Self-hosted
Runs on your VPS, your cloud or your own hardware. The data never leaves where you put it.
// open source · self-hosted · AGPL-3.0 Open-source file sharing.
Open-source file sharing.
On your server.
PlikShare is an open-source, self-hosted file-sharing platform. Run it on your own infrastructure. Unlimited users, unlimited workspaces, no per-seat pricing, no vendor lock-in.
$
docker pull damiankrychowski/plikshareamd64 · arm64Open source
Licensed under AGPL-3.0. Read it, audit it, fork it. No black boxes, no telemetry.
Unlimited
Users, workspaces and files. No seat counting, no usage tiers, no surprise invoices.
Encrypted
Per-storage encryption - up to full encryption, where neither the database nor file storage ever holds plaintext.
One install. The whole toolkit.
PlikShare is not a thin demo. It ships a complete file platform out of the box.
7 storage backends
VPS disk, AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, DigitalOcean Spaces, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage.
3 encryption modes
None, server-managed AES-256-GCM, or full encryption with keys derived from your password.
SSO / OIDC
Sign in with Google, Keycloak and other OIDC providers, or enforce SSO-only login.
Sharing boxes
Turn any folder into a controlled sharing surface with granular permissions.
Quick shares
Send files with a link - custom slug, expiry, password and a download cap.
Trash & retention
Per-workspace trash with a configurable retention window and an automatic sweeper.
Audit log
Every action recorded, with a per-event policy you tune for severity and noise.
Built-in preview
PDFs, video, audio, markdown with Mermaid diagrams, and browsing inside ZIP files.
AI integrations
AWS Textract OCR and ChatGPT - extract text from documents and query your files.
Two-factor auth
Protect accounts with TOTP authenticator codes and single-use recovery codes.
Granular permissions
Scoped admin roles, plus per-link box access - upload-only, download-only, preview-only or full.
Bulk upload & download
Upload a ZIP to have it unpacked, or select a whole file tree and pull it down as one archive.
Workspaces & teams
Organize files into workspaces and invite members by email or a shareable link.
Markdown editing
Edit markdown files right in the browser - the one file type PlikShare lets you change in place.
Storage access control
Decide per user which storage backends they may create workspaces on.
Custom sign-up & legal
Upload your own Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and add any number of required or optional consent checkboxes to the registration form.
Drag & drop
Drag files in to upload, drag items to reorder, and move several at once between folders.
File notes & comments
Pin a note to any file and leave comments on it. The context travels with the file instead of getting lost in a separate chat.
Photo gallery
View any folder as justified, mosaic or grid layouts, with a fullscreen lightbox, slideshow and zoom - virtualized for tens of thousands of photos.
Folder minimap
A miniature overview beside the scrollbar with a draggable viewport - jump across thousands of files in the list or the gallery in one motion.
AI agents (MCP)
Connect Claude, ChatGPT and other agents over the Model Context Protocol - scoped tokens, per-tool permissions and human-in-the-loop approval.
Built for the agentic era.
PlikShare speaks the Model Context Protocol. Connect Claude, ChatGPT or any MCP agent and let it work in your files - but only where you allow, and only with your approval where you require it.
agentsClaude · ChatGPT · …any MCP client
protocolMCPPOST /mcp · Bearer token
your serverPlikShareworkspaces · files · boxes
scoped token · only the workspaces & boxes you grant · writes can wait for your approval
Scoped access
Each agent gets a rotatable API token, shown once at creation. It reaches only the workspaces and boxes you explicitly grant - and you cap how many workspaces it may create, how big, and on which storages.
Human in the loop
Mark any tool "needs approval". The agent's request lands in your Agent requests inbox with a full preview of exactly what it will touch - and it runs only once you approve.
Permissions, three levels
Enable or gate each tool per agent, then override it per workspace, then per box. The most specific level wins. Destructive tools require approval by default; creating workspaces is off until you turn it on.
searchreadread_filereadlist_workspace_contentreadcreate_filewritemove_itemswritecreate_share_linkwritebulk_deleteapprovalinvite_workspace_membersapproval
Agents never touch storages that use full encryption - those keys come from a human password and stay that way. And every action is logged under the agent's own identity, reads included - so you can see exactly what an agent looked at, not just what it changed.
Every feature earns its place.
