AList: Self-Hosted File List Manager

AList is a file listing application that aggregates multiple storage backends into a single, browsable web interface. With over 49,000 GitHub stars, it has become one of the most popular tools for unifying access to cloud drives, local storage, S3 buckets, and WebDAV servers. AList supports 30+ storage providers and presents them all through a clean, searchable directory listing with download links, video playback, and document preview.

Self-hosting AList on a VPS creates a centralized file portal where you can browse and share files from any connected storage backend — all through one URL that you control.

Key Features

• Support for 30+ storage backends including Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, Aliyun, and local disk
• Web-based file browser with search, sorting, and breadcrumb navigation
• Video and audio streaming with built-in media player support
• Document and image preview for common file formats directly in the browser
• Password-protected directories for sharing files securely
• WebDAV server mode for mounting AList as a network drive
• Multiple user accounts with per-storage permission controls
• Single binary deployment written in Go with a small resource footprint

Why Self-Host AList?

Unified storage access. Instead of logging into multiple cloud drive interfaces, AList gives you one web dashboard to browse Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, and local files side by side. Self-hosting ensures this aggregation layer runs on your own infrastructure.

Secure file sharing. AList lets you share directories with password protection and custom permissions. Unlike public cloud sharing links that expire or hit download limits, your self-hosted links stay active as long as you want them to.

Media streaming gateway. AList's built-in video player and audio streaming let you turn any storage backend into a personal media server. Stream videos from your cloud drives without downloading them first.

No API rate limits. When you access cloud storage through third-party tools, API rate limits can throttle your usage. AList running on your VPS manages these connections efficiently and caches directory listings, minimizing API calls to your storage providers.

System Requirements

Resource	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	1 vCPU	1+ vCPUs
RAM	256 MB	512 MB
Storage	5 GB SSD	10 GB SSD
OS	Ubuntu 22.04+	Ubuntu 24.04

AList is exceptionally lightweight — it is a single Go binary that proxies requests to storage backends. Resource usage depends on concurrent users and whether you enable thumbnail generation. Even a minimal VPS handles AList with ease.

Getting Started

The fastest way to deploy AList on your VPS is with Docker Compose through Dokploy. Our step-by-step deployment guide walks you through the full setup, including persistent storage, environment configuration, and SSL.

Deploy AList with Dokploy →

Alternatives

• FileBrowser — Simple web-based file manager for browsing and managing local server files
• Nextcloud — Full-featured file sync and collaboration platform with apps and integrations
• Seafile — File syncing and sharing platform focused on performance and reliability
• Rclone — Command-line tool for syncing and managing files across 70+ cloud storage providers

FAQ

What storage providers does AList support? AList supports over 30 backends including Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon S3, Aliyun Drive, Baidu Netdisk, 115 Netdisk, Quark, local disk, SFTP, WebDAV, and many more. New backends are regularly added by the active contributor community.

Can AList stream videos from cloud storage? Yes. AList includes a built-in video player that can stream files directly from connected storage backends. It supports common formats and can pass streams to external players like IINA or VLC via direct links.

Is AList suitable for large file libraries? Yes. AList handles large directory listings efficiently through pagination and caching. The actual files remain on your storage backends — AList only lists and proxies them, so your VPS disk usage stays minimal regardless of library size.

Does AList support WebDAV access? Yes. AList can expose your aggregated storage as a WebDAV server, allowing you to mount it as a network drive on Windows, macOS, and Linux. This gives desktop applications direct access to files across all your connected storage backends.

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App data sourced from selfh.st open-source directory.