{"slug": "copyparty", "name": "copyparty", "category": "selfhosted", "category_name": "Self-hosted and home server", "description": "Portable self-hosted file server with a web UI, upload support, and multiple protocols.", "recommenders": 6, "commenters": 8, "warners": 0, "score": 5.738, "rising": 0.36, "first": "2025-11-03", "latest": "2026-10-09", "why": "HN commenters like it as a quick, just-works file server for uploading and accessing files from any device, with OPDS feeds for e-readers and WebDAV access over plain files.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 7, "neutral": 2, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [3, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1], "listed": true, "loved": ["Just works", "OPDS ebooks"], "caveat": "Clunky UI", "short_quote": "I have my own eBook library hosted with copyparty. It is a single binary. Runs on plain files.", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/9001/copyparty", "official_url": "https://github.com/9001/copyparty", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["copyparty"], "verdict": [{"text": "HN commenters like it as a quick, just-works file server for uploading and accessing files from any device", "cites": [{"id": 756937168, "item_id": 47308573, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47308573", "by": "Imustaskforhelp", "date": "2026-03-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I recommend copyparty if you just want something quick and easy actually.", "excerpt": "Jellyfin is nice but I could never understand how to setup when all I wanted was to watch videos from server for example. So I used copyparty[0] and used VLC and set a username and password. I recommend copyparty if you just want something quick and easy actually. Just try it out on cheap VPS and just run it and forget it. https://github.com/9001/copyparty", "context": "", "use_case": "serving videos from a server", "switched_from": "", "story": "US Court of Appeals: TOS may be updated by email, use may imply consent [pdf]"}, {"id": 736890096, "item_id": 46055631, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46055631", "by": "kanemcgrath", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It is a masterpiece of \"Just Works\" Technology.", "excerpt": "I have been using copyparty since the last hn thread on it months ago. It is a masterpiece of \"Just Works\" Technology.", "context": "", "use_case": "file server", "switched_from": "", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}, {"id": 736918848, "item_id": 46057428, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46057428", "by": "quixventure", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And I use it every day now...", "excerpt": "Like so many others, I saw the video the last time it was on hn and, again, like so many others, I went in thinking, what do I need this for and ended the video thinking... Ok, I gotta try this! And I use it every day now... I have been fighting annoying Samba issues with MacOS and a Linux NAS for years now, but CP just works. I can EASILY move files around and its really fast. But the stuff that keeps me from going ", "context": "MacOS and Linux NAS user", "use_case": "file server, music and picture viewing", "switched_from": "Samba", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}, {"id": 800306102, "item_id": 50019131, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50019131", "by": "paweladamczuk", "date": "2026-10-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "to upload files I need on the server quickly and easily from any device", "excerpt": "- Navidrome - Jellyfin - Vaultwarden - Immich - pi agent. I use it through tmux and iSH on my iPhone - librechat. nice UI but honestly I probably jsut use pi more often - copyparty. to visually inspect whatever I create with pi, and to access my documents, to upload files I need on the server quickly and easily from any device", "context": "", "use_case": "file access and upload", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What do you run on a $5 VPS that's worth keeping online 24/7?"}]}, {"text": ", with OPDS feeds for e-readers and WebDAV access over plain files.", "cites": [{"id": 790840448, "item_id": 49427528, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49427528", "by": "philips", "date": "2026-08-25", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have my own eBook library hosted with copyparty. It is a single binary. Runs on plain files.", "excerpt": "If it is helpful to other people here is how I manage my ebook library with flatfiles and heterogeneous devices (Android, macOS, iOS, Kindle, etc) I have my own eBook library hosted with copyparty. It is a single binary. Runs on plain files. And speaks OPDS for integration with KOreader (Kindle) or Readest (iOS/macOS). https://github.com/9001/copyparty#opds-feeds It also speaks webdav so I can quickly sync everything", "context": "", "use_case": "ebook library hosting", "switched_from": "", "story": "Bookshelf \u2013 Self-hosted eBook library that runs on object storage"}, {"id": 736944624, "item_id": 46059039, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46059039", "by": "philips", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love the OPDS feature to serve ebooks to my families ereader devices.", "excerpt": "I love the OPDS feature to serve ebooks to my families ereader devices. Many of the other OPDS servers are rather complex by comparison and as a bonus I can use it from a web browser for my devices that don\u2019t speak OPDS. https://github.com/9001/copyparty?tab=readme-ov-file#opds-feeds", "context": "", "use_case": "serving ebooks via OPDS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}]}, {"text": " The one complaint is that the UI is awkward and ugly for copying, moving, renaming