Peergos

Peer-to-peer encrypted file storage with private sharing, a messenger, email bridge and social feed, built for people who want to own their data.

2.6k stars, 206 forks Java On GitHub since August 2013

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

Peergos at a glance

Open sourceYes, AGPL-3.0No paid parts in the repository
Health64 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingFrom sourceOne-click in Unraid
InterfaceEnglish onlyNo translation files found
Issue repliesWithin ~7 hoursMedian first reply; 85% of recent issues answered

What is Peergos?

Peergos is an end-to-end encrypted global filesystem that runs over a peer-to-peer network built on IPFS. Files are split into 5 MiB chunks and encrypted on the user's device, and servers cannot see file contents, sizes or who shares with whom. On top of the filesystem sit a secure messenger, an encrypted email client and bridge, a private social network and sandboxed HTML5 apps that run with permissions the user grants. You can log in from any machine with just a username and password, because keys are derived with scrypt. The server runs on the JVM and is mostly written in Java.

Good fit if

  • You want cloud-style file storage where even a compromised server cannot read your data or metadata.
  • You share files with friends and want the sharing graph itself kept hidden.
  • You are comfortable running a Java server at home, or prefer paying for the project's hosted service.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want a conventional self-hosted file cloud without a peer-to-peer layer: Nextcloud.
  • You only want to keep folders in sync between your own devices: Syncthing.

Before you adopt it

Peergos is licensed under AGPL-3.0; it switched from GPL-3.0 to AGPL-3.0 in September 2015. The repository has no paid parts, though the team runs a paid server at peergos.net and accepts donations. The README links security audits from 2019 and 2024. There is no Docker image, compose file or tagged release, so setup means building and running the Java server yourself. Two authors made all commits in the last 90 days, with one responsible for about two thirds. The project does not provide anonymity on its own; the README suggests using Tor for that.

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 Peergos yourself

One-click install

  • Unraid

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

Ways to install

Docker files
None 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
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: peergos.org or the README on GitHub.

Peergos health: is it still maintained?

64 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythmNo releasesNone published on GitHub
Issue repliesWithin ~7 hoursMedian first reply; 85% of recent issues answered
Bus factorMedium riskThe most active of 2 authors wrote 57% of recent commits
  • Activity
    669 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 11 November 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    2 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 57% of them.
    6 / 20
  • Releases
    No releases published on GitHub.
    6 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 85% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 7 hours.
    19 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 3.2 of 10.
    3 / 10

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

Peergos 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 advisoriesNone publishedNo advisories in the repository’s Security tab
OpenSSF Scorecard3.2 of 10How the project is built and released
Security policyNoNo SECURITY.md or similar

What each Scorecard check found

  • Dangerous workflows10 / 10No risky patterns in GitHub Actions
  • License file10 / 10A license file is present
  • Maintained10 / 10Steady commits and issue activity in the last 90 days
  • Code review1 / 10Some changes are merged without review
  • Best-practices badge0 / 10No OpenSSF Best Practices badge
  • Binary files0 / 10Compiled binaries are checked into the repository
  • Fuzzing0 / 10No fuzz testing found
  • Pinned dependencies0 / 10Dependencies are not pinned to fixed versions
  • Security policy0 / 10No security policy
  • Static analysis0 / 10No static analysis found
  • Token permissions0 / 10CI tokens have broad write rights

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

Peergos license: is it open source?

Peergos uses AGPL-3.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. August 2013First published on GitHub under GPL-3.0.
  2. 19 September 2015Changed to AGPL-3.0. Commit: switched to AGPL
  3. TodayAGPL-3.0.

Peergos for developers

Written in

  • Java 100%
  • HTML <1%
  • Shell <1%
  • Batchfile <1%

Getting involved

Contributing guideNot foundNo CONTRIBUTING file in the repository
Open issues85On GitHub
Authors, 90 days2Of the latest 100 commits
Donations2 waysLiberapay, own page

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

Alternatives to Peergos

  • SyncthingOpen Source Continuous File Synchronization 69 health · MPL-2.0 · 90.4k stars
  • FileGatorPowerful Multi-User File Manager 67 health · MIT · 3.1k stars
  • FilestashUniversal File Management Platform (for humans and agents) 52 health · AGPL-3.0 · 14.9k stars
  • NextcloudNextcloud server, a safe home for all your data 90 health · AGPL-3.0 · 37.5k stars
  • PuterThe Internet Computer! Free, Open-Source, and Self-Hostable. 85 health · AGPL-3.0 · 44.2k stars

All 18 projects in File storage & sync

Questions about Peergos

Is Peergos open source?

Yes. Peergos is published under AGPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Peergos still maintained?

Its health score is 64 of 100 (actively developed). It had 669 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 11 November 2026.

Did Peergos change its license?

Yes. It moved from GPL-3.0 to AGPL-3.0 on 19 September 2015.

How do I run Peergos?

You can run it in one click from Unraid. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What is Peergos written in?

Peergos is written mainly in Java (100% of the code), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What are the alternatives to Peergos?

Close alternatives in the File storage & sync category include Syncthing, FileGator, Filestash.