# Comparison (https://s3.dimah.dev/docs/comparison)



dimah-s3 is a full-stack file toolkit for S3-compatible storage you control.
It covers upload, confirm, download, and delete under the same route policy.
Better Upload is a focused React uploader for the same storage model.
UploadThing is hosted. Uppy is a client uploader you wire yourself.

## Feature comparison [#feature-comparison]

| Feature                  |           dimah-s3           | [Better Upload](https://better-upload.com) | [UploadThing](https://uploadthing.com) | [Uppy](https://uppy.io) |
| ------------------------ | :--------------------------: | :----------------------------------------: | :------------------------------------: | :---------------------: |
| **Happy-path setup**     | Routes + hooks + optional UI |            Two packages, minutes           |               Hosted API               |       Client-only       |
| **S3 storage ownership** |          Your bucket         |                 Your bucket                |              Hosted bucket             |       Your bucket       |
| **Upload lifecycle**     | Presign + HeadObject confirm |          Presign (no confirm hook)         |               Hosted API               |       Client-only       |
| **Download & preview**   |    Presign, proxy, inline    |       Server helpers, no client hook       |               Hosted URLs              |           DIY           |
| **Object deletion**      |  Server-mediated with guards |       Server helpers, no client hook       |               Hosted API               |           DIY           |
| **Multipart & Resume**   |   Built-in chunking/resume   |                    None                    |                 Hosted                 |     Tus / Companion     |
| **Database tracking**    |   Optional (`@dimah-s3/db`)  |                    None                    |            Hosted dashboard            |           None          |
| **Client UI**            |       Headless + shadcn      |              shadcn uploaders              |            React components            |     Dashboard modal     |

Better Upload also ships S3 helpers (`presignGetObject`, `deleteObject`,
`listObjectsV2`, …). Those are utilities, not download/delete routes with
guards, hooks, or UI. dimah-s3 signs `storageClass`, `tagging`, and
`cacheControl` from `upload.object` the same way.

***

## When to use which [#when-to-use-which]

* **dimah-s3 (Full-lifecycle S3 toolkit)** — you need complete object lifecycle management: direct uploads, verified `HeadObject` confirmation, private downloads, server-guarded deletes, resumable multipart, or database-backed quotas in your own S3/R2/MinIO bucket.
* **Better Upload (Upload-only uploader)** — you need a quick, lightweight file picker into your bucket for simple PUT uploads and will handle confirmation, deletion, and download logic in your own custom backend code.
* **UploadThing (Hosted SaaS)** — you want a fully managed backend with hosted storage and do not want to manage an AWS account or S3 bucket.
* **Uppy (Client dashboard)** — you already have custom backend endpoints and only need a client UI modal.

***

## Why choose dimah-s3 over Better Upload? [#why-choose-dimah-s3-over-better-upload]

While both dimah-s3 and Better Upload support bringing your own S3 bucket:

1. **Full Lifecycle vs. Upload-Only**: Better Upload focuses primarily on the initial upload step. dimah-s3 covers upload, confirmation, download, and deletion under a single route definition and key namespace.
2. **Verified HeadObject Confirmation**: dimah-s3 verifies the actual file size and Content-Type directly against S3 using `HeadObject` during the `onConfirmed` lifecycle step, ensuring malicious clients cannot forge file metadata.
3. **Resumable Multipart Uploads**: For large files (video, audio, archives), dimah-s3 includes automatic multipart chunking, parallel uploads, and resumption.
4. **First-Party Database Tracking**: With `@dimah-s3/db`, you get instant object ownership tracking, listings, and quota checks integrated with Drizzle ORM.

***

## Why choose dimah-s3 over UploadThing? [#why-choose-dimah-s3-over-uploadthing]

1. **Zero SaaS Fees & Cost Predictability**: You pay standard cloud storage rates (e.g. AWS S3, Cloudflare R2 with zero egress fees) rather than paying a SaaS markup.
2. **Complete Data Ownership**: Files reside entirely within your own bucket and infrastructure without vendor lock-in.
3. **Backend Flexibility**: Works with Next.js, Hono, Express, Fastify, Elysia, and SvelteKit.

***

## Frequently asked questions [#frequently-asked-questions]

<Accordions>
  <Accordion title="Is dimah-s3 a full alternative to Better Upload?">
    Yes. If your app only needs a quick file picker to PUT an image into S3, Better Upload is lightweight and simple. If you need confirmation hooks, private signed downloads, server-guarded deletion, resumable multipart transfers, or database tracking, dimah-s3 provides the full stack out of the box.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use Uppy or Dropzone with dimah-s3?">
    Yes. Connect a third-party uploader to the `@dimah-s3/server` presign endpoints, or implement `S3Api` with `defineApi`.
  </Accordion>
</Accordions>