and deleting files.", "cites": [{"id": 736898496, "item_id": 46056156, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46056156", "by": "coolius", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "i use copyparty on a home server, but the ui is really a pain to use (and ugly)", "excerpt": "i use copyparty on a home server, but the ui is really a pain to use (and ugly). it should be much more straightforward to copy/move/rename/delete files.", "context": "", "use_case": "home server file management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Just works", "summary": "Users say it is quick to set up and reliable, replacing fiddlier setups like Samba or Jellyfin.", "quotes": [{"id": 736890096, "item_id": 46055631, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46055631", "by": "kanemcgrath", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It is a masterpiece of \"Just Works\" Technology.", "excerpt": "I have been using copyparty since the last hn thread on it months ago. It is a masterpiece of \"Just Works\" Technology.", "context": "", "use_case": "file server", "switched_from": "", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}, {"id": 756937168, "item_id": 47308573, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47308573", "by": "Imustaskforhelp", "date": "2026-03-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I recommend copyparty if you just want something quick and easy actually.", "excerpt": "Jellyfin is nice but I could never understand how to setup when all I wanted was to watch videos from server for example. So I used copyparty[0] and used VLC and set a username and password. I recommend copyparty if you just want something quick and easy actually. Just try it out on cheap VPS and just run it and forget it. https://github.com/9001/copyparty", "context": "", "use_case": "serving videos from a server", "switched_from": "", "story": "US Court of Appeals: TOS may be updated by email, use may imply consent [pdf]"}, {"id": 736918848, "item_id": 46057428, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46057428", "by": "quixventure", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And I use it every day now...", "excerpt": "Like so many others, I saw the video the last time it was on hn and, again, like so many others, I went in thinking, what do I need this for and ended the video thinking... Ok, I gotta try this! And I use it every day now... I have been fighting annoying Samba issues with MacOS and a Linux NAS for years now, but CP just works. I can EASILY move files around and its really fast. But the stuff that keeps me from going ", "context": "MacOS and Linux NAS user", "use_case": "file server, music and picture viewing", "switched_from": "Samba", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}]}, {"label": "OPDS ebooks", "summary": "Its OPDS feeds serve ebook libraries to e-readers like KOreader and Readest, and it is simpler than other OPDS servers.", "quotes": [{"id": 736944624, "item_id": 46059039, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46059039", "by": "philips", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love the OPDS feature to serve ebooks to my families ereader devices.", "excerpt": "I love the OPDS feature to serve ebooks to my families ereader devices. Many of the other OPDS servers are rather complex by comparison and as a bonus I can use it from a web browser for my devices that don\u2019t speak OPDS. https://github.com/9001/copyparty?tab=readme-ov-file#opds-feeds", "context": "", "use_case": "serving ebooks via OPDS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}, {"id": 790840448, "item_id": 49427528, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49427528", "by": "philips", "date": "2026-08-25", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have my own eBook library hosted with copyparty. It is a single binary. Runs on plain files.", "excerpt": "If it is helpful to other people here is how I manage my ebook library with flatfiles and heterogeneous devices (Android, macOS, iOS, Kindle, etc) I have my own eBook library hosted with copyparty. It is a single binary. Runs on plain files. And speaks OPDS for integration with KOreader (Kindle) or Readest (iOS/macOS). https://github.com/9001/copyparty#opds-feeds It also speaks webdav so I can quickly sync everything", "context": "", "use_case": "ebook library hosting", "switched_from": "", "story": "Bookshelf \u2013 Self-hosted eBook library that runs on object storage"}]}, {"label": "Media playback", "summary": "Commenters use it to watch videos and play music and pictures straight from the server.", "quotes": [{"id": 736918848, "item_id": 46057428, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46057428", "by": "quixventure", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And I use it every day now...", "excerpt": "Like so many others, I saw the video the last time it was on hn and, again, like so many others, I went in thinking, what do I need this for and ended the video thinking... Ok, I gotta try this! And I use it every day now... I have been fighting annoying Samba issues with MacOS and a Linux NAS for years now, but CP just works. I can EASILY move files around and its really fast. But the stuff that keeps me from going ", "context": "MacOS and Linux NAS user", "use_case": "file server, music and picture viewing", "switched_from": "Samba", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}, {"id": 756937168, "item_id": 47308573, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47308573", "by": "Imustaskforhelp", "date": "2026-03-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I recommend copyparty if you just want something quick and easy actually.", "excerpt": "Jellyfin is nice but I could never understand how to setup when all I wanted was to