FileBrowser Quantum is a free, open source, self-hosted web file manager for accessing and managing files through a browser. It is a major fork of the original FileBrowser project, adding a more modern interface, better search, multiple storage sources, granular access controls, authentication options, sharing features, and an API.
It is a good option for users who want a lightweight alternative to larger platforms such as Nextcloud when the main requirement is managing files rather than running a complete collaboration suite.
Features of FileBrowser Quantum
FileBrowser Quantum provides a broad set of features for self-hosted file management:
Web-based file browsing and management
Multiple file sources
Include and exclude rules
Multiple user and group support
Directory and source-level access control
OIDC, LDAP, JWT, password, 2FA, and proxy authentication
Real-time indexed search
File and folder size filtering
File previews and thumbnails
Office, video, album artwork, and 3D model thumbnails
Text file viewing and editing
WebDAV support
File uploads and downloads
Configurable file sharing
Share expiration
Anonymous or restricted sharing
Custom themes and branding
Long-lived API tokens
Swagger API documentation
Docker images
Standalone binaries
Responsive interface
One of its most useful improvements over the original FileBrowser is its search system. FileBrowser Quantum uses SQLite indexing to provide real-time search results and supports filters based on file types and sizes.
Download FileBrowser Quantum v2.0.0-stable - Software Mirrors |
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FileBrowser Quantum v2.0.0-stable for Windowsfilebrowser.exe | 26.35 MB |
FileBrowser Quantum v2.0.0-stable for macOSdarwin-arm64-filebrowser | 42.82 MB darwin-amd64-filebrowser | 44.43 MB |
FileBrowser Quantum v2.0.0-stable for Linuxlinux-riscv64-filebrowser | 40.44 MB linux-armv7-filebrowser | 19.71 MB linux-armv6-filebrowser | 19.72 MB linux-arm64-filebrowser | 25.29 MB linux-amd64-filebrowser | 26.82 MB |
FileBrowser Quantum v2.0.0-stable for BSDfreebsd-amd64-filebrowser | 43.68 MB |
FileBrowser Quantum v2.0.0-stable Source Code
FileBrowser Quantum v2.0.0-stable Source code (zip)
FileBrowser Quantum v2.0.0-stable Source code (tar.gz)
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FileBrowser Quantum v2.0.0-stable Release Notes: What's Changed
[!IMPORTANT]
This version represents the most significant change to date. It requires both a database migration and config structural changes. See the migration guide for step-by-step upgrade instructions, About v2.0.0 for a full summary.
[!TIP]
Also, consider enabling "analytics" in admin settings, which will help me populate an anonymous public dashboard for everyone to see. Currently, there are 60 deployments details populated from beta, so after a percentage of you enable this, there should be plenty to make the dashboard available to everyone soon. No private information is used -- you can see exactly what data is sent in the UI.
Breaking Changes:
- Removed:
GET /api/raw and GET /public/api/raw download routes — use /api/resources/download instead.
- Removed:
/share/… URL redirect to /public/share/… — use /public/share/… directly.
- Removed: singular
source search api param (use sources), bare scope paths without sourceName: prefix, and glob / useGlob aliases (use useWildcard).
- Removed
config.conditionals, source-level indexingIntervalMinutes (indexing always uses adaptive scheduling), and deprecated rule fields fileNames / folderNames / top-level hidden — use config.rules with fileName, folderName, and ignoreHidden on rules. See Exclusion rules.
- Removed: deprecated
userDefaults config formats (nested and flat) — use the config migration tool to convert before upgrading.
- Changed:
PUT /api/users moved to the more appropriate PATCH method and requires specifying which in the body. Blank or all values are rejected.
- Changed: HTTP-related config options in
server config key moved to http config key. See HTTP settings.
- Changed (reverse proxy):
http.trustedHeaders (v1.5.x list) removed — use http.trustProxyHeaders: true when behind nginx, Traefik, or Caddy. When enabled, FileBrowser honors X-Forwarded-Host, X-Forwarded-Proto, X-Forwarded-For, and X-Real-IP for client IP, cookies, OIDC callbacks, WebAuthn, share URLs, rate limiting, and activity logs. Default is false (direct connection values). The config migration tool converts v1 trustedHeaders lists to trustProxyHeaders: true. See Reverse proxy and HTTP trustProxyHeaders.
