Bluehost File Manager

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Bluehost File Manager

A curated collection of the 11 best self hosted alternatives to Bluehost File Manager.

Web-based file manager in Bluehost's hosting control panel for uploading, editing, moving, deleting and managing website files (HTML, images, permissions) via a browser without FTP/SFTP; includes file previews, compression and basic permission controls.

Alternatives List

#1
File Browser

File Browser

File Browser is a lightweight web-based file manager to upload, download, edit, and organize files in a specified server directory with user authentication and management.

File Browser screenshot

File Browser is a single-binary web application that provides a browser-based interface for managing files within a configured server directory. It lets you securely access, upload, download, preview, and edit files through a clean web UI.

Key Features

  • Web-based file browsing and management within a specified root path
  • Upload, download, delete, rename, and move files and folders
  • In-browser preview and basic file editing
  • Authentication with an easy login flow
  • User management and permissions for controlled access
  • Custom commands and configurable behaviors for automation and workflows

Use Cases

  • Personal or team "private cloud" access to files on a home server or VPS
  • Lightweight web file manager for NAS folders, project assets, or shared documents
  • Remote file maintenance tasks such as quick edits, uploads, and folder organization

Limitations and Considerations

  • The project is in maintenance-only mode, with a focus on bug fixes and security rather than new features

File Browser is a practical choice when you want a simple, fast, and deploy-anywhere web file manager without a complex stack. Its single-binary approach and core file operations make it well-suited for straightforward file access and administration.

33kstars
3.6kforks
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#2
FileBrowser Quantum

FileBrowser Quantum

Self-hosted web file browser to manage files, users, access control, sharing links, previews, and fast indexed search with real-time UI updates.

FileBrowser Quantum screenshot

FileBrowser Quantum is a self-hosted web-based file manager for accessing and managing files through a modern, responsive interface. It focuses on fast navigation and search, multi-source configuration, and flexible sharing and access controls.

Key Features

  • Web UI for browsing, uploading, downloading, renaming, and managing files and folders
  • Multiple configurable sources (mounts/paths) within a single instance
  • Indexed search with real-time results, filters, and UI updates as the filesystem changes
  • Directory-level access control scoped to users or groups
  • Share links with configurable expiration, audience (including anonymous), and permissions
  • Authentication options including OIDC, password login with 2FA, and proxy-based auth
  • Built-in API with support for long-lived API tokens and a Swagger endpoint
  • Media-friendly browsing with thumbnails and previews (including richer handling for common office/video/artwork scenarios)

Use Cases

  • Provide a simple web file portal for a server, NAS, or homelab storage
  • Securely share files and folders externally with expiring links and scoped permissions
  • Offer a lightweight, centrally managed file browsing UI for teams with SSO

Limitations and Considerations

  • Indexing is enabled by default and can increase memory usage on very large filesystems
  • Some features are still under development (for example jobs, metrics, tags, quotas, activity log)

FileBrowser Quantum is well-suited for users who want a fast, single-binary web file manager with strong access controls, modern UI, and powerful search. It is a fork with significant changes aimed at making installation, configuration, and day-to-day browsing more efficient.

6kstars
264forks
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#3
Tiny File Manager

Tiny File Manager

Tiny File Manager is a lightweight single-file PHP web file manager to upload, browse, edit, search, and manage files and folders directly from your browser.

Tiny File Manager screenshot

Tiny File Manager is a lightweight, single-file PHP application for managing files and folders through a web browser. It can be dropped into a server directory with minimal setup, providing a practical UI for basic file operations and quick edits.

Key Features

  • Single PHP file deployment with optional configuration file support
  • File and folder operations: upload, download, create, rename, copy, move, delete
  • Ajax uploads with drag-and-drop, multi-file upload, and URL-based upload
  • Built-in code editor (Cloud9/Ace-based) with syntax highlighting and themes
  • Multi-user support with per-user root directory mapping and session-based access control
  • Search and filtering for faster navigation in large directories
  • Archive management: create/extract ZIP and TAR archives
  • Optional controls such as IP allow/deny lists and basic backup capabilities

Use Cases

  • Quick server-side file maintenance and emergency edits without SSH access
  • Lightweight “personal cloud” style file access for small teams or internal tools
  • Temporary file upload and distribution area with browser-based management

Limitations and Considerations

  • Not intended for exposure on public/untrusted environments; harden access and remove after use when possible
  • Feature set and security model are intentionally simple compared to full-featured cloud storage platforms

Tiny File Manager is a convenient utility when you need a fast, low-dependency web file manager on a PHP host. It works best for controlled environments where simplicity and portability are more important than advanced collaboration features.

