Peergos for Windows is a free, open-source program for storing and sharing files with end-to-end encryption over a peer-to-peer network. It is built for people who want their files kept private and prefer not to rely on a single company's servers, and it is also useful for anyone who wants a straightforward way to share documents securely. Besides Windows, the project is available for macOS, Linux and Docker, and it can be reached through a web interface or a browser extension.
Rather than sending everything to one central data center, Peergos spreads encrypted data across a network that has no central node, which makes it harder to disrupt or monitor. Encryption happens on your own machine before anything leaves it. The project is also designed to be self-hostable, so you can run your own storage node at home. Below you will find how the system works, how to install it safely, and what it cannot do yet.
What Peer-to-Peer Storage Means for Your Files
Most cloud storage works like a client and a server. Your files travel to a machine owned by one provider, which keeps the copies and controls access to them. Peer-to-peer storage changes that arrangement. Data is held by many participating computers, and any of them can route requests to the others, so nobody has to own the entire archive.
Peergos builds on IPFS for storage, routing and retrieval. That has a practical consequence you should understand: a user's data is reachable only when at least one Peergos instance is storing it. If your laptop is the only copy and it is switched off, your files are not available to others. Running a home server, or having a trusted peer keep a copy, closes that gap.
The trade-off is predictability. A peer-to-peer network depends on the health of its participants, so the experience can differ from a commercial service that runs its own data centers. For many privacy-focused users, that is a reasonable exchange for more control over who holds their data.
How Peergos Encrypts and Signs Your Data
Peergos uses several layers, each with a specific job. The bottom layer is the peer-to-peer data layer described above. Above it sits an authorization layer: a key pair determines who can change parts of the file system, and every write is signed, so each change can be tied to the key that made it.
The storage layer organizes data as a Merkle-CHAMP structure of encrypted chunks stored under random labels. Within a given public key, the machine holding the data sees only encrypted blocks and cannot see the cross links that would reveal how files relate to one another. That is the technical basis for the claim that sharing does not expose who shares with whom.
Encryption takes place on your machine using TweetNaCl, a compact cryptography library. Each file is split into 5 MiB chunks, and every chunk is encrypted independently. Because each piece is handled on its own, large files can be processed in manageable portions. The project has published a security audit page on its website, and it is worth reading before you rely on the system for sensitive material.
Key Terms You Will Meet in Peergos
A peer is any computer taking part in the network. A node is a peer that stores or relays data, and an instance is a Peergos server running on a particular machine. When people talk about running their own instance, they mean keeping their data available on hardware they control.
A key pair is two linked cryptographic keys. The public key can be shared and used to verify signatures, while the private key must stay secret. Because every write is signed, the key pair is the backbone of who can change what.
End-to-end encryption means data is encrypted before it leaves your device and can be decrypted only by people you have authorized. A sandbox is an isolated environment where a program runs with limited access to the rest of your system. Tor is an anonymity network. Peergos does not yet provide anonymity on its own, but accessing a User account only over Tor is one way to add it.
Who Peergos Is For and Where It Fits
Consider a freelance writer who keeps drafts, research and client contracts. With Peergos, she can keep those files encrypted and share specific documents with an editor without exposing the wider network to her sharing relationships. Her files are protected before they leave her laptop, which matters when the material is confidential.
A family might choose a different route. One member can run a Peergos instance on a home computer, giving everyone a private storage space and a place to communicate without sending their photos and documents to a commercial cloud. The household then decides how its data is kept available.
Developers curious about the distributed web can use the sandboxed web app model to test what an application can and cannot access. Privacy-conscious individuals who archive personal records may also find the design useful. Organizations that need guaranteed uptime should evaluate the availability model carefully before relying on it, because reachability depends on instances storing the data.
Key features
Private file storage across a peer-to-peer network
Sharing that hides who shares with whom
Sandboxed web apps with your permission
An interface meant for everyday users
Self-hosting on your own hardware
Independence from certificate authority trust
How to install Peergos on Windows
- 1
Get the program from the official source
Download Peergos only from the official website or from the Releases page of the project's GitHub repository at github.com/Peergos/Peergos. The Windows version is distributed as a build or installer, so choose the file that matches your system and avoid mirrors or links shared in chats.
- 2
Verify the file before running it
Compare the SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded file with the value published alongside the release, or verify the signature if one is provided. You can compute the hash in PowerShell with the Get-FileHash command. If the values do not match, delete the file and download it again from the official source.