- Changed: Moved stream api to
/api/media/stream. See API reference.
- Changed: CLI user management — canonical commands are
user set --password value] and user promote ; set -u username,password is deprecated. See [CLI reference.
Security:
- [Low] Public share lyrics and subtitle routes honor the share's file-viewer setting, download disable flag, and download limits (GHSA-p7x3-p5jj-9xfh) -- thanks Yves Soete of Blacksight LLC. @yssoe
- Fresh installs with default
admin/admin generate a random initial password and log it once (#2977).
- OIDC login binds OAuth
state to an HttpOnly cookie and rejects tampered callbacks; login/logout/session-expiry redirects reject open-redirect targets, and signup sends credentials in a JSON body instead of query parameters.
New Features:
- granular per-source file permissions (view, download, modify, create, delete) with automatic migration from global permissions
- per-source defaults configurable in
settings > access management
- New activity logs for user activity.
- charts and historical data
- Media player improvements:
- Refreshed playback queue UI: Supports thumbnails, stored into session storage, and has a "clear queue" button (#2575) (#2600).
- Loop now has 3 states (off/single/all) and neither of them will clear the existing queue (#2600).
- New "Audio visualizer" for audio files (desktop-only), you can configure some basic things to your taste (#2575) (#2620).
- The current state of the audio panel now is stored into local storage.
- More gestures: Swipe up to enter/exit fullscreen, long-press to change playback speed, single tap to pause (#2575).
- Videos now will resume fullscreen and PiP when navigating (queue auto-navigation, swipes gestures or next/previous) (#2649).
- Added
F4 shortcut to refresh the current directory and metadata (#2600).
- opt-in feature to send deployment analytics to filebrowser quantum developer servers
- anonymized with a viewer so users can see what info would be sent.
- if opt-in, every month a snapshot of your deployment config would be sent to developer servers
- this will help me know what features are being used and what versions everyone is on over time. I will also provide a public dashboard with this information in the future.
- WebDAV now supports set modification time via the
X-OC-Mtime header for clients that support it (#2626). See WebDAV docs.
- Copy operations now preserve their original modification times (#2642) (#2647):
- WebUI preserves both, files and directories.
- WebDAV
COPY preserves modification times only for files, is limitation we have with webdav.
- User default enhancements
- Config
userDefaults seeds SQLite on first run; only fields explicitly set in config stay locked in Settings → User defaults (other defaults remain editable)
- Added administrator controls for universal user defaults and enforced preferences in
settings > user management > user defaults.
- Added configurable default file permissions per source in
settings > access management.
- Added a User Defaults editor for account, permission, and profile preferences in the edit/create user prompt. See User management.
- Database env var rename:
FILEBROWSER_DATABASE is removed (startup fails if set). Use FILEBROWSER_DATABASE_PATH (default filebrowser.sqlite) or server.database.path in config. See Environment variables and Server settings.
- CLI:
user set with --password (inline value, interactive prompt on TTY, or piped stdin); user promote for admin grant without password reset. See CLI reference.
- Require password change at next login for password-based users: new user setting
requirePasswordChange (user defaults + per-user admin toggle). Bootstrap admins with a generated initial password get this automatically (#2977). Generated bootstrap passwords use a speakable word-xxxxx-xx form.
- PWA improvements for installed mobile apps: dedicated maskable icons (192/512), manifest and splash colors that follow the instance default theme, runtime
theme-color sync on dark-mode toggle, and edge-to-edge safe-area layout for notched devices (#2625) (#2869) -- thanks @APatenaude
- Users can set default view mode and thumbnail size from Profile settings (Listing options). Admins can set the same defaults for existing users and edit all profile preference defaults from the user management panel (#2884).
- Added "Upload only what's missing" to the upload conflict prompt (#2985) (#2553)
- Added
init CLI command, which creates a minimal commented config.yaml instead of a full config (#2957)
- Config YAML expands
$VAR and ${VAR} so values such as userPassword: "${FILEBROWSER_LDAP_USER_PASSWORD}" work (#3042).
- Sidebar source links can switch between aggregated usage (default) and a root-filesystem-only view via a new "Limit disk usage to source filesystem" toggle.
Notes:
- v2.x.x uses a new write-through backend state management. Changes go through a fast memory layer and also write changes to database to stay in sync. See About v2.0.0.
