Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Filen

Filestash is a self-hosted, web-based file manager and file sharing portal that provides a unified interface over many storage systems and protocols. It aims to deliver a modern “cloud drive” experience while keeping data in your existing infrastructure through backend connectors.

Key Features

• Unified web UI for multiple backends (including SFTP, S3-compatible storage, FTP/FTPS, WebDAV, SMB, NFS, and Git)
• Share links for files and folders, designed for convenient external access
• Plugin-based architecture for extending storage backends, authentication, UI, and capabilities
• SSO integration options via enterprise identity systems (LDAP, SAML, and OIDC)
• Built-in viewers for common media types (images, audio, video), with optional transcoding support
• Built-in API and gateway-style options to expose underlying storage via protocols such as SFTP and S3

Use Cases

• Provide a web portal for SFTP/S3/WebDAV/SMB/NFS storage without migrating data
• Enable secure file sharing and collaboration over existing network or object storage
• Offer a branded, single entry point to multiple storage systems for teams or customers

Limitations and Considerations

• Some advanced capabilities (connectors, viewers, automation, and integrations) depend on the available plugin set and configuration

Filestash is a good fit when you want a polished, extensible file browser and sharing layer on top of heterogeneous storage. Its plugin system and broad protocol support make it adaptable to both homelab and enterprise environments.

Unison is a file-synchronization tool for POSIX systems (Linux, BSD, macOS) and Windows. It keeps two replicas of a set of files and directories synchronized, allowing changes to be made independently on each side and then propagated in both directions.

Key Features

• Bidirectional synchronization (not one-way mirroring) with automatic propagation of non-conflicting changes
• Conflict detection and presentation when both replicas are modified
• Works locally (different disks) or across networks between hosts
• Communication over SSH or direct TCP connections
• Efficient transfers over slow links, optimizing small updates to large files with an rsync-like delta/compression approach
• Offline-friendly behavior since data is copied rather than accessed via a network filesystem
• Resilient to failures, aiming to keep replicas and internal state consistent after interruptions
• Repeat mode with filesystem monitoring to sync changes soon after they happen

Use Cases

• Keeping a laptop and a server directory synchronized across SSH
• Syncing personal work folders between multiple computers without relying on a centralized cloud drive
• Maintaining consistent configuration or project directories across machines while handling occasional conflicts

Limitations and Considerations

• Designed for synchronizing exactly two replicas at a time; it is not a multi-node distributed filesystem
• Conflicts require user resolution when both sides change the same file or structure

Unison is a mature, long-used synchronizer focused on correctness, cross-platform support, and reliable two-way syncing. It fits best where you want direct control over replication behavior and a robust tool that works well over real-world networks.

OpenCloud is an open source platform for file management, sharing, and collaboration designed for organizations that need control over their data. It focuses on simple operation, strong security, and integration into existing IT environments.

Key Features

• File management with sharing links and permission controls
• Real-time collaboration features and integration with an office suite
• OpenID Connect authentication with support for external identity providers and an embedded identity provider
• Security features such as encryption, two-factor authentication, and versioning to help recover from unwanted changes
• Designed for on-premises operation and environments with strict compliance requirements

Use Cases

• Internal file sharing and collaboration for teams in companies and public institutions
• Secure data rooms for projects, research groups, or cross-department collaboration
• Replacement for proprietary EFSS solutions in sovereignty-focused IT stacks

Limitations and Considerations

• The backend stores data on the filesystem and does not rely on a traditional database, which may influence scaling and backup approaches depending on your deployment model

OpenCloud is a strong fit for organizations seeking a modern, open source EFSS and collaboration solution with OIDC-based authentication and enterprise-oriented security controls. It is particularly suited to deployments that prioritize data sovereignty and straightforward integration.

myDrive is an open source cloud file storage server that provides a Google Drive-like experience in a web browser. It stores file and folder metadata in MongoDB and can store file chunks in different backends such as the local filesystem or Amazon S3-compatible storage.

Key Features

• Upload and download files and folders (folder downloads exported as ZIP)
• File sharing features for distributing content
• Photo and video viewing with a media gallery
• Generated photo and video thumbnails (video thumbnails optional)
• Progressive Web App (PWA) support with a service worker
• AES-256 encryption for stored data
• User authentication with JWT access and refresh tokens
• Email verification support
• Docker and Docker Compose deployment options

Use Cases

• Personal or family cloud drive to store and access files from a browser
• Small team file sharing with a simple web-based UI
• Media-focused storage for photos and videos with thumbnail previews

Limitations and Considerations

• Video streaming may be unreliable in some browsers (notably Safari)
• Folder uploads can fail on complex folder structures
• Video thumbnail generation may require temporary local storage and can fail depending on configuration

myDrive is a practical option for running a lightweight, Drive-style file manager with media browsing and sharing. Its pluggable storage backends and container-friendly deployment make it suitable for homelabs and small deployments.

Peergos is a peer-to-peer encrypted global filesystem designed to keep user data private by default, with cryptographic access control and minimal metadata leakage. It combines secure storage and sharing with a private social layer and a platform for running web apps against user-controlled data.

