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Hex Citadel

citadel.hex.pro

  • Free plan
  • macOS
  • Web
  • API
  • Self-hosted
7.4 Club score Visit citadel.hex.pro

What Hex Citadel is

Hex Citadel is an open-source, privacy-first cloud file sync service designed for client-side encryption and self-hosting. Files can be encrypted before upload with AES-256-GCM, and the service describes a zero-knowledge server architecture. Encryption can be enabled per file or folder, with Argon2id listed for key derivation. The server and client are MIT licensed, and their code is publicly auditable on GitHub. Citadel supports Docker Compose deployment using PostgreSQL 16 and S3-compatible storage, including MinIO and AWS S3. Server requirements include Node.js 22+ LTS, PostgreSQL 16+, and S3-compatible storage, with Docker recommended. Browser access uses WASM, while the macOS desktop client is built on Tauri 2. Mobile support is deferred until after version 1.0. The Self-Hosted plan costs nothing, billed Free forever, with unlimited users, unlimited storage on your hardware, all features, and community support. A hosted service is coming soon; pricing will be announced at launch.

Who it suits

Citadel suits users and organizations wanting open-source, self-hosted file synchronization with client-side encryption. It currently supports web and macOS access, while mobile is deferred.

Good to know, and what to watch

  • Client-side AES-256-GCM encryption
  • Zero-knowledge server architecture
  • MIT-licensed, publicly auditable code
  • Self-hosted plan includes unlimited users and storage
  • Supports MinIO and AWS S3 storage
  • Mobile support is deferred until after version 1.0
  • Hosted service is not yet launched
  • Self-hosting requires Node.js, PostgreSQL, and S3 storage
  • Hosted pricing has not been announced

Plans

Every plan and price

Hosted

—

Self-Hosted

Free

Free plan

The verdict

Citadel is a free self-hosted option centered on encrypted, auditable file synchronization. Its infrastructure requirements and deferred mobile support matter when choosing deployment.

What the maker publishes

Encryption
Files are encrypted on the client with AES-256-GCM before upload, and the site describes a zero-knowledge server architecture. source
Encryption options
The features page says encryption can be enabled per file or per folder. source
Integrations
Listed storage options include MinIO and AWS S3, with PostgreSQL as the database. source
Key derivation
The features page lists Argon2id key derivation. source
Mobile support
The features page says mobile is deferred until after version 1.0. source
Open source
The server and client are MIT licensed, with code publicly auditable on GitHub. source
Product
Citadel is an open-source, privacy-first cloud file sync service. source
Self-hosting
Citadel supports Docker Compose deployment with S3-compatible storage and PostgreSQL 16. source
Server requirements
The server core requirements list Node.js 22+ LTS, PostgreSQL 16+, S3-compatible storage, and recommend Docker. source
Support
The self-hosted plan includes community support; hosted service is listed with priority support. source
Sync performance
The client uses Rust acceleration for hashing and chunking, Rabin chunking, and zstd compression. source
Web and desktop
The site lists web browser access via WASM and a macOS desktop client built on Tauri 2. source

Checked against the maker's pages on 9 Oct 2026.