Overview

Filestash brings file sharing, document management, managed file transfer, and archiving into an open-source platform. It connects to existing storage rather than requiring users to replace it, and can present that storage through a browser interface or expose it to other clients through gateways.

That makes it more than a conventional file manager, but also means its value depends on the systems and controls an organization needs to bring together. Individuals can use the Hobby tier for up to three users; companies have separate self-served and enterprise offerings.

Key features

Connect storage, then share or expose it

Filestash connects to FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB, S3, NFS, Git, SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Storj. Users can browse, organize, and share files across those connections in one interface. This range is useful for teams working across older file-transfer services and cloud storage, though it is a bigger proposition than a simple single-server transfer client.

Gateways can expose underlying storage through SFTP, MCP, FTP, WebDAV, S3, or AS2. Folder synchronization, SSH-key authentication, and remote file editing add practical file-management and transfer options.

Automate and govern access

The workflow engine chains actions in response to events, with plugins available to extend it; scripting is also supported. That gives teams a way to automate recurring processes rather than treating every transfer as a manual task.

Corporate SSO integrations include LDAP, SAML, and OIDC, alongside role-based access control and configurable authorization. The plugin catalog includes audit logs, FIPS-compliant ciphers, activity detection, IP blocking, and ClamAV scanning. Filestash describes its audit logs as immutable and traceable, and says they support GDPR compliance. These capabilities make the platform more relevant to controlled organizational use than to casual personal file browsing.

AI tools and deployment

Semantic search, smart folders, and OCR are among the listed AI features, including support for local models through Ollama. Filestash can be installed from its official Docker image on a Linux server with Docker, Docker Compose, and curl. The guide says 128 MB of RAM and one CPU core will suffice except for demanding video transcoding or service to thousands of simultaneous users. Self-hosting offers deployment control, but it also puts setup and upkeep on the organization.

Pricing

The pricing model is freemium, with a free plan and a free trial. The Hobby plan is aimed at individuals and supports up to three users, but has no published price. That cap makes it a plausible small-group starting point, not a substitute for the seat allowance and business controls of a paid license.

Self Served costs 50.00 USD per month on a monthly subscription. It includes a commercial license, cloud or self-hosted deployment, SSO (SAML, OIDC, LDAP) with RBAC, three seats, and a single-node deployment. It is the more suitable paid choice for a small company that needs commercial use and access control, but three included seats and a single node constrain larger or more resilient deployments.

Enterprise Solutions costs 290.00 USD per month on a monthly subscription. It includes unlimited users, audit and compliance features, whitelabeling, 24/7 support, and high availability. This is the tier for organizations that need scale and continuity; teams without those needs may be paying for capacity and support they will not use. Pro has no published price, so it is difficult to weigh against the named tiers.

The maker also offers developer technical support, security patches before public disclosure, deployment options, hardening help, plugins, and consulting. Those services may matter to teams running a self-hosted deployment, but they do not remove the need to account for the deployment requirements.

Platforms

Filestash supports web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, and is also offered as self-hosted software with an API. This combination gives organizations a browser-based access point across desktop and mobile platforms while retaining a server deployment option.

Who it's for

Choose Filestash when a team needs to unify access to multiple storage systems, offer protocol gateways, automate event-driven work, or apply SSO and role-based controls. Its self-hosted option and enterprise tier suit organizations that want deployment flexibility and, at the higher tier, high availability and 24/7 support.

It is less compelling for someone who only needs a free client to transfer files between a computer and a server. The setup requirements and business-tier pricing make its broader management layer unnecessary for that narrower job.

Pros and cons

Broad storage and protocol coverage: connections and gateways span established transfer protocols, cloud services, and other storage, which can reduce the need for separate access points.
Useful organizational controls: SSO, RBAC, audit features, security plugins, and an enterprise option with high availability address needs that basic transfer clients do not target.
Self-hosting has modest stated baseline requirements: 128 MB of RAM and one CPU core are presented as sufficient for ordinary use, though intensive transcoding or very large simultaneous audiences need more.
Paid self-served tier is limited to three included seats: that can fit a small team but may force a larger group toward Enterprise Solutions.
Deployment takes infrastructure: self-hosting requires a Linux server plus Docker, Docker Compose, and curl, a meaningful burden for users seeking a ready-made personal file client.

Alternatives

For a focused transfer client, FileZilla Client is free and supports FTP, FTPS, and SFTP on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It is the simpler fit when those protocols are enough and a unified storage interface, workflows, or organization-level controls are not needed. WinSCP is another free Windows client, with SFTP, FTP, FTPS, SCP, WebDAV, and S3 support.

Core FTP is a Windows freemium alternative with single-user Standard and Pro licenses priced at 24.95 USD per month and 39.95 USD per month, respectively. Consider it when a Windows-focused client better matches the job than Filestash’s broader platform-and-storage layer. ExpanDrive offers a free tier billed forever for personal use, covering up to 10 users or devices per year and all 15 cloud services and protocols, with community support; it is worth considering for personal access across those services.

Cyberduck is a freemium option for macOS and Windows, and is licensed under the GPL with source available on GitHub. CrossFTP is a freemium client for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with Pro and Enterprise plans for one computer at custom pricing. Xftp is a Windows freemium option whose free license is restricted to personal, home, and educational non-commercial use. Commander One is a macOS freemium alternative with a Personal License for 29.99 USD as a one-time payment for one Mac.

Browse more options in SFTP Client Software or File Manager Software.

Verdict

Filestash is a strong fit for organizations that need one access layer across varied storage, plus gateways, automation, and granular controls. Its most persuasive case is the combination of infrastructure flexibility and business-grade access management. Look elsewhere if you only need a straightforward free transfer client, or if three seats and a single node are too restrictive but Enterprise Solutions is more than you need.

	Filestash	Owlfiles
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	Yes	No
Paid from	—	$1.08/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, Web, Windows	—
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Supported platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	—

Filestash vs Owlfiles

Filestash

Owlfiles