5.7kstars
1.8kforks
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#4
VitoDeploy

VitoDeploy

Open-source, self-hosted tool to provision servers and deploy PHP apps with database, SSL, firewall, cron, services, monitoring, workflows, plugins, and API.

VitoDeploy screenshot

VitoDeploy is a self-hosted web application for provisioning and managing servers and deploying PHP applications to production environments. It combines common DevOps tasks—like SSL, firewalls, services, and cron—with project-based access and automation.

Key Features

  • Server provisioning and ongoing server management
  • Deploy PHP applications (including common frameworks and CMS)
  • Database management with support for MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL
  • Firewall management and SSH key deployment
  • SSL management with custom certificates and Let’s Encrypt
  • Service management plus background workers/queues via Supervisor
  • Cron job management and a headless console to run SSH commands
  • Resource monitoring (CPU load, memory, disk)
  • Projects and user invitations for collaborative server management
  • Workflows/automations, plugins, import/export, and a programmable API

Use Cases

  • Manage multiple VPS instances and standardize server setup
  • Deploy and maintain Laravel/PHP apps with queues, cron, and SSL
  • Provide a lightweight internal platform for teams to manage projects and environments

Limitations and Considerations

  • Primarily oriented toward PHP application deployment and typical VPS-style server management

VitoDeploy is a strong fit for developers and small teams that want a streamlined, open-source alternative for day-to-day server operations and repeatable PHP deployments. Its workflows, plugins, and API make it suitable for extending and integrating into existing DevOps processes.

2.9kstars
381forks
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#5
FileGator

FileGator

Self-hosted, open-source web file manager with multi-user access, roles, and chunked uploads. Manage local files or connect external storage like S3 via adapters.

FileGator screenshot

FileGator is a self-hosted, open-source web application for managing files and folders through a modern browser UI. It supports multiple users with roles and permissions and can work with local storage or external providers via storage adapters.

Key Features

  • Multi-user accounts with roles, permissions, and per-user home folders
  • Core file operations: upload, download, copy, move, rename, delete, create, edit, and preview
  • Chunked, resumable uploads with drag-and-drop and progress indication
  • Bulk download and on-the-fly ZIP/unzip support
  • Pluggable storage backends (local filesystem and third-party storage via adapters)
  • Designed to run without a mandatory database (depending on chosen adapters)

Use Cases

  • Provide a simple web-based alternative to FTP/SFTP for teams
  • Collect uploads from students, clients, or field workers into controlled folders
  • Manage and transfer files across local and supported cloud/object storage backends

Limitations and Considerations

  • Symlinks and file ownership changes (chown) are not supported in typical local adapter usage
  • Very large numbers of files in a single directory can reduce performance

FileGator is a practical solution for browser-based file administration and sharing with access control. It fits well for small to mid-sized deployments that need a lightweight, extensible file manager with optional external storage integration.

2.9kstars
436forks
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#6
Directory Lister

Directory Lister

Directory Lister is a PHP directory listing app that exposes web-accessible folders for browsing, searching, README display, hash verification, and zip downloads.

Directory Lister screenshot

Directory Lister is a lightweight PHP application for exposing the contents of a web-accessible folder through a clean, navigable web interface. It’s designed for quick deployment and simple configuration when you need to browse and share files over HTTP.

Key Features

  • Zero-config, drag-and-drop installation for rapid setup
  • Light and dark themes
  • Customizable sorting for files and folders
  • Built-in file search
  • File hash display to verify downloads
  • README rendering to show contextual information directly in listings
  • Download a full directory as a ZIP archive
  • Multi-language interface support

Use Cases

  • Publish a simple download area for releases, assets, or shared files
  • Provide an internal team folder browser for documentation bundles or artifacts
  • Host a browsable index for static content on a web server

Limitations and Considerations

  • Requires PHP 8.2+ and specific PHP extensions (Zip; DOM and Fileinfo for README rendering)

Directory Lister is a practical choice when you want a polished directory index without building a custom file portal. It focuses on fast setup and user-friendly browsing while adding useful extras like search, hashes, and ZIP downloads.