watch videos from server for example. So I used copyparty[0] and used VLC and set a username and password. I recommend copyparty if you just want something quick and easy actually. Just try it out on cheap VPS and just run it and forget it. https://github.com/9001/copyparty", "context": "", "use_case": "serving videos from a server", "switched_from": "", "story": "US Court of Appeals: TOS may be updated by email, use may imply consent [pdf]"}]}, {"label": "Plain files, protocols", "summary": "It is a single binary that runs on plain files and also speaks WebDAV for syncing via rclone.", "quotes": [{"id": 790840448, "item_id": 49427528, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49427528", "by": "philips", "date": "2026-08-25", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have my own eBook library hosted with copyparty. It is a single binary. Runs on plain files.", "excerpt": "If it is helpful to other people here is how I manage my ebook library with flatfiles and heterogeneous devices (Android, macOS, iOS, Kindle, etc) I have my own eBook library hosted with copyparty. It is a single binary. Runs on plain files. And speaks OPDS for integration with KOreader (Kindle) or Readest (iOS/macOS). https://github.com/9001/copyparty#opds-feeds It also speaks webdav so I can quickly sync everything", "context": "", "use_case": "ebook library hosting", "switched_from": "", "story": "Bookshelf \u2013 Self-hosted eBook library that runs on object storage"}]}, {"label": "Any-device access", "summary": "Used to upload and access server files quickly from any device.", "quotes": [{"id": 800306102, "item_id": 50019131, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50019131", "by": "paweladamczuk", "date": "2026-10-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "to upload files I need on the server quickly and easily from any device", "excerpt": "- Navidrome - Jellyfin - Vaultwarden - Immich - pi agent. I use it through tmux and iSH on my iPhone - librechat. nice UI but honestly I probably jsut use pi more often - copyparty. to visually inspect whatever I create with pi, and to access my documents, to upload files I need on the server quickly and easily from any device", "context": "", "use_case": "file access and upload", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What do you run on a $5 VPS that's worth keeping online 24/7?"}, {"id": 736918848, "item_id": 46057428, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46057428", "by": "quixventure", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And I use it every day now...", "excerpt": "Like so many others, I saw the video the last time it was on hn and, again, like so many others, I went in thinking, what do I need this for and ended the video thinking... Ok, I gotta try this! And I use it every day now... I have been fighting annoying Samba issues with MacOS and a Linux NAS for years now, but CP just works. I can EASILY move files around and its really fast. But the stuff that keeps me from going ", "context": "MacOS and Linux NAS user", "use_case": "file server, music and picture viewing", "switched_from": "Samba", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Clunky UI", "summary": "One home-server user finds the UI ugly and painful for basic file operations like move and rename.", "quotes": [{"id": 736898496, "item_id": 46056156, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46056156", "by": "coolius", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "i use copyparty on a home server, but the ui is really a pain to use (and ugly)", "excerpt": "i use copyparty on a home server, but the ui is really a pain to use (and ugly). it should be much more straightforward to copy/move/rename/delete files.", "context": "", "use_case": "home server file management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}]}], "who": [{"by": "quixventure", "context": "MacOS and Linux NAS user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46057428", "date": "2025-11-26"}], "tags": ["self-hostable", "for ebook libraries", "for home servers", "Samba alternative"], "use_cases": ["file access and upload", "ebook library hosting", "serving videos from a server", "file hosting", "serving ebooks via opds", "file server, music and picture viewing"], "compared": [{"slug": "samba", "name": "Samba", "co": 1, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "jellyfin", "name": "Jellyfin", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45984864", "title": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]", "mentions": 4}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49985548", "title": "Ask HN: What do you run on a $5 VPS that's worth keeping online 24/7?", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49427001", "title": "Bookshelf \u2013 Self-hosted eBook library that runs on object storage", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47305461", "title": "US Court of Appeals: TOS may be updated by email, use may imply consent [pdf]", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46731976", "title": "European Alternatives", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45798681", "title": "Why Nextcloud feels slow to use", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"neutral": 2, "recommend": 3}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 800306102, "item_id": 50019131, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50019131", "by": "paweladamczuk", "date": "2026-10-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "to upload files I need on the server quickly and easily from any device", "excerpt": "- Navidrome - Jellyfin - Vaultwarden - Immich - pi agent. I use it through tmux and iSH on my iPhone - librechat. nice UI but honestly I probably jsut use pi more often - copyparty. to visually inspect whatever I create with pi, and to access my documents, to upload files I need on the server quickly and easily from any device", "context": "", "use_case": "file access and upload", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What do you run on a $5 VPS that's worth keeping online 24/7?"