Open Source Dropbox Alternatives To Start Building A File Storage & Sharing System
As a small team of developers/friends, we had created a simple intranet platform (years ago) to share ideas, files (and keep backups), manage our e-mails, etc.
Few days ago, after discussing "how awesome it would be to use the file sharing module of it from a Dropbox-like application", I started searching for any open source tools that can do the job.
As expected, yes, there is open source for everything and found very nice resources that can help us accomplish the project with almost no (or few) coding.
Considering you may use them in your own projects/platforms or have an idea of building a file storage and sharing application, here is a complete list of open source Dropbox alternatives (that are updated regularly):
SparkleShare (Mac & Linux)
This is a file sharing and collaboration tool which allows you to instantly synchronize with any Git repository (SFTP is on the way).
It can connect to any number of hosts + allows you to follow and add/remove files into any number of projects.
Growl notifications let you know when a change by a team member.
Syncany (Windows & Linux)
Syncany is a very promising and open source file sharing + storage application which is still under heavy development.
It can use almost any type of storage including local folders, FTP, Amazon S3, Google Storage, IMAP and more.
The data is encrypted locally which is nice for the security of sensitive information and has support for versioning.
iFolder (Windows, Mac & Linux)
Using a centralized storage space (iFolder), the application keeps the copy of files/folders both locally and remotely by keeping them in sync.
For a minimum bandwidth usage, it only downloads/uploads the modified file portions.
You can share the folders with other users and set the access rights of each user.
Also, optionally, a web interface allows reaching files from anywhere, anytime.
IQBox (Windows)
IQBox is a SVN client which keeps files in sync automatically using any SVN server.
It runs quietly in the background, only syncs when CPU is available and upload the changed parts of files for a quick synchronization process.
ownCloud (Mac & Linux)
The application stores files centrally and encrypted with automated versioning and backup.
It runs under a Apache, PHP and MySQL/PostgreSQL environment and can be reached from any device.
QtdSync (Windows & Linux)
QtdSync is a feature-rich GUI for the popular rsync which can backup both local and remote files.
It can take differential backup or just synchronize and has a restore option.
Multiple users can work with the same account and comes with a user management system.
The server requires Windows but the clients can also work in Linux.
Other Related Projects
- RubyDrop: a Dropbox-like clone built with Ruby.
- DVCS-Autosync: a Dropbox replacement based on Git.
- Build an Open Source Dropbox Clone: a "how-to" on creating one.
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