Self-host PsiTransfer

updated Sep 2026deployed by usprices checked · Jul 2026Install verified on Ubuntu 26.04 · Sep 2026 · how we test

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A file-sharing web app without user accounts: upload files into a bucket, set an expiry time or one-time download, optionally password-protect it, and share the link. Uploads and downloads are resumable and there is no end-to-end encryption.

Key facts

CategoryFile sharing

LicenseBSD-2-Clause

StackNode.js, Vue

Min RAM256 MB

Official imageyes

Measured idle RAM22 MB

Difficulty

Sourcegithub.com/psi-4ward/psitransfer

What you need

Any VPS with at least 256 MB of RAM
A domain you control — most self-hosted setups need HTTPS in front of them
Under an hour if you've used Docker before

Where to host itaffiliate disclosure

Hetzner Cloudrun it on

From $23.59/mo · 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 80 GB · EU + US

Get Hetzner Cloud

Kamaterafree trial

From $4/mo · 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 20 GB · US + EU + Asia

Start free on Kamatera →

DigitalOceanalso works on

From $6/mo · 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 25 GB · US + EU + Asia

Deploy on DigitalOcean →

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Install

Run these commands on your server:

# PsiTransfer — the data folder must be owned by UID 1000
mkdir -p ~/psitransfer && sudo chown 1000 ~/psitransfer
UPLOAD_PASS=$(openssl rand -hex 12); ADMIN_PASS=$(openssl rand -hex 12)
echo "upload password: $UPLOAD_PASS  /admin password: $ADMIN_PASS"
docker run -d --name psitransfer --restart unless-stopped -p 3000:3000 \
  -e PSITRANSFER_UPLOAD_PASS="$UPLOAD_PASS" -e PSITRANSFER_ADMIN_PASS="$ADMIN_PASS" \
  -v ~/psitransfer:/data psitrax/psitransfer:2
# open http://SERVER_IP:3000 — the upload password stops strangers using your server; download links need none