FileBrowser Quantum

What is FileBrowser Quantum?

FileBrowser Quantum is an open source, self-hosted web file manager that gives authorized users a browser interface to browse, upload, preview, edit, and share files on your own server. It’s a Go backend with a Vue.js frontend, and a heavily reworked fork of the original File Browser project.

What is FileBrowser Quantum best for?

FileBrowser Quantum is best for anyone who wants a fast, single web dashboard over files that already live on a server, NAS, or across several storage locations — homelab operators, sysadmins editing config files, and small teams sharing links. It replaces cloud storage for browser access without a heavy platform like Nextcloud.

What can FileBrowser Quantum do?

• Serve multiple sources at once — index several file paths or backends simultaneously with per-source include/exclude rules.
• Fast indexed search — real-time search across large directories, with filtering by file/folder size and type.
• Flexible authentication — password with two-factor, OIDC, LDAP, external JWT, and proxy/single-sign-on login.
• Granular permissions — scope viewing, editing, and uploading rights to users, groups, and specific source paths.
• Configurable sharing — password-protected links with expiration, for named users or anonymous access.
• Rich previews — thumbnails and in-browser preview for images, video, PDFs, Office documents, album art, and 3D models.
• WebDAV and a REST API — mount over WebDAV, or automate via documented API tokens with a Swagger interface at /swagger.

Where does FileBrowser Quantum fall short?

FileBrowser Quantum gives you browser and WebDAV access only — there is no desktop sync client, so it doesn’t replace Dropbox’s automatic two-way folder sync across devices. It’s a file manager, not a collaboration suite: no built-in calendar, contacts, real-time co-editing, or app ecosystem, so pick Nextcloud if you want an all-in-one workspace. The fork also deliberately removed the original File Browser’s shell-command execution and won’t bring it back, so anyone relying on that feature has to change how they work.

Is FileBrowser Quantum free?

Yes — FileBrowser Quantum is fully free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license, with no paid tier, premium edition, or hosted plan. You self-host it and keep every feature; the only cost is the server you run it on.

What does FileBrowser Quantum replace?

FileBrowser Quantum stands in as a self-hosted Dropbox alternative for the browse-preview-share side of cloud storage — reaching your own files from any device through a web browser instead of a third-party account. It doesn’t do desktop sync, so it replaces access and sharing rather than Dropbox’s sync-everywhere workflow.

FAQ

Is FileBrowser Quantum open source? Yes. It’s licensed under Apache-2.0, and the full source is on GitHub. It began as a fork of the original File Browser and now differs significantly from it.

Can I self-host FileBrowser Quantum for free? Yes. It’s free with no paid features. Run the official Docker image (about 180 MB with ffmpeg bundled) or a standalone binary on Linux, Windows, or macOS; roughly 512 MB of RAM is enough to start.

Is FileBrowser Quantum a good Dropbox alternative? For browser-based access, previews, and sharing links to files on your own server, yes. But it has no desktop sync client, so if you specifically want Dropbox-style automatic folder sync across devices, it isn’t a full replacement.

How is Quantum different from the original File Browser? Quantum adds multiple simultaneous sources, OIDC/LDAP/2FA/proxy authentication, faster indexed search, folder and Office thumbnails, granular sharing, YAML config, and an expanded API — while removing shell-command execution for security.