# consul vs PairDrop

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | consul | PairDrop |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 75/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #3 of 31 in Networking | #2 of 86 in File Sharing |
| GitHub stars | 30 089 ✓ | 11 711 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +8 | +252 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v2.1.0 · 22 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

PairDrop scores 75/100 against 73/100 for consul, so it is the safer default.

consul ships more often: 7 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for PairDrop.

If you want the quickest setup, PairDrop is easier to run; consul needs more configuration.

PairDrop is growing faster right now (+252 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [consul](https://selfhost.directory/project/consul) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/consul.md)
- [PairDrop](https://selfhost.directory/project/pairdrop) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pairdrop.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/consul-vs-pairdrop