getaktar.com

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Sitemap: https://getaktar.com/sitemap.xml

# Aktar

> Aktar is a free, open-source (MIT) macOS menu bar app that uploads files and screenshots to your own S3-compatible storage (Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, DigitalOcean Spaces, MinIO, Wasabi, Hetzner, Scaleway and others) and copies a shareable link to the clipboard. No account, no servers, no telemetry.

Key facts:

- Platforms: Mac (macOS 14 Sonoma or later, a native SwiftUI menu bar app with no Dock icon), Windows 10 and 11, iPhone and iPad (iOS 16.4 or later) and Android 7.0 or later. Each app has its own version numbers.
- Price: free. License: MIT. Source: https://github.com/getaktar/mac
- Latest versions: Mac 0.18.1 · Windows 0.11.0 · iOS 1.9.0 · Android 1.9.0. Mac download: https://github.com/getaktar/mac/releases/latest/download/Aktar.dmg (or `brew install --cask getaktar/tap/aktar`)
- Storage: bring your own bucket. Built-in presets for Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, DigitalOcean Spaces and MinIO; "Other S3-Compatible" for any other S3 API provider.
- Upload methods: drag & drop onto the menu bar panel, paste (⌘V), file picker, or a global shortcut (default ⌃⇧⌘U) that uploads the clipboard from any app.
- Output: the public link is copied as a URL, Markdown, HTML or a custom template ({url}, {filename}, {name}, {ext}).
- Object paths are templates (default {year}/{month}/{uuid}.{ext}); variables: {year} {month} {day} {date} {time} {filename} {uuid} {random} {ext}.
- Library: searchable local upload history with previews, bulk copy, remote delete, plus a browser for every folder and file in each bucket (search, preview, upload into folders, rename, move, delete).
- Thumbnails (Mac 0.13.0, Windows 0.6.0; iPhone, iPad and Android 1.5.0 in review): real thumbnails for videos, PDFs, RAW photos, Office and iWork documents and more, made by the operating system's own thumbnailer, in the history and the bucket view; videos and audio play in a file's details, streamed from the bucket. Per destination: Off, on this device, or also in a folder of the user's own bucket (default .aktar/thumbnails/) so other devices show them; thumbnails in the bucket are deleted, moved and expire with their files. Thumbnails never go to any other service.
- Destination automation (Mac 0.14.0; Windows and mobile coming): Use For sends files to a destination by kind (images, videos, audio, documents, archives) or extension when an upload doesn't name one; a keyboard shortcut per destination; Replace File writes a new file at the same key so its link keeps working, with a short cache time and an optional Cloudflare cache purge; After Upload webhooks and scripts per destination; Shortcuts actions (Upload File, Upload Clipboard, Replace File, Get Recent Uploads).
- Temporary links: presigned links valid for 1 hour to 7 days, which also work for private buckets.
- Expiring uploads (Aktar 0.5.0 or later): a "Delete after" choice of 1, 7, 14 or 30 days uploads the file under tmp/{N}d/ and the bucket deletes it through its own lifecycle rules (IDs aktar-expire-{N}d), even when Aktar isn't running. Aktar sets up the rules in one click and keeps the bucket's other rules; if the key can't manage lifecycle rules, the four rules can be added in the provider's dashboard. Also in the iPhone, iPad and Android apps from 1.1.0.
- Watched folders (Mac 0.11.0 or later): files that land in a chosen folder (screenshots, design exports, build artifacts, downloads; any file type) upload on their own about 1.5-2 s after they are completely written. Per folder: destination, object path ({folder} and {subpath} keep the folder structure), file filters, what happens when a file changes, and what happens to the original (keep, Trash, move to an "Uploaded" subfolder, or a Finder tag). Partial downloads, temporary and hidden files are skipped, renamed or moved files are not uploaded twice, and files added while Aktar was closed upload on the next launch. Optional deletion from the bucket when the file is deleted (asks first by default); more than 50 new files at once wait for confirmation. Also: an "Upload Screenshots Automatically" preset, a webhook or script after each upload, pausing (1 hour, until tomorrow, on battery or metered networks), "Watch Folder with Aktar" in Finder's right-click menu, and the local API (/v1/watched-folders).
- Raycast extension for Mac and Windows (requires Aktar for Mac 0.18.0 or Aktar for Windows 0.11.0 or later): upload (with rename and Delete After), search history, browse buckets with thumbnails of videos, PDFs and documents, show links as QR codes, manage watched folders, replace a file at the same key so shared links show the new file (Replace File), upload to the Automatic destination, which follows each destination's Use For, and copy, create and track short links from the destination's link shortener, from Raycast through an opt-in local API. Raycast AI asks before it creates a temporary link (1 hour unless the user asks for longer, 24 hours at most) or a short link. https://getaktar.com/raycast/ (Raycast Store: https://www.raycast.com/merttopuz/aktar)
- Privacy: credentials in the macOS Keychain; files go directly from the Mac to the user's storage endpoint; no analytics. App Sandbox, Hardened Runtime, notarized by Apple.
- Short links (Mac 0.17.0, Windows 0.10.0, Android 1.8.0; iPhone and iPad 1.8.0 in review): {short} in the object path is a random 7-character code (links like files.example.com/A7kdP2x.png), never written over an existing file; optionally the user's own link shortener (Shlink, YOURLS, Kutt, Dub, Short.io or a custom HTTP request, ShareX .sxcu import) makes the link that is copied, with click counts in History. https://getaktar.com/features/short-links/
- Cloudflare R2 setup (Mac 0.16.0): one pasted Cloudflare API token creates the bucket, turns on public links (r2.dev or the user's own domain) and saves the destination; the token isn't kept.
- Not included: built-in link analytics (click counts come from the user's own shortener), password-protected links.
- Command line: the `aktar` command (npm install -g @getaktar/cli, or brew install getaktar/tap/aktar-cli) uploads files through the running app and prints links, Markdown or JSON, and `aktar replace` (CLI 0.3.0, Aktar for Mac 0.14.0) writes a new file over an upload while its link stays the same; works as Typora's custom image uploader. `aktar mcp` (CLI 0.4.0) is an MCP server for AI agents (Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex) with tools to upload, search uploads, replace a file keeping its link (with --allow-replace), browse a bucket and make temporary links (60 minutes at most by default); since CLI 0.6.0 it uploads only from --root folders or the folder it runs in, never secrets such as SSH keys or .env files, and the CLI checks it's talking to Aktar before sending the token (needs Aktar for Mac 0.18.0 or Windows 0.11.0); `aktar skill` prints an agent skill for the CLI. https://getaktar.com/cli/ Setup for each agent and use cases: https://getaktar.com/mcp/ Full reference (every command, option, JSON field, exit code, recipes): https://getaktar.com/cli/docs/
- iPhone and iPad: free on the App Store (iOS 16.4 or later), with uploads from Photos, the camera, Files and the share sheet, plus the bucket browser. https://apps.apple.com/app/id6816956092
- Windows: free on the Microsoft Store (Windows 10 1809 or later, or Windows 11), a notification area app with the Mac app's features. https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9PHJL211PWM7?mode=direct Also as a direct installer from GitHub, https://github.com/getaktar/windows/releases/latest/download/Aktar-Setup.exe: installs per user without admin rights and updates itself the day a release is published, but isn't code signed yet, so SmartScreen may warn ("More info", then "Run anyway"). The Store and the .exe are separate installs; pick one. https://getaktar.com/windows/install/
- Android: in review on Google Play.
- Platform pages: https://getaktar.com/mac/ https://getaktar.com/iphone/ https://getaktar.com/android/ https://getaktar.com/windows/
- Why it exists: links point at the user's own storage, not at an Aktar server, so they keep working even if Aktar goes away. https://getaktar.com/story/

