Cloudreve vs Seafile (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cloudreve and Seafile share a 2.4 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about value for money, where Cloudreve grades higher, or platforms, where Seafile does.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cloudreve
Self-hosted cloud drive with many storage back ends
Seafile
Open-source file sync and share, self-hosted or in the cloud
Which one is for you
Pick Cloudreve if
- Fits if you want one web front end over OneDrive or S3 storage
- Works for a developer who wants a one-time licence
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not want to run a server
- Watch out: Pro is bound to a root domain, and one change costs $25
- Watch out: the vendor says there are no discounts and prices may rise
- Tight if you need support, as Pro gets basic email only and anything else is a custom quote
Pick Seafile if
- Fits if you can run a server and want free sync for 3 users
- Works for a small team that wants to start with Community and move up
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to host: both free editions run on your server
- Tight if you need audit logs, LDAP or full-text search, as Community lacks all three
- Watch out: Plus Cloud needs 3 users, and trial accounts are deactivated after 30 days
- Watch out: remote support is a separate plan at $5,000 a year or $120 an hour
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACloudreveFair | 2.4GPASeafileFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $89.9 per root domain once, a bit more than a year of the category's middle plan, which is $84. Community is free, but you host it. | CThe free editions need your own server, so it counts as a C. Plus Cloud is $8 a user with a 3-user minimum, so $24 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | BCommunity is free with unlimited users and the basic features. You pay for the server. | BCommunity is free and open source, and Professional is free for up to 3 users, though you host it. |
| Features | CBasic sharing and cross-platform sync. Paid sharing, collaboration extras and storage management are Pro. | CFile sync and sharing, but Community lacks audit logs, LDAP sync and full-text search. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and maintain it yourself. No store rating on record, and the pricing page returned no readable text, so the listing was used. | DThe free editions need self-hosting. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but with real storage back ends: OneDrive, MinIO, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2 and Alibaba and Tencent clouds. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android apps, and 6 integrations. |
| Best for | self-hosted file sharing over storage you already have | self-hosted file sync with a free edition |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cloudreve and Seafile. How we grade
Where they differ
- Cloudreve also covers file management.
- Seafile also covers file sync.
At a glance
| Cloudreve | Seafile | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $89.9 per root domain (Pro, lifetime license) | $8 per user / month (Plus Cloud Team plan) |
| Free plan | Community edition is free with unlimited users and all basic features. | Community edition is free and open source; Professional runs free for up to 3 users; the cloud trial gives 1 GB for up to 3 users. |
| Free trial | None listed | Plus Cloud trial plan is free for 30 days; Professional trial licenses are sent on request |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Cloudreve | Seafile Ltd. |
| Price read from | cloudreve.org | seafile.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cloudreve
- You run the server yourself; it is not a hosted service.
- Pro licenses are bound to a root domain; a change costs $25 and is allowed once.
- The vendor says it offers no discounts and prices may rise as features are added.
- Technical support is from outside experts for a custom quote; Pro includes only basic email support.
Seafile
- The Community edition lacks the Professional features such as audit logs, LDAP sync and full-text search.
- Professional pricing is per year; above 1,000 users it is by quote.
- Phone-style remote support sits in a separate paid plan at $5,000 per year, or $120 per hour.
- Plus Cloud needs at least 3 users, and trial accounts are deactivated after 30 days.
Key features
Cloudreve
- Many storage back ends
- Documentation lists local disk, remote nodes, Alibaba Cloud OSS, Tencent COS, OneDrive, Cloudflare R2, MinIO and Backblaze B2.
- Sharing
- Share links, with paid sharing, permission control and anonymous uploads on the Pro edition.
- Office collaboration
- Online editing of office documents through a connected file app.
- Search
- Full-text and AI semantic search are described in the documentation.
- Authentication and encryption
- Documentation covers OIDC sign-in and file encryption.
Seafile
- File sync and sharing
- Libraries sync across desktop and mobile clients and can be shared with users and groups, with public links and version history.
- Online editing
- Office documents can be viewed and edited in the browser, with OnlyOffice and Collabora Online integrations in the Professional edition.
- Custom file properties
- Libraries can carry extra properties such as owner and status, shown in table, Kanban, gallery and map views.
- AI chat and search
- Full-text and semantic search, plus an AI chat that answers questions about the files in a library.
- Directory and security controls
- The Professional edition adds LDAP and AD sync, single sign-on, two-factor authentication, audit logs and remote wipe.
Plans
Cloudreve
Cloudreve Community$0
Free edition for individuals and developers: unlimited users, basic features and cross-platform sync.
Cloudreve Pro$89.9
per root domain, one-time lifetime license
Adds sharing and collaboration extras, a monetization system and advanced storage management.
Cloudreve Pro D5$299.9
for 5 root domains, one-time
Pro edition across five root domains, saving $150 against single-domain licenses.
Seafile
Community Edition$0
Free and open source, self-hosted, with file sync, sharing, version control and public links.
Pro, up to 3 users$0
Professional edition self-hosted for 3 users with no license file needed.
Pro, 9 users$100
per year in total for 9 users
Special offer for small businesses on the self-hosted Professional edition. Excludes email support.
Pro, 10 to 249 users$48
per user / year
Self-hosted Professional with email support. Price per user drops to $44 at 250 users and $35 at 750.
Plus Cloud Team$8
per user / month, from 3 users
Hosted by Seafile: 500 GB expandable storage and 3 months of file version retention.
Ways to pay less
Cloudreve
No public discounts listed.
Seafile
- Education
Half-price Professional licenses for education
The educational price column lists $24 per user per year at 10 to 249 users, and a 25% discount is given to public institutions.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cloudreve or Seafile?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cloudreve starts at $89.9 per root domain (Pro, lifetime license), and Seafile starts at $8 per user / month (Plus Cloud Team plan).
Which has a free plan, Cloudreve or Seafile?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Cloudreve and Seafile have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cloudreve and Seafile run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Seafile lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.