Seafile - Open Source File Sync and Share Software | WarmIndex

Seafile is an open-source, self-hosted file sync and share platform that enables secure collaboration and advanced file organization for teams and organizations.

🚀 Overview

Seafile is a high-performance, reliable open-source solution for file synchronization, sharing, and collaboration. It allows users to organize files into libraries, sync them across devices with efficient delta transfers, and collaborate securely with features like real-time editing and wikis. Unlike proprietary cloud services, Seafile can be fully self-hosted, giving users complete control over their data.

What problem does this project solve? It provides a privacy-focused alternative to Dropbox or Nextcloud, solving issues of data sovereignty, performance in large-scale syncing, and the need for advanced organization tools like custom properties and AI automation.

Who is it built for? Developers, small teams, and enterprises looking for self-hosted file management.

Why did you build it? Created by Haiwen to offer a superior open-source file platform with privacy protection, teamwork features, and extensibility beyond basic syncing.

✨ Key Features

Extensible file properties: Assign custom metadata (e.g., status, owner), filter/sort files, AI-generated descriptions/tags
Flexible file views: Table, gallery, kanban, map views with grouping and hiding
Secure sharing: Granular permissions, password protection, link expiration, sub-folder controls
Collaborative tools: SeaDoc for real-time doc editing, wiki with version tracking, embed media
Enterprise security: Client-side encryption, file history, audit logs, backup
Optional: Multi-level tagging, online Office/text editing, virtual drive client

🛠 Tech Stack

Frontend: JavaScript, CSS, HTML (Seahub web UI)
Backend: C (core sync engine), Python (Seahub with Gunicorn/Django-like)
Database: MySQL/MariaDB
Auth: Custom (LDAP/AD/SAML support in Pro)
Hosting: Self-hosted, Docker, supports multiple backends (S3, filesystem)

👥 Who Is This For?

This project is useful for:

Developers who want to self-host a performant file sync server
Teams looking for secure, collaborative file sharing
Indie makers and organizations building private cloud storage

📸 Screenshots / Demo

Live demo: https://demo.seafile.com (test account available)
GitHub: https://github.com/haiwen/seafile

🔥 Project Status

🟢 Actively building

Last updated: 2026-03-24

❓ FAQ

Is this project free?

Freemium / Open Source (Community Edition free and open source; Pro Edition paid for advanced management and support). (Community Edition suitable for individuals/teams; Pro starts at low cost for small businesses.)

Is the source code available?

Yes — https://github.com/haiwen/seafile (desktop client), https://github.com/haiwen/seahub (web UI), https://github.com/haiwen/seadroid (Android), manual.seafile.com for server source.

Can I contribute?

Yes — report bugs/feature requests via GitHub issues for respective repos, translations for i18n, PRs following contribution guide at manual.seafile.com/contribution/, discuss on forum.seafile.com.