## Setup guides

- [How to upload files to Cloudflare R2 and share links](https://getaktar.com/guides/cloudflare-r2/): Connect Cloudflare R2 to Aktar in about a minute: paste one API token and Aktar creates the bucket, turns on public links and saves the destination for you.
- [How to upload files to Amazon S3 and share public links](https://getaktar.com/guides/amazon-s3/): Upload files to an Amazon S3 bucket from your menu bar and share public links. Covers the bucket policy or CloudFront for public reads and a least-privilege IAM user.
- [How to upload files to Backblaze B2 and share links](https://getaktar.com/guides/backblaze-b2/): Upload files and screenshots to a Backblaze B2 bucket by drag and drop and share public links. Create a public bucket and application key in 5 minutes.
- [How to upload files to DigitalOcean Spaces and share links](https://getaktar.com/guides/digitalocean-spaces/): Upload files to DigitalOcean Spaces from your desktop and share public or CDN links. Create a Space, make uploads readable and add an access key in 5 minutes.
- [How to upload files to MinIO and share links](https://getaktar.com/guides/minio/): Upload files to your own MinIO server by drag and drop and share links. Create a bucket, allow anonymous downloads and add an access key for uploads.
- [How to upload files to any S3-compatible storage](https://getaktar.com/guides/s3-compatible/): Upload files to Wasabi, Hetzner Object Storage, Scaleway, Akamai (Linode) or any other S3-compatible bucket from your desktop and share public links.

