head to head · open source
Spacedrive vs alto
Spacedrive has 39,386 GitHub stars, 1,370 forks, 57 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. alto has 1,616 stars, 60 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. Spacedrive leads on adoption by 2,337% (39,386 vs 1,616 stars). Spacedrive is written in Rust under Apache-2.0; alto is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. Spacedrive has attracted 3% as many forks as stars, alto 4%. Spacedrive 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
| Spacedrive | alto | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 1.6K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Rust | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-31 | 2026-10-28 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.4K | ⑂ 60 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Spacedrive if
- You weight community size — 39K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick alto if
- You want the alto feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and alto fits your workflow better
About Spacedrive
Spacedrive One file manager for all your devices and clouds. Powered by a Virtual Distributed File System, complete with apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android v2.spacedrive.com • Discord • Getting Started What is Spacedrive? Spacedrive is a cross device data platform. Index files, emails, notes, and external sources. Search everything. Sync via P2P. Keep AI agents safe with built in screening. Content identity — every file gets a BLAKE3 content hash. Same file on two devices produces the same hash. Spacedrive tracks redundancy and deduplication across all your machines. Cross device — see all…
read the full Spacedrive overview →
About alto
Alto Alto keeps folders on your computer in sync with your cloud storage, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Proton Drive and more. It's built to look and feel native on your desktop, with current support for Linux (GNOME specifically, with apps for macOS, Windows, and Android in the works). [!NOTE] Looking for the old Celeste code? It's on the celeste rs branch. Features True two way sync. New files, edits and deletions go both ways. All your clouds in one place. Connect as many accounts as you like, across different providers, and sync folders from all of them at once. Safe across several computers. Before…
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Frequently asked questions
Is Spacedrive or alto more popular?
Spacedrive has 39,386 GitHub stars and alto has 1,616. Spacedrive has the larger community by that measure.
Are Spacedrive and alto free?
Both are open source. Spacedrive is licensed under Apache-2.0 and alto under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Spacedrive and alto?
Spacedrive is written in Rust and alto in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Spacedrive or alto?
Choose Spacedrive if you want the larger community (39,386 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose alto if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.