head to head · open source
Seafile vs PairDrop
Seafile has 15,414 GitHub stars, 1,674 forks, 94 open issues and last shipped 18 days ago. PairDrop has 11,740 stars, 720 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. Seafile leads on adoption by 31% (15,414 vs 11,740 stars). Seafile is written in C under a custom or non-standard licence; PairDrop is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. Seafile has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, PairDrop 6%. Seafile was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (file-sharing), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Seafile | PairDrop | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 12K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-16 | 2026-04-22 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.7K | ⑂ 720 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Seafile if
- You weight community size — 15K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick PairDrop if
- You want the PairDrop feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and PairDrop fits your workflow better
About Seafile
Introduction Seafile is an open source cloud storage system with privacy protection and teamwork features. Collections of files are called libraries. Each library can be synced separately. A library can also be encrypted with a user chosen password. Seafile also allows users to create groups and easily sharing files into groups. Beyond sync and share, Seafile provides advanced metadata management features and handy collaboration features. Feature Summary Seafile has the following features: File syncing 1. Selective sync for any folder. 2. Correctly handles file conflicts based on history instead of timestamp. 3…
read the full Seafile overview →
About PairDrop
Send it , with PairDrop Local file sharing in your web browser . Inspired by Apple's AirDrop. Fork of Snapdrop. Report a bug Request feature Features File sharing on your local network that works on all platforms. A multi platform AirDrop like solution that works. Send images, documents or text via peer to peer connection to devices on the same local network. Internet transfers Join temporary public rooms to transfer files easily over the Internet. Web app Works on all devices with a modern web browser. Send a file from your phone to your laptop? Share photos in original quality with friends using Android and…
read the full PairDrop overview →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More File Management & Sync projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the File Management & Sync field.
Frequently asked questions
Is Seafile or PairDrop more popular?
Seafile has 15,414 GitHub stars and PairDrop has 11,740. Seafile has the larger community by that measure.
Are Seafile and PairDrop free?
Both are open source. Seafile has no licence declared in this registry, and PairDrop is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Seafile and PairDrop?
Seafile is written in C and PairDrop in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Seafile or PairDrop?
Choose Seafile if you want the larger community (15,414 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose PairDrop if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.