- [Install Aktar for Windows from the .exe](https://getaktar.com/windows/install/): Install Aktar for Windows from Aktar-Setup.exe: no admin rights, updates the day they ship. Why SmartScreen warns, and how to get past it in two clicks.
- [aktar CLI documentation](https://getaktar.com/cli/docs/): Everything the aktar command does: install, connect to Aktar, every command and option, JSON output, exit codes, scripting recipes and troubleshooting.

## Features

- [Short links for your uploads, on your own domain](https://getaktar.com/features/short-links/): Give uploads clean URLs like files.example.com/A7kdP2x.png, or send them to your own Shlink, YOURLS, Kutt, Dub or Short.io. Free for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
- [Folders that upload themselves to your bucket](https://getaktar.com/features/watched-folders/): Aktar watches folders you pick and uploads every new file to your own S3, R2 or B2 bucket on its own: screenshots, exports, builds and downloads. Free for Mac and Windows.
- [Uploads that sort, replace and report themselves](https://getaktar.com/features/automation/): Send each kind of file to the right bucket, replace a file without changing its link, and run webhooks or scripts after every upload. Free for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
- [See every file in your bucket, not just photos](https://getaktar.com/features/thumbnails/): See real thumbnails for videos, PDFs, RAW photos and documents in your S3 or R2 bucket, and play videos without downloading them. Free for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
- [Scan a link, or scan your whole setup](https://getaktar.com/features/qr-codes/): Open any upload on your phone by scanning a QR code, and move an S3 or R2 destination with its keys to another device, encrypted with a transfer code. Free and open source.
- [Photos that leave lighter, and without their location](https://getaktar.com/features/image-processing/): Aktar removes GPS location from photos and videos before they reach your bucket, and can convert images to WebP or AVIF and resize them. Free for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
- [Uploads that delete themselves, and links that expire](https://getaktar.com/features/expiring-uploads/): Share files that delete themselves after 1 to 30 days, or links that expire in 5 minutes to 7 days, using your own S3 or R2 bucket's lifecycle rules and presigned URLs.

## Use cases

- [Upload files to S3 and get a link, in one drop](https://getaktar.com/s3-uploader/): Upload files to Amazon S3 or any S3-compatible bucket by dragging them onto the menu bar. Aktar copies the public link. Free and open source, no account.
- [Upload files to Cloudflare R2 from your desktop](https://getaktar.com/cloudflare-r2-uploader/): Upload files and screenshots to Cloudflare R2 by drag and drop, and get a link on your own domain. Free desktop app for Mac and Windows, no account needed.
- [Turn screenshots into links on your own storage](https://getaktar.com/screenshot-uploader/): Take a screenshot, press one shortcut, paste a link. Aktar uploads screenshots to your own S3, R2 or B2 bucket and copies the URL or Markdown. Free for Mac and Windows.
- [A simple S3 browser for Mac and Windows](https://getaktar.com/s3-browser/): A free S3 GUI client for Mac and Windows. Browse S3, R2, B2 and MinIO buckets, search, preview, rename, move and delete files, and copy public or temporary links.
- [Self-hosted file sharing, without running a server](https://getaktar.com/self-hosted-file-sharing/): Share files with links from your own S3, R2 or B2 bucket and your own domain. No server to run, no subscription, no third party holding your files. Free and open source.

## Object storage how-tos

- [How to make a Cloudflare R2 bucket public](https://getaktar.com/learn/make-cloudflare-r2-bucket-public/): Make files in a Cloudflare R2 bucket publicly readable with a custom domain or the r2.dev Public Development URL, and fix Access Denied errors on R2 links.
- [How to make an Amazon S3 bucket public](https://getaktar.com/learn/make-s3-bucket-public/): Allow public reads on an Amazon S3 bucket: turn off the right Block Public Access settings and add a GetObject bucket policy, or serve it privately through CloudFront.
- [How to use your own domain for bucket file links](https://getaktar.com/learn/custom-domain-for-bucket-links/): Serve files from Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2 or DigitalOcean Spaces on your own domain, like files.example.com, with HTTPS. Setup for each provider.
- [How to auto-delete files after a few days in S3, R2 and B2](https://getaktar.com/learn/auto-delete-files-with-lifecycle-rules/): Delete files automatically after a number of days in Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2 or Backblaze B2 with lifecycle rules. Dashboard steps, CLI commands and a prefix pattern.
- [How to upload Typora images to S3 or Cloudflare R2](https://getaktar.com/learn/upload-typora-images-to-s3/): Upload images you paste into Typora to your own Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2 or Backblaze B2 bucket automatically, with the aktar command as Typora's custom uploader.
- [How to share private S3 and R2 files with presigned URLs](https://getaktar.com/learn/share-private-files-with-presigned-urls/): Share a file from a private S3 or R2 bucket with a presigned URL that expires after up to 7 days. How presigned URLs work, CLI examples and their limits.

