Direct S3-compatible uploads
Upload files to your own bucket through Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, DigitalOcean Spaces, MinIO, or another S3-compatible endpoint.
Aktar
Freemium
Aktar is a free, open-source menu bar app for uploading files from macOS or Windows to your own S3-compatible storage and copying shareable links. It supports providers including Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, DigitalOcean Spaces, MinIO, and other S3-compatible endpoints.
What is Aktar?
Aktar is a file-upload and link-generation app that sends files directly to a user’s own S3-compatible storage. It runs from a menu bar popover, accepts dropped files, clipboard content, and Finder selections, and copies a resulting public URL or formatted link output to the clipboard. It does not require an Aktar account, and the product is free and open source under the MIT license.
The app supports built-in configurations for Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, DigitalOcean Spaces, and MinIO, plus other S3-compatible endpoints. Multiple destinations can be configured for separate buckets or storage environments. A library provides bucket browsing, search, previews, upload history, and remote file management.
Aktar also supports temporary sharing by configuring lifecycle rules that delete selected uploads after 1, 7, 14, or 30 days. Users pay their storage provider rather than Aktar. The detailed system-requirements information specifies macOS 14 Sonoma or later for the Mac app; the product site also presents a Windows download.
What can Aktar do?
Menu bar and shortcut workflow
Drop files into the menu bar popover, browse for them, or use the configurable keyboard shortcut to upload clipboard content from another app.
Flexible link output
Copy a plain URL, Markdown, HTML, or a custom template. Image uploads can produce embed markup, and templates support variables such as {url}, {filename}, {name}, and {ext}.
Bucket library and file management
Browse folders, search bucket contents, preview images, PDFs, text, and Markdown, and upload, rename, move, or delete remote files from the Library.
Temporary links and automatic cleanup
Create temporary links for private-bucket files and configure deletion after 1, 7, 14, or 30 days through bucket lifecycle rules.
Multiple destinations and upload history
Switch between configured buckets, review searchable upload history, copy links in bulk, and retry failed uploads.
Use Cases
“Share screenshots from the desktop”
Copy a screenshot, invoke Aktar’s upload shortcut, and paste the generated link into a document, issue tracker, chat, or browser without opening a separate upload page.
“Publish assets from your own bucket”
Use a configured S3-compatible destination for images, videos, PDFs, or other files when the resulting URL should be served from storage controlled by you rather than an Aktar-hosted account.
“Separate personal and work uploads”
Configure multiple destinations such as personal, client, or homelab buckets and switch between them from the upload popover.
“Send files with automatic expiration”
Choose a deletion period for temporary material such as drafts or bug-report attachments, allowing the bucket lifecycle rule to remove the object after the selected interval.
“Manage existing bucket contents”
Use the Library to locate files across bucket folders, preview supported documents, copy public or temporary links, and perform remote file operations without leaving Aktar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aktar free?
Yes. Aktar is free and open source under the MIT license. There is no Aktar subscription, account requirement, or upload limit on Aktar’s side. You pay the connected storage provider for storage and delivery.
Which storage providers does Aktar support?
It has presets for Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, DigitalOcean Spaces, and MinIO. Other services work through the Other S3-Compatible option when they provide an S3 API, including documented examples such as Wasabi, Scaleway Object Storage, and Hetzner Object Storage.
What do I need to use Aktar?
The detailed Mac requirements specify a Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later and an account with an S3-compatible storage provider. The site also provides a Windows download, but the supplied system-requirements page does not define Windows version boundaries.
What can Aktar copy after an upload?
Aktar can place a plain public URL, Markdown, HTML, or a custom template on the clipboard. It also supports public or temporary links for files in private buckets, subject to the storage configuration.
Can Aktar delete files automatically?
Yes. For supported temporary-sharing workflows, you can choose deletion after 1, 7, 14, or 30 days. Aktar configures lifecycle rules in the bucket, so the scheduled deletion can occur even when the app is not running.
Quick Facts
- Product type
- S3-compatible file uploader and link tool
- License
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Mac requirement
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later
- Storage model
- Uses your own S3-compatible bucket
- Built-in providers
- Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, DigitalOcean Spaces, and MinIO
- Primary workflow
- Drop, paste, or browse a file, then copy its link
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