head to head · open source
Files vs zrok
Files has 46,481 GitHub stars, 3,016 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped yesterday. zrok has 4,798 stars, 229 forks, 125 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Files leads on adoption by 869% (46,481 vs 4,798 stars). Files is written in C# under MIT; zrok is written in Go under Apache-2.0. Files has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, zrok 5%. 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 | zrok | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 4.8K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | C# | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-10-31 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 229 |
| 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 zrok if
- You want the zrok feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and zrok 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 zrok
zrok Secure internet sharing made simple Share anything, anywhere, instantly. Enterprise reliability. No firewall changes. No port forwarding. No hassle. zrok lets you securely share web services, files, and network resources with anyone—whether they're across the internet or your private network. Built on zero trust networking, it works through firewalls and NAT without requiring any network configuration changes. Quick start Get sharing in under 2 minutes: 1. Install zrok for your platform 2. Get an account : zrok invite (use the free zrok.io service) 3. Enable sharing : zrok enable That's it! Now you can…
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Frequently asked questions
Is Files or zrok more popular?
Files has 46,481 GitHub stars and zrok has 4,798. Files has the larger community by that measure.
Are Files and zrok free?
Both are open source. Files is licensed under MIT and zrok under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Files and zrok?
Files is written in C# and zrok in Go. 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 zrok?
Choose Files if you want the larger community (46,481 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose zrok if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.