chibisafe
Open-source file upload service for easy sharing of files of any kind
AI Summary
Chibisafe is a self-hosted file upload service built in TypeScript that accepts files, photos, and documents and generates shareable links. It offers various modes (public, user accounts, invite-only), S3 support, chunked uploads for large files, and a dashboard for management. The open-source solution comes with ShareX integration, URL shortener, and extensive management features.
✓ Pros
- + Fully open source and self-hosted without tracking or advertising
- + Extensive features like S3 storage, chunked uploads, and URL shortener
- + Easy installation via Docker and intuitive UI configuration
✗ Cons
- − Requires own server infrastructure and technical know-how
- − Migration from versions older than v5 not supported
Use Cases
- → Self-hosted screenshot and screen recording upload via ShareX
- → Internal team file sharing with user accounts and quotas
- → Media management with albums, folders, and tagging system
- → Gist and snippet hosting with direct share links
Who is it for?
For developers, teams, and organizations looking for a self-hosted, privacy-friendly alternative to commercial file sharing services.
Tags
What is chibisafe?
Chibisafe is a self-hosted file upload service written in TypeScript, available as an open-source project on GitHub. The system accepts files of any type, generates directly shareable links, and provides a web dashboard for management. Unlike commercial upload services, chibisafe runs entirely on your own infrastructure, without tracking or embedded advertising. Three operating modes are available: publicly accessible, with user accounts, or restricted by invitation.
Core features
- Chunked uploads: Large files are transferred in segments, reducing interruptions on poor connections.
- S3 storage support: Files can be stored in an S3-compatible object store instead of the local file system.
- User accounts and quotas: Multi-user operation with individual storage limits is built directly into the system.
- Albums, folders and tagging: Uploaded media can be organised and retrieved without external tools.
- ShareX integration: Screenshots and screen recordings can be uploaded and linked directly from ShareX.
- URL shortener: In addition to file links, chibisafe also shortens arbitrary URLs.
Who is chibisafe for?
The primary audience is developers and teams who want to run file sharing internally or for projects, without depending on services like Imgur, Dropbox or WeTransfer. Anyone using ShareX who wants to upload screenshots automatically to their own infrastructure will find a ready-made integration here. Chibisafe also works well for media workflows with many individual files, as the album and tagging system keeps storage structured.
Without Docker knowledge, setup stalls early. Anyone migrating from a chibisafe version before v5 should expect to start fresh, as older migration paths are not supported.
Context & alternatives
Chibisafe belongs to the category of self-hosted file sharing solutions. Comparable projects in this space include Zipline and PictShelf, which offer similar core functionality. Chibisafe distinguishes itself through its combined approach of file upload, URL shortening and structured media management in one place. Anyone planning S3 storage from the start and needing multi-user management can cover both with chibisafe, without additional services.