- 3
Run the installer
Open the file, follow the on-screen prompts and choose an install location. If Windows SmartScreen or your antivirus raises a warning, confirm the checksum first and then decide whether to proceed. Do not disable your security software to get the installation through.
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Start the program and set up your account
Launch Peergos and create or sign in to your User account. Store your login details and any key material in a safe place offline, such as a password manager on a separate device or a printed copy kept somewhere secure. Losing these can cut you off from your files.
How to use Peergos
Peergos is built around a User account and a set of encrypted folders. The workflow below assumes you have installed the program and are signed in.
- Create or sign in to your User account, and keep your login details stored offline.
- Upload a file or folder. It is encrypted on your machine before anything is sent into the network.
- Confirm that at least one instance is storing your data, such as your home server or a trusted peer, so your files stay reachable.
- To share, select a file and choose the other user on the network. Only the people you grant access to can decrypt it, and observers cannot see the sharing relationship.
- Open a web app from Peergos only if you trust its source, and read the permissions it requests before approving them.
- If you need the highest level of privacy, access your account only over Tor, since the project does not yet provide anonymity on its own.
Start with a small test folder to learn how uploads, sharing and reachability behave before moving important archives into the system.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source, so the code can be inspected by anyone
- End-to-end encryption applied on your own device before data leaves it
- Sharing is designed to hide who shares with whom
- No central node, which makes the network harder to disrupt
- Self-hosting option for full control over your storage
- Available on Windows, macOS, Linux and Docker, plus a web interface and browser extension
- No built-in anonymity yet; Tor is needed for that
- Data is reachable only while at least one instance stores it
- Peer-to-peer networks can feel less predictable than commercial cloud services
- Self-hosting requires some technical comfort
- Sandboxed web apps still need careful review of their permissions
Is Peergos safe?
Peergos handles encryption keys and private files, so installation deserves care. Download the program only from the official website or from the project's GitHub Releases page at github.com/Peergos/Peergos. Before running the installer, compare its SHA-256 checksum with the value the project publishes, or verify the signature if one is offered. If the values do not match, delete the file.
Never enter your account password, recovery material or any key into a website reached through an email, advertisement or chat message, and never share them with anyone claiming to be support. Keep offline backups of your keys, because losing them can mean losing access to your data. The project has published a security audit, which is worth reading. Also check the latest version on the official website before installing.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/Peergos/Peergos. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Peergos sits between general file sharing and the wider decentralized web. IPFS Desktop and Kubo are IPFS tools that give you access to the IPFS network, but they are not built around encrypted personal storage with user accounts. Peergos adds those features on top of IPFS. Storj is a decentralized cloud network built around storage nodes, a different model from Peergos's encrypted personal storage. Swarm Desktop helps you manage a Swarm node, and ZeroNet focuses on decentralized websites.
If your main goal is private files that you can share selectively, Peergos is the closer fit. If you want a node to run for the network itself, the IPFS and Swarm tools are better starting points.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- —
- Latest version
- —
- Last update
- 30 Oct 2026
- Windows support
- Yes (Windows build or installer)
- Source code
- github.com/Peergos/Peergos
Frequently asked questions
Peergos is used for storing and sharing files privately over a peer-to-peer network. Files are encrypted on your device before they are sent, and sharing is designed so observers cannot see who shares with whom. Many people also run a self-hosted instance on a home computer to keep their storage under their own control.
Yes. Peergos is listed as free and open source, so you can download and use it without paying for a license. The source code is published on GitHub, where you can read how the software works. Free use does not change the need to protect your keys and back up important files yourself.
It can be, as long as you get the program from the official source and verify the file before running it. Checking the SHA-256 checksum is the key step. The open source code and the project's published security audit give you material to review if you want to look more closely.
No, not as a built-in feature at this stage. Users who need more anonymity can create and access their User account only over Tor, which routes the connection through the Tor network. Using Tor adds its own complexity, so weigh that against how much anonymity you actually need.
Yes. Peergos is designed to be self-hostable, so a computer at home can run an instance that provides your own storage space and a social communication platform. Running an instance also helps keep your data available, because at least one instance must store it for it to be reachable.
Yes. A web interface and a browser extension are available, which are handy for reaching your files from another computer. For the most control over your storage, the Windows program or a self-hosted instance is the better choice.
Verdict
Peergos for Windows suits people who care about privacy and want files encrypted before they leave the device, with sharing that hides relationships between users. It is free, open source and can be self-hosted for more control. It is less suitable for anyone who needs guaranteed availability without managing storage, or built-in anonymity. If that fits your needs, install it from the official source, verify the file, and start with a small test folder before moving important archives.