Seafile
Storage & File SharingA self-hosted file sync and sharing system built around libraries that can be synced separately and optionally encrypted.
Open-source alternative to:
Dropbox
What the free edition leaves out
The free edition is genuinely usable, but some team or enterprise features need a paid plan. “Not confirmed” means the official pages we read did not say, so we do not guess.
| Feature | Free edition | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSO / SAML | Not confirmed | The pricing page lists SSO with ADFS and Shibboleth under the Pro edition. SAML is not mentioned. Whether the Community edition has any SSO was not confirmed. | Source ↗ |
| Role-based access control | Not confirmed | Role-based account management and fine-grained folder permissions are listed for the Pro edition. Community coverage was not confirmed from the page text. | Source ↗ |
| Audit logs | Not confirmed | Audit logs are listed for Pro and for the hosted Plus Cloud. Community coverage was not confirmed. | Source ↗ |
| Multi-user / teams | Free | Group and library sharing is part of the open-source project. A user limit for the free Community edition is not stated. The Pro edition allows 3 users without a license. | Source ↗ |
| Backups and restore | Not confirmed | The manual has a Backup and Recovery administration page. Its contents were not read. | Source ↗ |
| API access | Free | The manual lists a Web API v2.1 and links a PHP SDK. Edition limits were not checked. | Source ↗ |
| Support SLA | Paid | Basic email support is included in the Pro license fee, and paid plans list response times. Community support is the forum and issue tracker. | Source ↗ |
Best for
Teams and individuals who want self-hosted file sync with per-library sharing and optional client-side encrypted libraries.
Why choose it over Dropbox
The server core is AGPL-3.0 and free to self-host. Each library syncs separately and can be encrypted with a password you choose. Group sharing is built in, and you keep data on your own server.
Where it falls short
It is open core: the web front-end is Apache-2.0 but the Professional edition is commercial, and the pricing page lists SSO (ADFS, Shibboleth), role-based management and audit logs under Pro. Free Pro use is limited to 3 users. Free support is the forum and GitHub issues. You run and back up the server yourself. The exact Community versus Pro feature split was not confirmed.
Open-source alternative to
- Dropbox — Seafile is a self-hosted file sync and sharing system, so it can replace a hosted service like Dropbox while keeping data on your own server.
- Google Drive — Seafile offers file storage, sharing and team collaboration under your own control instead of a hosted account.
Category
Storage & File SharingTech stack
Go
PythonLanguages as reported by GitHub for the repository.
