copyparty
Portable file server with resume uploads, WebDAV, SFTP, FTP and media indexer
AI Summary
copyparty is a lightweight, portable file server that only requires Python and supports numerous protocols (HTTP, WebDAV, SFTP, FTP, TFTP, SMB). It offers advanced features such as resume uploads, deduplication, media indexer, built-in player and comprehensive access control. The tool is ideal for self-hosting and can be deployed as a full-featured file server on virtually any device.
✓ Pros
- + Extremely portable - only a single Python file with no dependencies required
- + Extensive protocol support (WebDAV, SFTP, FTP, TFTP, SMB)
- + Advanced features such as resume uploads, deduplication and media indexer
✗ Cons
- − Requires Python installation on the host system
- − Setup for advanced features can be complex
Use Cases
- → Personal cloud storage with access via browser, WebDAV or mobile apps
- → Media server with audio/video player, playlists and tag-based search
- → Collaborative file sharing with granular permissions per folder and user
- → Backup server with deduplication and resume function for large files
Who is it for?
Developers, sysadmins and self-hosters looking for a flexible, feature-rich file server without complex dependencies.
Tags
What is copyparty?
copyparty is a portable file server distributed as a single Python file. No dependencies, no container setup, no package manager. If you have Python, you have copyparty. That makes it one of the few file server tools that can literally be carried on a USB stick and launched on someone else's hardware.
Behind the minimal packaging sits a broad protocol portfolio: HTTP, WebDAV, SFTP, FTP, TFTP and SMB all run from the same instance. There is also a built-in media indexer, an audio and video player with playlist support, and tag-based search.
Core features
- Resume uploads: Interrupted transfers can be continued, which matters for large files over unstable connections.
- Deduplication: Files that already exist are detected and not stored again.
- Multi-protocol access: WebDAV, SFTP, FTP, SMB and TFTP in parallel, without configuring separate services.
- Media indexer with player: Libraries are indexed automatically, metadata is read out, and playlists can be played back in the browser.
- Granular access control: Permissions can be set per folder and per user.
Who is copyparty for?
Developers and sysadmins who need to stand up a file server quickly on a machine without root access or a package manager will get there fastest with copyparty. It also works as a personal cloud replacement on a home server, since common WebDAV apps and mobile clients connect to it directly.
For more advanced setups (multiple volumes, detailed user management, or the full SMB stack) the configuration becomes more involved. The documentation is extensive, but anyone hoping for a straightforward base setup will read past a lot of relevant options before a given feature runs cleanly.
Context & alternatives
copyparty belongs in the self-hosted file server category, alongside tools like Nextcloud, Seafile, and the considerably leaner dufs. Nextcloud offers a larger ecosystem (calendars, contacts, office), but brings significantly more infrastructure overhead. dufs is even more minimal, but drops the media indexer and SFTP. copyparty sits in between: more protocols and features than a plain HTTP file-serving tool, less overhead than a full groupware suite. If you want a single process that acts as a WebDAV mount, SFTP target and media player backend at the same time, there are very few comparably compact options.
