CloakShare
Self-Hosted
Self-Hosted Document and Video Sharing
Deploy CloakShare on your own infrastructure with Docker. Get complete data sovereignty, watermarked document and video sharing, per-viewer analytics, and email gating. The only self-hostable DocSend alternative with video support.
Why self-host your document sharing
Data sovereignty
Your documents never leave your infrastructure. Meet data residency requirements for GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, or any regulatory framework. No third-party access to your files.
Open source (MIT)
Audit the source code. Modify it for your needs. No vendor lock-in, no license fees. The MIT license allows unrestricted commercial use without disclosure requirements.
No per-seat fees ever
Self-hosted CloakShare has no licensing cost. Add unlimited users, create unlimited links, share unlimited documents. You only pay for your own server and storage.
Video sharing included
Self-hosted CloakShare includes full video support. Upload MP4, MOV, or WebM files. Automatic HLS transcoding, adaptive streaming, per-viewer watermarks, and watch-time analytics.
Deploy with Docker Compose
version: "3.8"
services:
cloakshare:
image: ghcr.io/cloakshare/cloakshare:latest
ports:
- "3000:3000"
environment:
DATABASE_URL: postgres://cloak:secret@db:5432/cloakshare
S3_BUCKET: cloakshare-files
S3_ENDPOINT: http://minio:9000
S3_ACCESS_KEY: minioadmin
S3_SECRET_KEY: minioadmin
JWT_SECRET: your-secret-key-change-this
WATERMARK_ENABLED: "true"
depends_on:
- db
- minio
db:
image: postgres:16-alpine
environment:
POSTGRES_DB: cloakshare
POSTGRES_USER: cloak
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: secret
volumes:
- pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
minio:
image: minio/minio
command: server /data --console-address ":9001"
environment:
MINIO_ROOT_USER: minioadmin
MINIO_ROOT_PASSWORD: minioadmin
volumes:
- miniodata:/data
volumes:
pgdata:
miniodata:# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/cloakshare/cloakshare.git
cd cloakshare
# Start all services
docker compose up -d
# CloakShare is now running at http://localhost:3000
# MinIO console at http://localhost:9001Infrastructure requirements
Minimum (documents only)
- CPU 2 vCPU
- RAM 4 GB
- Storage 20 GB SSD
- OS Any Linux with Docker
Recommended (documents + video)
- CPU 4 vCPU
- RAM 8 GB
- Storage 100 GB SSD
- OS Ubuntu 22.04+ or Debian 12+
Compatible with AWS EC2, DigitalOcean Droplets, Hetzner Cloud, Vultr, or any VPS provider. Use any S3-compatible storage (AWS S3, MinIO, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2).
Everything included in self-hosted
| Feature | CloakShare (self-hosted) | DocSend | Papermark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hostable | Docker Compose | No | Complex |
| License | MIT | Proprietary | AGPL |
| Video sharing | HLS streaming | No | No |
| Office docs | DOCX, PPTX, XLSX | PDF only | PDF only |
| API access | Full REST API | No | Limited |
| Cost (10 users) | $0 + server | $650/mo | $0 + server |
| Data sovereignty | 100% | 0% | 100% |
| Watermarks | Dynamic | Basic | Dynamic |
Who self-hosts CloakShare
Law firms
Attorney-client privilege demands that confidential documents stay on firm-controlled infrastructure.
Healthcare
HIPAA compliance requires strict data residency controls that only self-hosting can guarantee.
Accounting firms
Tax returns and financial data require infrastructure-level control for regulatory compliance.
Insurance
Policyholder data sovereignty requirements make self-hosting the only compliant option.
Virtual data rooms
M&A and due diligence transactions require complete control over sensitive deal documents.
Franchise orgs
FDD distribution and operations manuals need controlled access at scale without per-seat costs.
Frequently asked questions
Is CloakShare really free to self-host?
Yes. CloakShare's core is MIT licensed. You can deploy it on your own servers at no licensing cost. You only pay for your own infrastructure (server, storage, database).
What infrastructure do I need to self-host CloakShare?
A Linux server with Docker and Docker Compose. Minimum: 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 20GB storage for documents only. For video processing, 4 vCPU and 8GB RAM is recommended. CloakShare uses PostgreSQL for the database and any S3-compatible storage for files.
Can I self-host CloakShare and still get updates?
Yes. Pull the latest Docker image to update. The MIT license means you can run any version, modify the source code, and contribute back to the project. No vendor approval needed.
How does self-hosted CloakShare compare to DocSend?
DocSend is a closed-source SaaS with no self-hosting option at $65/user/month. Self-hosted CloakShare gives you all the same features (email gating, analytics, watermarks, expiry) plus video sharing, API access, office document support, and complete data sovereignty on your own infrastructure at zero licensing cost.
Does self-hosted CloakShare support video sharing?
Yes. Self-hosted CloakShare includes full video support with automatic HLS transcoding, adaptive streaming at 720p and 1080p, dynamic watermarks on every frame, and per-viewer watch-time analytics. FFmpeg is included in the Docker image.
Can I use self-hosted CloakShare for a virtual data room?
Yes. Self-hosted CloakShare is ideal for virtual data rooms. Per-document access controls, complete audit trails, dynamic watermarks, link expiry, and 100% data sovereignty make it suitable for M&A, due diligence, and fundraising transactions.
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Use cases
Deploy CloakShare today
Clone the repo, run docker compose up, and start sharing documents and videos securely on your own infrastructure in under 5 minutes.