Zero-Knowledge Encrypted File Vault over S3
Arkfile is an open-source service that lets you store and share files while keeping them private.
Before any file leaves your computer it is encrypted, so the Arkfile server never sees your data.
Because of this “zero-knowledge” design, only you – and anyone with whom you choose to share – can access and open your files.
- Privacy first – files are encrypted on your device.
- Share safely – you can create sharing links with share passwords for friends or co-workers without giving them your main password.
- Multi-factor security – Time-based One-Time Passwords (TOTP authentication) is used to provide two-factor protection for all accounts.
- Pick your storage – use the built-in MinIO server for single-node or self-hosted cluster deployments, or point Arkfile at Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, Vultr Object Storage, and other S3-compatible storage back-ends.
- Runs anywhere – one binary, no external database. (Arkfile uses the lightweight rqlite engine under the hood.)
- Open source – anyone can inspect or improve the code.
./scripts/quick-start.sh
The script will:
- Start a local MinIO bucket
- Start a single-node rqlite database
- Launch the web UI at http://localhost:8080
Once it finishes, open the URL and create your first account.
- Zero-knowledge: The server never learns your files or passwords because everything is encrypted before upload.
- Encryption (AES-256-GCM): A modern algorithm that scrambles data and checks its integrity at the same time.
- OPAQUE: A password authentication protocol where the server never sees your password in any form, with built-in validation to ensure strong password security.
- TOTP: Time-based One-Time Password - generates temporary codes on your phone for extra security.
- rqlite: A small database that keeps data in sync across nodes without extra setup.
- MinIO: An open-source S3-compatible storage server that works as a single node or in a cluster.
- S3-type Storage Backends: Any number of redundant data backup solutions that use erasure coding to ensure extremely high availability of your data.
- Deployment & Ops Guide – see
docs/setup.md
- API Reference – see
docs/api.md
- Security Architecture – see
docs/security.md
- Privacy - see
docs/privacy.md
Questions, comments or bug reports? Email arkfile [at] pm [dot] me or open an issue on GitHub.
Please avoid posting sensitive information in public issues.
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