Best React File Upload Libraries Compared

The short answer: for a complete React uploader that sends files straight to your own S3-compatible bucket, with cloud drives and resumable uploads, use upup or Uppy. For a bare drop target you style yourself, use react-dropzone. For modular hooks, react-uploady. For one polished component, FilePond. For no storage setup at all, UploadThing's hosted service.

This roundup compares six React file upload libraries on the features that decide most projects, then shows how to pick one.

Comparison table

The libraries

upup

upup is an MIT-licensed uploader with a ready-made React component (@useupup/react) on top of a framework-agnostic core. It uploads directly to S3-compatible storage with presigned URLs, either from your own signing endpoint (client mode) or through @useupup/server (server mode, which adds multipart and cloud-drive transfers). Users can pick files from the device, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, a camera, a screen capture or a link, and edit images before upload. Heavy extras such as HEIC conversion and tus are optional dependencies loaded only when you enable them. See the React file uploader page for a three-step setup.

react-dropzone

react-dropzone is a hook, useDropzone, that turns any element into a drop target and returns the accepted and rejected File objects. It deliberately does nothing else: no upload requests, progress or previews. That makes it tiny and flexible, and makes you responsible for the whole upload path. See upup vs react-dropzone.

Uppy

Uppy, from Transloadit, is a modular uploader: a core plus plugins for the Dashboard UI, sources (webcam, screen capture, remote drives) and destinations (tus, XHR, S3). Remote sources run through Companion, a Node server you host. It has React bindings and is the most feature-rich option here. See upup vs Uppy.

FilePond

FilePond is a single, carefully animated upload component with a React adapter. It posts files to your own server endpoint, supports chunked uploads, and extends through plugins for previews, validation and image transforms. See upup vs FilePond.

UploadThing

UploadThing is a hosted upload service with an open-source TypeScript SDK and React components. You define a file router on your server, and files are stored on UploadThing's infrastructure. It is the fastest route when you'd rather not run a bucket; see their pricing page for costs. See UploadThing vs S3.

react-uploady

react-uploady is a hooks-first React upload library split into many small @rpldy/* packages: the uploader, a drop zone, previews, chunked uploads, tus-based resumable uploads and more. You install the pieces you need and build the UI yourself from its hooks and components.

How to choose

• You want it working today, on your own bucket: upup or Uppy. Both ship a full UI and upload straight to S3-compatible storage.
• Your users keep files in Google Drive or Dropbox: upup or Uppy. Uppy needs its Companion server; upup's server mode handles drive transfers in @useupup/server, and client mode can fetch drive files in the browser.
• You have a design system and want to build the UI: react-dropzone for selection only, react-uploady for selection plus upload hooks, or upup's headless core.
• You don't want to run storage at all: UploadThing. Check their pricing page against your expected volume and egress.
• You upload very large files: pick a library with resumable uploads: upup, Uppy, react-uploady (tus) or UploadThing.
• You need image editing before upload: upup or Uppy have it built in.

Minimal upup example

Install the package:

npm i @useupup/react

Render the uploader and point it at an endpoint that returns a presigned URL:

'use client'

import { UpupUploader } from '@useupup/react'
import '@useupup/react/styles'

export default function Uploader() {
    return <UpupUploader provider="aws" uploadEndpoint="/api/upload-token" />
}

upup requires React 19. The React quickstart covers the endpoint, and Code Examples has a ready-to-copy presign handler. For Next.js, @useupup/next bundles the component and the server handlers; see the Next.js quickstart.

FAQ

What is the best file upload library for React?

For a complete uploader against your own storage, upup or Uppy. For the smallest possible building block, react-dropzone. For a hosted service, UploadThing. The table above shows the trade-offs.

Is react-dropzone enough on its own?

Only if you write the rest. react-dropzone handles selecting files; you still need upload requests, progress, retries, error states and a storage backend.

Which React upload libraries upload directly to S3?

upup, with presigned URLs from your endpoint or @useupup/server, and Uppy, with its AWS S3 plugin. The others either upload to your server or to a hosted service, or leave it to you.

Which React upload libraries support resumable uploads?

upup (tus or S3 multipart), Uppy (tus or S3 multipart), react-uploady (tus) and UploadThing. FilePond supports chunked uploads to your server.

Are these libraries free?

upup, react-dropzone, Uppy, FilePond and react-uploady are MIT-licensed. UploadThing's SDK is MIT, but the service it uploads to is paid with a free tier; see their pricing page.

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• upup vs Uppy
• UploadThing vs S3: a self-hosted alternative
• Best Vue file upload libraries
• Best Angular file upload libraries