- CLI server start (
./filebrowser), setup, version, and set rule syntax unchanged; see CLI docs
- new dropdown and input styles
- swipe gestures to dismiss notifications (#2672)
- user updates are more granular, don't include entire user payload.
user.id has been moved to a backend property and all frontend apis now query users by username. Swagger has been updated. See API reference.
- removed legacy and deprecated properties from API responses and generated config output
/api/media/stream is audio/video only (range-based chunking). Non-media inline viewing uses GET /api/resources/view. Both endpoints use the same viewToken from file metadata. See API reference.
- removed exiftool as an optional helper, always built with the supported libraries (requires 64 bit os)
- default browser media player option removed, always uses themed plyr
- [docker] upgraded ffmpeg from 8.1.2 to 9.0
- Sidebar navigation tree rows are real hyperlinks: middle-click, Ctrl/Cmd+click, and Shift+click use the browser's default new-tab or new-window behavior.
- Pop-up preview has a 200ms debounce delay so it doesn't flash when moving the cursor across files quickly.
- Improved UI responsiveness for larger directories and Firefox, with marginal memory improvement (#1773) (#2879)
- Improvements to document thumbnail generation performance.
- Changed behavior for typing to select files in listing view; added more actions in advanced search (#2776).
- Session renew is handled by client keep-alive; per-request
X-Renew-Token header handling removed.
defaultEnabled now means the source is always added to users on startup and login.
- Webdav always shows hidden files, ignores the user preference. (#3004)
- Share download links no longer embed a token; they link to the UI, which prompts for the password before download. For direct downloads use the documented
/api/share/direct API. (#2888)
- Sidebar links follow source changes: renaming a source updates links, disabling/deleting a user source removes them (#2878) (#2942), and adding a source via scopes auto-adds a link.
/api/resources/download and /public/api/resources/download return HTTP 404 for missing files/directories instead of 500 (#2981); GET /api/resources returns 400 when path is missing or empty (#2801).
- Added risc-v to official releases.
- A CLI password reset returns the user to a password-method user.
Bugfixes:
- Long uploads/downloads no longer lose the session mid-transfer; session keep-alive renews before expiry and auto-logout is disabled during active transfers (#2638).
- OIDC:
groupsClaim is always requested and falls back to UserInfo; the verified ID-token identifier is preserved on fallback; sessions respect tokenExpirationHours (#3006).
- LDAP
userGroups matching accepts CN-only values against full memberOf DNs and is case-insensitive (#3044).
- Fixed PDF thumbnail process aborts (#2763), PDF preview blocking uploads (#2752), and 401 on the PDF download button (#2978).
- Fixed multiple embedded subtitles with the same language (#2756).
- Fixed Fuji
.raf thumbnail preview; unsupported image preview formats return HTTP 415 instead of 500.
- Members without download permission could not open text-based files with OnlyOffice enabled (#2777).
- Fixed iOS 26 / WebKit multi-chunk upload stall by isolating chunk connections (#2734).
- Mobile/UI fixes: upload options cut off (#2685), uploaded image cut off (#2765), next/previous buttons hiding on photos (#2767), missing gallery download button (#2767), double-tap to zoom, html viewer height, tooltips on mobile, assorted styling inconsistencies (#2908).
- Public share folder and multi-file ZIP downloads were empty for anonymous visitors on sources with deny-by-default/path rules (#2631) (#2365).
- Preserve Ctrl-click selection with stale keyboard state (#2958) (#2923); avoid false stalls in parallel transfers (#2950) (#2948) thanks @gudcks0305; hide Replace on conflict prompts when the user lacks modify permission (#2837).
- Disk usage: fixed overstatement on virtiofs/Docker Desktop (#2894), inflated usage across ZFS datasets/btrfs subvolumes (#3025) (#2997), capped usage bars at 100% and summed nested mounts on Linux (#2761) (#2238).
- Support non-ASCII share passwords (#2933); fall back to buffered copies when FUSE rejects fast paths (#2938) (#2924); tilde (
~) source paths expand properly.
- Fixed slow/broken file listing when
http.baseURL is a subpath.
Full Changelog: v1.5.8-stable...v2.0.0-stable |
FileBrowser Quantum is a strong choice for anyone who wants browser-based access to files without the overhead of a much larger platform.