Key Features

• End-to-end encrypted storage with client-side keys and signed writes
• Fine-grained access control and secure sharing with users and capability links
• Metadata-resistant design intended to reduce visibility into file structure, sizes, and relationships
• Private social features designed to minimize exposure of friendship graphs
• Web interface plus alternative access options such as CLI and filesystem bindings

Use Cases

• Private personal or team file storage with cryptographic sharing controls
• Hosting a user-controlled “private web” workspace for documents and media
• Building or running web apps that operate on user-owned data with constrained permissions

Limitations and Considerations

• Does not provide anonymity by default; privacy goals differ from network-level anonymity
• Some advanced privacy goals (e.g., stronger friend-graph resistance) depend on additional routing approaches

Peergos is suited for users who want a secure-by-default storage and sharing system built on peer-to-peer principles. It emphasizes user-controlled identity, encrypted data, and minimizing server trust for private collaboration and communication.

Pydio Cells is a self-hosted, enterprise-grade content collaboration platform designed for organizations that need secure file sharing, collaboration, and document management without relying on SaaS services.

Key Features

• Self-hosted deployment with data control and hybrid cloud readiness
• High-performance large file transfers up to 5TB
• No-code automation via Cells Flows for complex workflows
• Granular access control, SSO, 2FA, and ACL-based permissions
• Digital Asset Management and Document Management capabilities
• Web-based collaboration with an integrated UI and REST/CLI APIs
• Private data rooms for sensitive transactions and audits

Use Cases

• Enterprises requiring on-prem data sovereignty and regulated access controls
• Organizations consolidating document workflows across departments and partners
• Private-cloud deployments replacing SaaS with centralized governance

Limitations and Considerations

• Windows support in the latest development branch is not fully mature; Linux/macOS are the recommended targets

Conclusion

Pydio Cells combines self-hosted control with scalable collaboration features, making it suitable for organizations needing secure document sharing, workflow automation, and governance.

Hoodik is a lightweight, secure cloud storage drive you can run on your own infrastructure. It focuses on end-to-end encryption, with encryption and decryption performed on the client to protect files and metadata from server-side exposure.

Key Features

• End-to-end encryption using a hybrid approach (per-user RSA keys and per-file AES keys)
• Chunked storage with per-chunk encryption for efficient parallel uploads/downloads
• Secure file sharing with public links that do not reveal the underlying file key to recipients
• Privacy-preserving search via tokenization and hashing of searchable metadata
• Web-based interface for file management, upload, download, and sharing
• Supports SQLite (default) or PostgreSQL as the backing database

Use Cases

• Personal or family private cloud drive with strong client-side encryption
• Small teams needing secure file sharing with link-based access
• Hosting sensitive documents where server operators should not see plaintext metadata

Limitations and Considerations

• Switching between SQLite and PostgreSQL after initial use can cause data loss because databases are not interchangeable
• Server-side encryption/decryption exists as a fallback for low-power clients, but reduces the end-to-end security model

Hoodik is well-suited for users who want a simple, fast, self-managed storage drive while retaining control over encryption keys and minimizing plaintext exposure. Its combination of E2EE, chunked transfers, and secure sharing makes it a practical option for privacy-focused file storage and distribution.

FileRise is a modern, lightweight web-based file manager you can run on your own server. It combines a fast file portal UI with granular per-folder access control, sharing, and WebDAV for mounting as a drive.

Key Features

• Granular per-folder ACLs (view, upload, create, edit, rename, move/copy, delete, extract, share) enforced across UI, API, and WebDAV
• Drag-and-drop uploads with chunked/resumable transfers, pause/resume, and progress tracking
• Optional folder-level encryption at rest with automatic disabling of incompatible features for safety
• WebDAV access (ACL-aware) for macOS/Windows/Linux drive mounts and common clients
• File sharing and shared uploads, plus Trash with retention for recovery
• Built-in previews and an in-browser editor for quick edits
• Tags and search for organizing and finding content
• Multi-user auth with optional TOTP 2FA and OIDC SSO (with optional auto-provisioning)
• Optional OnlyOffice integration for editing office documents with your own Document Server

Use Cases

• Personal or family “cloud drive” with permissions and easy sharing
• Team file portal with controlled uploads/downloads and WebDAV drive mapping
• Client-facing delivery and collection workflows using share links and upload-focused access

Limitations and Considerations

• When folder-level encryption is enabled, certain features (notably WebDAV and sharing) are intentionally disabled for compatibility and security.

FileRise aims to stay lightweight while providing enterprise-style permission control and practical usability features like resumable uploads and WebDAV. It is suitable for self-hosters who want a polished file portal without requiring an external database.

Phylum is a self-hosted file storage and management platform designed as a straightforward alternative to Google Drive or Dropbox. It focuses on a fast file browser and offline-first web and native clients, aiming to provide core file features without extra suite functionality.

Key Features

• Offline-first clients designed to work with unreliable or no internet connections
• Selective sync and fast file browsing/management
• Users and permissions for multi-user environments
• File version history
• Public sharing of files and folders
• WebDAV access for broad client compatibility
• Pluggable authentication backends (including LDAP and OIDC)
• Remote storage backends support

Use Cases

• Private cloud drive for individuals, families, or small teams
• File access and sync for mobile/remote workflows with spotty connectivity
• Central file repository with external authentication and WebDAV client support

Limitations and Considerations

• Native clients are not yet built/tested on macOS, iOS, and Windows
• Some advanced administration tasks may require using the CLI

Phylum is best suited for users who want to own their data and run a focused, fully featured file storage service. It emphasizes reliability, offline-capable clients, and practical interoperability features like WebDAV and standard authentication integrations.