## FAQ

- [Is Aktar free?](https://getaktar.com/faq/is-aktar-free/): Yes. Aktar is free and open source under the MIT license. There is no subscription, no account and no upload limit on Aktar's side.
- [Is Aktar a good alternative to hosted screenshot and file sharing services?](https://getaktar.com/faq/self-hosted-alternative-to-file-sharing-services/): If you want to own your files and links, yes. Hosted services keep your files on their servers and your links on their domain. With Aktar, files live in your own bucket and links use your own domain.
- [What are the system requirements?](https://getaktar.com/faq/system-requirements/): A Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later, and an account with any S3-compatible storage provider.
- [Is there a Windows, iOS or Android version?](https://getaktar.com/faq/windows-ios-android/): Yes: Aktar is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on the Microsoft Store for Windows. The Android app is in review on Google Play.
- [How can I report a bug or contribute?](https://getaktar.com/faq/report-a-bug-or-contribute/): Open an issue or a pull request on GitHub. For security issues, please follow the security policy instead of opening a public issue.
- [Which storage providers does Aktar work with?](https://getaktar.com/faq/supported-storage-providers/): Any storage that speaks the Amazon S3 API. Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, DigitalOcean Spaces and MinIO have built-in presets, and everything else works through the "Other S3-Compatible" option.
- [How do I set up Aktar with Cloudflare R2?](https://getaktar.com/faq/cloudflare-r2-setup/): In Aktar's Settings › Destinations, choose Set Up Cloudflare R2…, create the API token Cloudflare offers and paste it. Aktar creates the bucket, turns on public links and saves the destination.
- [Does Aktar work with Wasabi, Hetzner or Scaleway?](https://getaktar.com/faq/wasabi-hetzner-scaleway/): Yes, through the "Other S3-Compatible" option. Enter the provider's S3 endpoint and region, your access keys, the bucket name and the public URL your files are served from.
- [What is the Public Base URL?](https://getaktar.com/faq/what-is-the-public-base-url/): It's the address your files are served from, such as a custom domain or CDN in front of your bucket (for example files.example.com). Aktar joins it with the object path to build the link it copies.
- [Can I use my own domain for the links?](https://getaktar.com/faq/custom-domain-for-links/): Yes. Point a domain at your bucket with your provider, then set it as the destination's Public Base URL. Every link Aktar copies will use it.
- [Can I use more than one bucket?](https://getaktar.com/faq/multiple-buckets-and-destinations/): Yes. Add as many destinations as you like, each with its own provider, bucket, keys, public URL and path template, and switch between them from the menu bar panel.
- [Can Aktar start automatically when I log in?](https://getaktar.com/faq/launch-at-login/): Yes. Turn on "Launch at login" in Settings → General and Aktar starts quietly in the menu bar whenever you sign in.
- [How do I turn a screenshot into a link instantly?](https://getaktar.com/faq/turn-a-screenshot-into-a-link/): Press ⌃⇧⌘4 to capture an area to your clipboard, then press ⌃⇧⌘U. Aktar uploads the screenshot and copies its link, ready to paste.
- [Can I upload without opening the app?](https://getaktar.com/faq/upload-without-opening-the-app/): Yes. Press ⌃⇧⌘U in any app and Aktar uploads what's on your clipboard: a file you copied in Finder or an image such as a screenshot. The link is copied as soon as the upload finishes.
- [Does the global shortcut need Accessibility or Input Monitoring permission?](https://getaktar.com/faq/global-shortcut-permissions/): No. It's registered as a standard macOS hotkey, so Aktar never watches your keystrokes and only reacts when you press that exact combination.
- [What gets copied to the clipboard after an upload?](https://getaktar.com/faq/what-gets-copied-after-upload/): Whatever you choose in Settings → Output: the plain URL, Markdown, HTML, or your own template. Images are copied as embeds, other files as regular links.
- [Can I control file names and folders in my bucket?](https://getaktar.com/faq/file-names-and-folders/): Yes. Every destination has an object path template. The default is {year}/{month}/{uuid}.{ext}, which gives unguessable names grouped by month.
- [Can I upload several files at once?](https://getaktar.com/faq/upload-multiple-files/): Yes. Drop several files on the panel or the library window, or select multiple files in the file picker. Each upload shows its own progress, and failed ones can be retried with one click.
- [Which file types can I upload? Are images compressed?](https://getaktar.com/faq/file-types-and-compression/): Any file type. Aktar uploads the original file unchanged, without compression or resizing, and sets the correct Content-Type so