Every feature is here on purpose - chosen for the way you actually work, and obsessed over for performance: it stays fast even when a folder holds tens of thousands of files.
// storage
Store it wherever you trust.
Point each storage at the backend that fits - a humble VPS disk or any major object store. Mix several in one installation and pick per workspace.
- VPS hard drive
- AWS S3
- Cloudflare R2
- DigitalOcean Spaces
- Backblaze B2
- Azure Blob Storage
- Google Cloud Storage
// encryption
Encryption that matches the threat.
Encryption is chosen per storage, so different data can carry different guarantees in the same installation.
none
No server-side encryption. Files stored as-is, with direct client-to-storage transfers.
managed
AES-256-GCM with a managed key. Files encrypted at rest before they reach storage. Read the technical breakdown →
full
Files, names and metadata encrypted with keys from your password. The database and storage never hold plaintext. Read the technical breakdown →
// bulk transfers
Move files in bulk.
Upload a ZIP and PlikShare unpacks it into folders for you.
Going the other way, tick any mix of files and folders in the tree and pull them down as a single archive. No clicking through items one by one.
// preview & markdown
Open files without downloading them.
PlikShare previews PDFs, video, audio and text in the browser, renders markdown with Mermaid diagrams, and lets you step inside ZIP archives to preview their contents.
Markdown files can even be edited in place. The first step toward a workflow built for both people and AI.
// quick shares
A link with guardrails.
Pick files and folders, generate a share link, and decide exactly how it behaves: a custom URL slug, an expiry date, a password and a maximum download count.
Recipients get a clean browseable preview - a file tree, per-file previews and an optional one-click ZIP bundle - without an account.
// trash & retention
Deleted, not gone.
A deleted file lands in the workspace Trash, not the void. Restore it to where it was, or anywhere else, in a click.
A configurable retention window quietly purges old trash on its own, and every automatic purge is recorded in the audit log.
// boxes
A folder with a guest list.
A box turns any folder into a controlled sharing surface. Invite teammates by email - each gets a named account with the access you grant - or open the box to the world via an anonymous link.
Mix scopes per member or per link: upload-only intake, download-only delivery, preview-only review, or full collaboration. All audited, all changeable, all live. The box reflects the new rules the moment you save them.
// widget setup
From box to embed in a few clicks.
Spin up a box, decide what's inside, pick who can do what. Then copy the <plikshare-box-widget> snippet and paste it into your page.
Visitors get the same browser, uploads and previews the box allows. Change the permissions any time and the embed reflects it instantly.
// audit log
Nothing happens off the record.
PlikShare records more than 130 event types - every upload, share, deletion, sign-in and setting change - so you always know what happened, when and by whom.
Tune it with a per-event policy: mute noisy events, override severity, and set it for the whole installation or per workspace. The editor even shows each event's 30-day volume, so you can see what's worth keeping.
// thumbnails
Recognise files at a glance.
Add the optional FFmpeg image and PlikShare renders a small thumbnail for each picture, shown right next to its name in the file list - so you recognise the one you want without reading filenames. Skip the image and everything works exactly as before; it's purely opt-in.
Already sitting on folders of photos? Generate their thumbnails in bulk in a single pass, and the whole folder lights up at once.
// gallery
Turn any folder into a photo gallery.
Flip the explorer into gallery view and your photos arrange themselves - justified rows, a mosaic with oversized hero shots, or a clean grid. Fully virtualized, so a folder with tens of thousands of photos scrolls without breaking a sweat.
Click a photo and the lightbox takes over: fullscreen browsing, slideshow, zoom, full resolution only when you ask for it. Copy the URL to share the exact photo you're looking at - and since boxes and widgets speak gallery too, your clients get the same experience on their side of the link.
// minimap
See the whole folder at a glance.
Switch on the minimap and a tiny overview of the entire folder appears next to the scrollbar. One look shows you everything at once. Scroll it, click anywhere, or drag the little viewport up and down to jump across thousands of files in a single motion.
It works in both the file list and the gallery, and shows real image previews right inside the map - so you can pick out the file you want from its shape and colour alone. Point at the map to highlight the matching file - or point at a file to spot it on the map. Turn it on from the display menu and PlikShare remembers your choice.
Up and running in minutes.
One Docker image, AMD64 and ARM64. Configure an email client and a storage. That's the whole setup.
- run
Run the install script or pull the Docker image onto your server.
