copyparty

A single-file Python file server that shares folders through the browser, WebDAV, FTP, SFTP and SMB, with resumable uploads and per-user permissions.

47.3k stars, 1.9k forks Python On GitHub since May 2019

View on GitHub How to run it

copyparty at a glance

Open sourceYes, MITNo paid parts in the repository
Health75 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingDocker, WindowsOne-click in Umbrel, YunoHost and 3 more
AppsWindowsBuilds in GitHub releases
InterfaceEnglish onlyNo translation files found
Issue repliesWithin ~3 hoursMedian first reply; 38% of recent issues answered

What is copyparty?

copyparty turns almost any device into a file server that people reach with a web browser. The server needs only Python 2 or 3, with every dependency optional, and can run as one self-extracting script. Uploads are chunked and resumable, and duplicate files can be replaced by symlinks. Besides HTTP it speaks WebDAV, SFTP, FTP, TFTP and SMB, and announces itself on the local network through zeroconf. The browser interface offers thumbnails, search by size, date or audio tags, zip downloads, temporary share links, a media player with an equalizer and a Markdown viewer. Accounts and volumes set permissions per folder and per user.

Good fit if

  • You want to share a folder from a laptop, NAS or old PC with friends or family without installing a full cloud suite.
  • You need several access protocols from one process, for example WebDAV for Windows Explorer and FTP for older devices.
  • You keep music or e-books on a server and want to play audio in the browser or browse files from an e-reader through OPDS feeds.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want folders kept identical across devices without a central server: Syncthing.
  • You want a desktop-like environment in the browser with apps around your files: Puter.

Before you adopt it

copyparty is MIT-licensed, and the repository contains no paid parts. One developer writes roughly nine in ten commits, so the project's pace depends on that person, although work on it has continued since 2019. Windows builds and a Docker image are available, and packages exist for Arch Linux, Homebrew, Gentoo and Nix. The README itself calls the SMB server unsafe and slow and advises against using it over the internet.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 7 November 2026. Report a correction

How to run copyparty yourself

One-click install

Not listed in Runtipi, Proxmox VE Helper-Scripts and Coolify. Checked against each panel’s app catalog on 12 November 2026.

Ways to install

Docker files
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Packages
Fedora, EPEL, Arch Linux, Alpine, Void, Nix and Homebrew versions on Repology
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Windows in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: the README on GitHub. Docker images and packages are checked weekly.

copyparty health: is it still maintained?

75 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythmEvery ~13 daysLatest: v1.20.26, 14 October 2026
Issue repliesWithin ~3 hoursMedian first reply; 38% of recent issues answered
Bus factorHigh riskThe most active of 7 authors wrote 91% of recent commits
  • Activity
    115 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 21 October 2026.
    25 / 30
  • Contributors
    7 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 91% of them.
    12 / 20
  • Releases
    15+ releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v1.20.26, on 14 October 2026.
    19 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 38% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 3 hours.
    15 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 3.6 of 10.
    4 / 10

Read from GitHub on 12 November 2026. How the score works

copyparty security

Security advisories are the vulnerabilities the maintainers disclosed on GitHub, with the versions that fix them; many advisories can mean careful disclosure as much as weak code. OpenSSF Scorecard checks how a project is developed and released: reviews, protected branches, pinned dependencies, signed releases. It does not audit the code itself.

Security advisories18 published2 high; all list a fixed version
OpenSSF Scorecard3.6 of 10How the project is built and released
Security policyYesExplains how to report a vulnerability
Signed releasesNoDownloads cannot be checked against a signature

Latest advisories

All 18 advisories on GitHub

What each Scorecard check found

  • Binary files10 / 10No compiled binaries checked into the repository
  • License file10 / 10A license file is present
  • Maintained10 / 10Steady commits and issue activity in the last 90 days
  • Security policy10 / 10Explains how to report a vulnerability
  • Best-practices badge0 / 10No OpenSSF Best Practices badge
  • Branch protection0 / 10The main branch has no protection rules
  • Code review0 / 10Changes are merged without review
  • Fuzzing0 / 10No fuzz testing found
  • Pinned dependencies0 / 10Dependencies are not pinned to fixed versions
  • Signed releases0 / 10Releases are not signed
  • Static analysis0 / 10No static analysis found

Advisories read from GitHub on 12 November 2026. From the OpenSSF Scorecard of 9 November 2026; checks that do not apply to copyparty are left out.

copyparty license: is it open source?

copyparty uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. May 2019First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayMIT.

copyparty for developers

Written in

  • Python 49%
  • JavaScript 43%
  • Shell 3%
  • CSS 3%
  • HTML 1%
  • Other <1%

Getting involved

Help wanted6Open, labelled “help wanted”Contributing guideYesCONTRIBUTING.mdOpen issues238On GitHub
Authors, 90 days7Of the latest 100 commits

Language shares are GitHub’s count of the code in the repository.

Alternatives to copyparty

  • NextcloudNextcloud server, a safe home for all your data 90 health · AGPL-3.0 · 37.5k stars
  • ownCloudownCloud web server core (Files, DAV, etc.) 79 health · AGPL-3.0 · 8.8k stars
  • CloudreveSelf-hosted file management and sharing system, supports multiple storage providers 54 health · GPL-3.0 · 29k stars
  • SeafileBeyond file syncing and sharing, a new way to organize your files with extensible file properties and… 38 health · GPL-2.0 · 15.5k stars
  • OpenCloudOpenCloud is the open source platform for file management, sharing and collaboration. Simple and sovereign. 79 health · Apache-2.0 · 6.3k stars

All 18 projects in File storage & sync

Questions about copyparty

Is copyparty open source?

Yes. copyparty is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is copyparty still maintained?

Its health score is 75 of 100 (actively developed). It had 115 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 21 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 14 October 2026.

How do I run copyparty?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Windows and in one click from Umbrel, YunoHost, TrueNAS and 2 more. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What is copyparty written in?

copyparty is written in Python (49% of the code), with JavaScript (43%), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What are the alternatives to copyparty?

Close alternatives in the File storage & sync category include Nextcloud, ownCloud, Cloudreve.