}, {"id": 790840448, "item_id": 49427528, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49427528", "by": "philips", "date": "2026-08-25", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have my own eBook library hosted with copyparty. It is a single binary. Runs on plain files.", "excerpt": "If it is helpful to other people here is how I manage my ebook library with flatfiles and heterogeneous devices (Android, macOS, iOS, Kindle, etc) I have my own eBook library hosted with copyparty. It is a single binary. Runs on plain files. And speaks OPDS for integration with KOreader (Kindle) or Readest (iOS/macOS). https://github.com/9001/copyparty#opds-feeds It also speaks webdav so I can quickly sync everything", "context": "", "use_case": "ebook library hosting", "switched_from": "", "story": "Bookshelf \u2013 Self-hosted eBook library that runs on object storage"}, {"id": 756937168, "item_id": 47308573, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47308573", "by": "Imustaskforhelp", "date": "2026-03-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I recommend copyparty if you just want something quick and easy actually.", "excerpt": "Jellyfin is nice but I could never understand how to setup when all I wanted was to watch videos from server for example. So I used copyparty[0] and used VLC and set a username and password. I recommend copyparty if you just want something quick and easy actually. Just try it out on cheap VPS and just run it and forget it. https://github.com/9001/copyparty", "context": "", "use_case": "serving videos from a server", "switched_from": "", "story": "US Court of Appeals: TOS may be updated by email, use may imply consent [pdf]"}, {"id": 747773296, "item_id": 46735831, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46735831", "by": "badsectoracula", "date": "2026-01-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "i found about copyparty[0] from it because it was listed as an alternative to file hosting services", "excerpt": "The site has a lot of open source projects though, in fact i found about copyparty[0] from it because it was listed as an alternative to file hosting services (though it was removed since then, probably because it isn't a service :-P but still there are various FLOSS projects). [0] https://github.com/9001/copyparty", "context": "", "use_case": "file hosting", "switched_from": "", "story": "European Alternatives"}, {"id": 736944624, "item_id": 46059039, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46059039", "by": "philips", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love the OPDS feature to serve ebooks to my families ereader devices.", "excerpt": "I love the OPDS feature to serve ebooks to my families ereader devices. Many of the other OPDS servers are rather complex by comparison and as a bonus I can use it from a web browser for my devices that don\u2019t speak OPDS. https://github.com/9001/copyparty?tab=readme-ov-file#opds-feeds", "context": "", "use_case": "serving ebooks via OPDS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}, {"id": 736918848, "item_id": 46057428, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46057428", "by": "quixventure", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And I use it every day now...", "excerpt": "Like so many others, I saw the video the last time it was on hn and, again, like so many others, I went in thinking, what do I need this for and ended the video thinking... Ok, I gotta try this! And I use it every day now... I have been fighting annoying Samba issues with MacOS and a Linux NAS for years now, but CP just works. I can EASILY move files around and its really fast. But the stuff that keeps me from going ", "context": "MacOS and Linux NAS user", "use_case": "file server, music and picture viewing", "switched_from": "Samba", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}, {"id": 736898496, "item_id": 46056156, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46056156", "by": "coolius", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "i use copyparty on a home server, but the ui is really a pain to use (and ugly)", "excerpt": "i use copyparty on a home server, but the ui is really a pain to use (and ugly). it should be much more straightforward to copy/move/rename/delete files.", "context": "", "use_case": "home server file management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}, {"id": 736890096, "item_id": 46055631, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46055631", "by": "kanemcgrath", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It is a masterpiece of \"Just Works\" Technology.", "excerpt": "I have been using copyparty since the last hn thread on it months ago. It is a masterpiece of \"Just Works\" Technology.", "context": "", "use_case": "file server", "switched_from": "", "story": "Copyparty, the FOSS file server [video]"}, {"id": 732837744, "item_id": 45802359, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45802359", "by": "lurker_jMckQT99", "date": "2025-11-03", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "makes me want to give it a shot", "excerpt": "(tangential) Reading the comments, several mentioned \"copyparty\", never heard of it before, haven't used it, haven't reviewed but does there \"feature showcase\" video makes me want to give it a shot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15_-hgsX2V0 :)", "context": "", "use_case": "file sharing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why Nextcloud feels slow to use"}]}