2.5kstars
525forks
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#7
Cloud Commander

Cloud Commander

Cloud Commander is a web file manager with a two-panel UI, built-in console, and code editor to manage server files and run commands from any browser.

Cloud Commander screenshot

Cloud Commander is a web-based file manager that lets you manage files and directories from a browser. It includes a built-in command console and text editor, making it useful for lightweight server administration and remote file work.

Key Features

  • Two-panel file manager interface with keyboard shortcuts
  • Built-in command-line console for running OS commands
  • Built-in text editors with syntax highlighting
  • File operations: upload, download, copy, move, rename, delete
  • Archive handling (pack and extract common formats)
  • Optional authorization with configurable username/password
  • Configurable via CLI flags and a JSON config file
  • Can run on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android (via Termux)

Use Cases

  • Manage and edit files on a remote server without SSH client tooling
  • Quick web-based file browser for a NAS, VM, or container volume
  • Embed as middleware in a Node.js app to provide file management UI

Limitations and Considerations

  • Terminal functionality requires installing an additional dependency (gritty) and enabling it explicitly

Cloud Commander is a practical choice when you need a browser-accessible file manager that also provides an integrated console and editor. It works well for small admin tasks, homelab environments, and developer workflows where a lightweight web UI is preferred.

2kstars
264forks
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#8
Gossa

Gossa

Gossa is a lightweight Go web server for browsing, uploading, and streaming files from a directory with a simple, fast UI and optional PWA support.

Gossa screenshot

Gossa is a minimal, dependency-free web file server that serves a local directory over HTTP with a very fast, simple interface. It focuses on straightforward file browsing and lightweight media handling while keeping the codebase easy to audit.

Key Features

  • File and directory browser with basic handlers for common file types
  • Drag-and-drop uploads through the web UI
  • Built-in media viewing, including video streaming, image browsing, and PDF viewing
  • Simple in-browser note editor
  • Keyboard navigation and shortcut help overlay
  • Multi-account setups via reverse proxies; supports read-only mode
  • Designed to be PWA-capable for mobile-friendly access
  • Reproducible builds and high automated test coverage

Use Cases

  • Quick personal or homelab file sharing from a NAS or server directory
  • Lightweight media access (videos, photos, PDFs) on a local network
  • Simple “dropbox-like” upload endpoint behind a reverse proxy

Limitations and Considerations

  • HTTPS and authentication are intentionally not built in and are expected to be handled by a reverse proxy/middleware

Gossa is a good fit when you want an extremely small, fast file server with a usable UI and basic media capabilities. It prioritizes simplicity, performance, and auditability over being a full-featured cloud storage suite.

1.1kstars
78forks
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#9
IFM

IFM

IFM is a single-file web-based file manager (PHP + JavaScript) for browsing, editing, uploading, downloading and extracting archives with simple authentication and Docker support.

IFM is a lightweight, web-based file manager implemented as a single-file PHP application with a JavaScript frontend. It provides filesystem browsing and common file operations through a browser interface and can be run directly on a PHP-enabled server or inside a Docker container.

Key Features

  • Browse, create, edit, rename, copy, move and delete files and directories
  • Download files and directories and upload via direct upload, remote URL or drag-and-drop
  • Built-in editor (ACE) for in-browser file editing with fullscreen toggle
  • Extract archives (tar, tgz, tar.gz, tar.bz2, zip) and handle common archive operations
  • Change file permissions and view image previews for supported formats
  • Simple authentication support with optional LDAP binding and environment-driven configuration
  • Single-file distribution that can run on PHP >= 7.0 with common PHP extensions and an official Docker image for quick deployment

Use Cases

  • Server administration and quick file edits on web servers or shared hosting
  • Managing website assets, plugin/theme files, or static content without shell access
  • Lightweight file management front-end for development, debugging, or internal tooling

Limitations and Considerations

  • Authentication is simple by design; there is no built-in RBAC or advanced multi-user auditing
  • Requires several PHP extensions (bz2, curl, fileinfo, json, mbstring, openssl, phar, posix, zip, zlib) for full functionality
  • Not designed as a full-featured enterprise file storage solution; concurrency, detailed access controls and audit trails are limited

IFM is a pragmatic, compact file manager for administrators and developers who need browser-based access to server files with editing, upload, and archive capabilities. Its single-file approach and Docker support make it easy to deploy for small teams and personal servers.

