# PairDrop vs WriteFreely

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

| | PairDrop | WriteFreely |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 75/100 ✓ | 65/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 86 in File Sharing | #2 of 24 in Blogging |
| GitHub stars | 11 713 ✓ | 5 276 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +254 ✓ | +19 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 3 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v0.17.2 · 10 Aug 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

PairDrop scores 75/100 against 65/100 for WriteFreely, so it is the safer default.

WriteFreely ships more often: 3 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for PairDrop.

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

PairDrop is growing faster right now (+254 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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