Filestash vs Seafile (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Filestash 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 which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Filestash
Web file manager that fronts S3, SFTP, WebDAV and other storage
Seafile
Open-source file sync and share, self-hosted or in the cloud
Which one is for you
Pick Filestash if
- Fits if you already have S3 or SFTP storage and want a friendly web layer
- Works for a developer who wants it free for up to 3 users
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need storage itself, since Filestash does not provide any
- Skip it if you are a company on the free edition, as it is for 3 users under the AGPL terms
- Watch out: SSO and role control start at $50 a month
- Watch out: the pricing FAQ mentions plans from $750 a month that do not match the table
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
| 2.4GPAFilestashFair | 2.4GPASeafileFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CHobby cloud is $6 a month, just over the cheapest quarter's $4.75. Self-served is $50 for 3 seats and Enterprise $290. | 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 | BSelf-hosted Hobby is free for up to 3 users, with a trial on paid plans. You host it yourself. | BCommunity is free and open source, and Professional is free for up to 3 users, though you host it. |
| Features | CA front end and gateways over other storage, with no storage of its own. SSO and roles are paid. | CFile sync and sharing, but Community lacks audit logs, LDAP sync and full-text search. |
| Ease of use | DThe free version is self-hosted. No store rating on record. | DThe free editions need self-hosting. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, with S3, SFTP, WebDAV, Dropbox, Google Drive and SSO. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android apps, and 6 integrations. |
| Best for | one web front end over S3, SFTP and SMB storage | 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: Filestash and Seafile. How we grade
Price against what you get
Filestash starts at $6 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Seafile starts at $8 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Filestash starts $2 a month lower. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, 17 score higher than Filestash for less, and 24 score higher than Seafile for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Filestash also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Filestash | Seafile | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $6 per month (Hobby, cloud-hosted) | $8 per user / month (Plus Cloud Team plan) |
| Free plan | Hobby self-hosted under AGPL v3 is free, for up to 3 users. | 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 | Free trial offered on paid plans | Plus Cloud trial plan is free for 30 days; Professional trial licenses are sent on request |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Filestash | Seafile Ltd. |
| Price read from | filestash.app | seafile.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Filestash
- It is a front end to other storage; Filestash does not provide the storage itself.
- The free Hobby edition is limited to 3 users and needs commercial licensing for company use beyond AGPL terms.
- The pricing page's FAQ also mentions plans starting at $750 per month, which does not match the table.
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
Filestash
- Bring your own storage
- Connects to S3, SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, SMB, NFS, Azure Blob, Dropbox, Google Drive, Storj and others through one interface.
- Gateways
- Exposes stored files through SFTP, S3, WebDAV, FTP or MCP so existing tools can reach them.
- On-demand sync
- Desktop and mobile apps create a folder that syncs to your storage and other devices.
- Workflow engine and plugins
- Chains actions on events, with more than 150 plugins listed by the vendor.
- SSO and access control
- Supports LDAP, SAML and OIDC sign-in, with role-based access on paid plans.
- Audit and white-labeling
- Audit logs and white-label branding are listed on the Enterprise plan.
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
Filestash
Hobby (self-hosted)$0
Open source AGPL v3 edition you host yourself, for up to 3 users.
Hobby (cloud)$6
per month
Hosted version of the individual plan.
Self Served$50
per month and up, includes 3 seats
Commercial license, SSO (SAML, OIDC, LDAP) and RBAC on a single node, cloud or self-hosted.
Enterprise$290
per month and up
Unlimited users, audit and compliance, whitelabeling, high availability and 24/7 support.
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
Filestash
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, Filestash or Seafile?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Filestash starts at $6 per month (Hobby, cloud-hosted), and Seafile starts at $8 per user / month (Plus Cloud Team plan). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Filestash or Seafile?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Filestash and Seafile have a free plan.
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.