364stars
72forks
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#10
Mikochi

Mikochi

Mikochi is a minimalist remote file browser for self-hosted servers and NAS. Browse, fuzzy-search, upload, download (tar.gz), manage and stream files via a Go API and Preact frontend.

Mikochi is a minimalist remote file browser designed for self-hosted servers and NAS devices. It provides a lightweight Go API backend and a Preact/JavaScript web UI to browse, manage, download and stream files to external players.

Key Features

  • Browse remote folders and view file metadata from a simple web UI
  • Fuzzy filename search for quick file discovery
  • Upload files, create folders, rename and delete items
  • Download files and directories (directories are archived as .tar.gz)
  • Stream media files to external players such as VLC or MPV via stream endpoints
  • Simple authentication using environment-configured username/password and JWT; option to disable auth
  • Multiple deployment options: single binary, Docker container, Helm chart for Kubernetes
  • Small, opinionated feature set focused on low resource usage and ease of deployment

Use Cases

  • Provide web-based access to files on a home NAS or self-hosted server
  • Stream media to local players without a dedicated media server
  • Share/upload files with trusted users in small deployments where complex permissions are unnecessary

Limitations and Considerations

  • Authentication is basic (single username/password via environment variables); no built-in multi-user or role-based access control
  • Lacks advanced permissioning, external identity provider integrations, or per-user isolation
  • Search is filename-based (not full-text); large directories or heavy concurrent transfers may affect performance
  • Directory downloads are provided as tar.gz archives only

Mikochi is best suited for users who need a small, easy-to-deploy file browser and simple media streaming on self-hosted infrastructure. It favors simplicity and minimal resource usage over enterprise features.

347stars
16forks
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#11
Easy-WI

Easy-WI

Responsive PHP web interface to manage and automate game servers, Teamspeak voice servers, webspace and databases with monitoring, REST API and reseller support.

Easy-WI screenshot

Easy-WI is a PHP-based web interface designed to manage and automate game servers, voice servers and web hosting resources. It provides a CMS, multi-tenant/reseller features and a REST API so hosting providers, clans or event organizers can run and monitor distributed server fleets.

Key Features

  • Responsive Bootstrap-based UI optimized for mobile and desktop
  • Manage game servers and Teamspeak voice servers with automated deployment and shared-image symlink support
  • Webspace management for Apache and Nginx, plus MySQL/MariaDB database management
  • Monitoring and auto-restart on crash with configurable checks and remediation
  • REST API for integrating modules into shops or external platforms (WHMCS, Magento, etc.)
  • Reseller and multi-tenant account support, plus import of existing servers
  • Multilingual interface and separation of PHP modules from HTML views for templating
  • Installer and packaged scripts for common Linux distributions, plus optional server-side helpers

Use Cases

  • Hosters offering automated game-server and voice-server rental services with reseller accounts
  • Clan administrators or LAN/event organizers managing multiple game and voice daemons centrally
  • Small web hosts requiring integrated webspace, database and daemon management with monitoring and automation

Limitations and Considerations

  • Requires PHP 7.4+ with extensions (openssl, json, hash, ftp, SimpleXML, curl, gd, PDO, pdo_mysql) installed
  • Game server module depends on system tools like sudo, cron, proftpd and bash at the game root; voice module works best with Linux Teamspeak setups
  • Official installers target specific distro versions; manual adjustments may be needed for newer or heavily customized environments

Easy-WI is a focused control panel for automating and monitoring game, voice and web hosting workflows. It emphasizes automation, REST integration and multi-tenant management for small to mid-sized hosting scenarios.

242stars
81forks
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Why choose an open source alternative?

  • •Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • •No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • •Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • •Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running