The interface is one of its biggest improvements. The project has redesigned the navigation and browsing experience, with a responsive layout, faster directory views, thumbnails, folder sizes, and a search interface that is much more practical for large collections.
The search system is particularly useful. Instead of simply scanning directories whenever a search is performed, Quantum maintains an index that allows results to appear while typing. It can also monitor filesystem changes and update the interface accordingly.
Authentication is another major advantage. FileBrowser Quantum supports OIDC, LDAP, JWT, password authentication, 2FA, and proxy authentication. This makes it considerably more suitable for organizations than a basic personal file browser.
Sharing is also well implemented. Administrators can control expiration, access, anonymous availability, and permissions for viewing, editing, and uploading files. Access can also be scoped to users or groups and specific source paths.
The main limitation is that FileBrowser Quantum is not intended to replace a complete collaboration platform. It does not provide the same ecosystem of calendars, office collaboration, mobile applications, comments, and other productivity features found in platforms such as Nextcloud.
There are also some features still marked as being under development, including metrics, quotas, event-based notifications, and several file conversion capabilities.
For straightforward self-hosted file access, however, FileBrowser Quantum offers a good balance between features, resource usage, and simplicity.
Performance and Compatibility
Performance is one of the project's main focuses. The developers have redesigned directory browsing and indexing to provide faster search and more responsive file management. The project comparison lists a minimum memory requirement of 512 MB for Quantum.
Docker images are available for amd64 and ARM64, while the slim image also supports ARM32. The main image includes FFmpeg and additional document preview functionality.
The project supports Linux, Windows, and macOS and can be deployed through Docker or as a standalone binary.
One limitation to consider is very large directories. The project documentation has previously noted that directories containing more than 100,000 items can become slow because directory pagination is not implemented.
System Requirements
FileBrowser Quantum is designed to run with relatively modest resources.
The project lists:
Minimum memory requirement of 512 MB
Linux, Windows, and macOS support
Docker support
Standalone binary availability
amd64 and ARM64 Docker images
ARM32 support with the slim Docker image
The actual resources required will depend on the number of files, indexing workload, previews, concurrent users, and enabled services.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Free and open source
Self-hosted
Modern responsive interface
Fast indexed search
Multiple file sources
WebDAV support
Granular permissions
Multiple authentication options
OIDC and LDAP support
2FA support
Configurable sharing
Rich file previews
Docker support
Standalone binaries
Developer API
Relatively low resource requirements
Cons
Not a complete collaboration platform
Some features are still under development
Very large directories can become slow
No dedicated mobile application
No S3 support
No FTP support
Some advanced functionality differs substantially from the original FileBrowser project
How to Install
The simplest way to run FileBrowser Quantum is with Docker. Official images are available through Docker Hub and GitHub Container Registry. The main image includes FFmpeg and additional document preview functionality, while the slim image provides a smaller installation focused on core functionality.
After starting the container, mount the directories you want to manage and configure the application's storage and authentication settings.
FileBrowser Quantum can also be installed using its standalone binaries if Docker is not appropriate for your environment. The project provides documentation covering the available installation methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is FileBrowser Quantum?
FileBrowser Quantum is an open source, self-hosted web file manager developed as a major fork of the original FileBrowser project.
Is FileBrowser Quantum free?
Yes. The project states that it will remain free and open source.
Can FileBrowser Quantum run with Docker?
Yes. Official Docker images are available, including a full image and a smaller slim image.
Does FileBrowser Quantum support LDAP?
Yes. LDAP is supported along with OIDC, JWT, password authentication, 2FA, and proxy authentication.
Does FileBrowser Quantum support WebDAV?
Yes. WebDAV support is included.
Can users share files?
Yes. FileBrowser Quantum provides configurable sharing with expiration dates, access restrictions, anonymous sharing, and separate viewing, editing, and uploading permissions.
Does FileBrowser Quantum have an API?
Yes. It supports long-lived API tokens and provides a Swagger interface for API-enabled users.
Is FileBrowser Quantum the same as the original FileBrowser?
No. Quantum is a substantial fork with significant changes to the interface, configuration, indexing, authentication, sharing, access control, and other areas. The project itself notes that it differs significantly from the original FileBrowser.
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