- configure
Connect a storage backend and pick the encryption mode that fits.
- connect
Invite teammates by email, SSO, or just share a sign-up link.
Quick answers.
Is PlikShare really free?
Yes. PlikShare is open-source software under the AGPL-3.0 license. You can run it on your own server at no cost. There is no paid tier and no per-seat pricing — your only costs are the infrastructure you run it on (a small VPS is enough for most teams).
What does "self-hosted" mean and why does it matter?
Self-hosted means PlikShare runs on infrastructure you control — your VPS, your cloud account, or your own hardware. The data never leaves where you put it. That gives you full ownership of your files, jurisdictional control (your data sits where your laws apply), no vendor lock-in, and a billing model based on resources rather than seats.
What storage backends does PlikShare support?
PlikShare supports 7 storage backends: VPS hard drive, AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, DigitalOcean Spaces, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob Storage and Google Cloud Storage. You can mix several in one installation and pick which backend each workspace uses.
Does PlikShare support single sign-on (SSO)?
Yes. PlikShare integrates with any OIDC provider including Google, Keycloak and most enterprise identity systems. You can configure multiple providers at once, use preset configurations for popular services, or disable password login entirely to enforce SSO-only authentication.
Can AI agents use PlikShare?
Yes. PlikShare ships an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, so you can connect AI agents like Claude or ChatGPT and let them work with your files. You create an agent, hand it a scoped API token, and grant it access only to specific workspaces and boxes. It gets 40+ tools — search, read, create files and folders, mint download links, manage share links and boxes, and more. Every tool can be enabled, disabled, or set to require your approval, with overrides per workspace and per box. Destructive actions need approval by default, agents cannot access storages that use full encryption, and every action is recorded in the audit log. See the full agent toolset.
How is PlikShare different from Nextcloud?
PlikShare is purpose-built for file sharing — receiving, delivering and embedding files. Nextcloud is a broader productivity suite (calendar, contacts, office, chat) with file sync at its core. If you want a lean tool focused on sharing boxes, quick shares and embeddable widgets, PlikShare is lighter to run and simpler to operate. If you need a full collaboration platform, Nextcloud has wider scope.
How is PlikShare different from WeTransfer or Dropbox?
WeTransfer and Dropbox are hosted services priced per seat or per transfer, with files stored on their infrastructure. PlikShare runs on your own server, so files never leave your control, you pay for storage not seats, and shared links can be configured with custom URL slugs, expiry, password, and download caps. Anonymous upload-only boxes let external people send you files without an account.
How does PlikShare's encryption work?
PlikShare offers three encryption modes, chosen per storage at creation time. None — files stored as-is. Managed — AES-256-GCM with server-held keys wrapped under a master password. Full — file contents, names and metadata encrypted with keys derived from each user's password; the database and storage never hold plaintext. Each mode includes a 24-word BIP-39 recovery code. Technical deep dives: managed encryption, full encryption.
Can I embed PlikShare on my own website?
Yes. Any PlikShare sharing box can be embedded on any website via the
<plikshare-box-widget> web component. Visitors get the same browser, uploads and previews the box allows, with permissions you control. Change permissions anytime — the embed reflects it instantly. The widget on plikshare.com itself is a live example.What are the hardware requirements?
PlikShare runs comfortably on a small VPS — 1 vCPU and 1 GB of RAM is enough for a small team. The Docker image works on both AMD64 and ARM64 architectures, so providers like Hetzner ARM, DigitalOcean and Cloudflare can host it cheaply. Storage requirements depend entirely on the files you share — PlikShare itself stores almost nothing.
Can I get help installing it?
Yes. The one-line install script handles Docker, Nginx, SSL via Let's Encrypt and the initial PlikShare configuration on a fresh VPS — it usually takes a few minutes. If you'd rather have it set up for you, or you want it fully managed, you can book a 30-minute call with the creator directly from the home page.
// talk to a human
Rather not run it yourself?
If you'd like a hand getting PlikShare running, or you want it fully managed by someone else, let's have a quick chat.
- Initial setup on your server - Docker, SSL, reverse proxy
- Storage (S3 / R2 / B2 / Azure / GCS) and email provider
- Ongoing updates, backups and migrations
Run your own PlikShare today.
Free, open source and yours to keep. Install it on your infrastructure and take file sharing back.