Dufs vs Gokapi
| Tagline | Distinctive utility file server with WebDAV, upload, and sharing support | Lightweight self-hosted file sharing with expiry links and password protection |
| Category | File Storage & Sync | File Storage & Sync |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive | Dropbox, Google Drive |
| GitHub stars | 11k | 2.8k |
| Language | Rust | Go |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Self-host difficulty | 1/5 Effortless | 1/5 Effortless |
| Deploy options | Docker Manual | Docker Docker Compose Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | 1 month ago | 14 days ago |
| View repo | View repo |
Where each falls short
The honest trade-offs — what you give up with each, versus the proprietary tools they replace.
Dufs
- No user management beyond a single shared password
- No file sync client; WebDAV must be mounted manually
- No thumbnail preview for images or media
Gokapi
- Not designed for persistent cloud storage; files are meant to be temporary
- No mobile sync client
- Single admin account only; no per-user quotas or teams
Bottom line
Both are a similar lift to self-host; choose Dufs for the larger community and ecosystem. Gokapi has seen more recent development. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.
Gokapi
Lightweight self-hosted file sharing with expiry links and password protection