head to head · open source
Onlook vs tinyfilemanager
Onlook has 27,118 GitHub stars, 2,139 forks, 380 open issues and last shipped 15 days ago. tinyfilemanager has 6,003 stars, 1,819 forks, 308 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Onlook leads on adoption by 352% (27,118 vs 6,003 stars). Onlook is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; tinyfilemanager is written in PHP under GPL-3.0. Onlook has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, tinyfilemanager 30%. Onlook 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
| Onlook | tinyfilemanager | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 27K | ★ 6.0K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-10-21 | 2026-07-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.1K | ⑂ 1.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Onlook if
- You weight community size — 27K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick tinyfilemanager if
- You want the tinyfilemanager feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and tinyfilemanager fits your workflow better
About Onlook
Onlook The design tool for AI native designers — now in early access. Onlook makes designing on top of your codebase effortless. Craft exceptional experiences with AI in code. → Join the waitlist 👨💻👩💻👨💻 We're hiring engineers in SF! 👩💻👨💻👩💻 View Demo · Report Bug · Request Feature [![Discord][discord shield]][discord url] [![LinkedIn][linkedin shield]][linkedin url] [![Twitter][twitter shield]][twitter url] 中文 Español Deutsch français Português Русский 日本語 한국어 This is the open source visual editor that started Onlook (Next.js + Tailwind). The hosted product we're building next, for AI native…
read the full Onlook overview →
About tinyfilemanager
Tiny File Manager TinyFileManager is a versatile web based PHP file manager designed for simplicity and efficiency. This lightweight single file PHP application can be effortlessly integrated into any server directory, allowing users to store, upload, edit, and manage files and folders directly through their web browser. With multi language support and compatibility with PHP 5.5+, TinyFileManager enables the creation of individual user accounts, each with its dedicated directory. The platform also includes built in functionality for handling text files using the Cloud9 IDE. Featuring syntax highlighting for over…
read the full tinyfilemanager overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Onlook or tinyfilemanager more popular?
Onlook has 27,118 GitHub stars and tinyfilemanager has 6,003. Onlook has the larger community by that measure.
Are Onlook and tinyfilemanager free?
Both are open source. Onlook is licensed under Apache-2.0 and tinyfilemanager under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Onlook and tinyfilemanager?
Onlook is written in TypeScript and tinyfilemanager in PHP. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Onlook or tinyfilemanager?
Choose Onlook if you want the larger community (27,118 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose tinyfilemanager if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.