs 3,412 stars). Files is written in C# under MIT; updog is written in Python under MIT. Files has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, updog 10%. 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 | updog | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 3.4K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | C# | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-24 | 2025-11-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.9K | ⑂ 341 |
| 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 updog if
- You want the updog feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and updog fits your workflow better
About Files
Files is a modern, MIT licensed file manager for Windows, written in C and maintained by an open source community, for Windows users who want a customizable, actively developed alternative for organising files and folders.
read the full Files overview →
About updog
Updog is a Python 3.11+ HTTP/S file server that replaces Python's SimpleHTTPServer, adding file uploads alongside downloads, ad hoc SSL certificates and HTTP basic authentication for developers and operators who need to move files between machines without standing up a full file sharing service.
read the full updog overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Files or updog more popular?
Files has 45,660 GitHub stars and updog has 3,412. Files has the larger community by that measure.
Are Files and updog free?
Both are open source. Files is licensed under MIT and updog under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Files and updog?
Files is written in C# and updog in Python. 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 updog?
Choose Files if you want the larger community (45,660 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose updog if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.