UploadKit vs UploadThing

UploadThing and UploadKit solve the same problem in a similar way: you declare upload routes on the server, and the client gets typed components that talk to them. If you already use UploadThing, the API will feel familiar, which is also why people ask how the two differ.

The differences are mostly about pricing model and storage. UploadThing bills for the storage you use and does not charge for bandwidth. UploadKit has fixed plans with monthly bandwidth and upload limits, a larger component library, and a self-hosted path where files go to your own S3-compatible bucket.

Sources (checked October 2026): UploadThing pricing, UploadThing usage-based pricing post, UploadThing on GitHub. Vendors change prices; confirm on their site before you decide.

• You serve a lot of downloads

  UploadThing does not charge for bandwidth, only for storage used. If your files are downloaded heavily, the 2 GB monthly bandwidth on UploadKit Free will run out quickly, and even Pro caps at 200 GB.

• You want pure pay-for-storage billing

  Usage-based billing from $25/mo with unlimited uploads and downloads is easy to reason about if your storage grows predictably.

• You are already on it and happy

  If UploadThing covers your needs and the bill is fine, migrating has a cost with no payoff. Switch only for a concrete reason.

• You want a bigger free tier

  UploadKit Free includes 5 GB of storage against 2 GB on UploadThing Free, plus 2 GB of monthly bandwidth and 1,000 uploads a month.

• You want files in your own bucket

  Self-hosted BYOS sends files to your S3, R2 or MinIO bucket through a storage adapter, with the same components on the frontend.

• You want a larger component set

  The React package ships 40+ components (button, dropzone, modal, progress and more) under MIT, so you restyle instead of building from scratch.

• You want a lower entry paid plan

  Pro is $15/mo for 100 GB storage, 200 GB bandwidth and 512 MB files. Compare that with your actual usage; UploadThing’s $10/mo tier also includes 100 GB.

Both SDKs use a server-side file router, so most of the migration is renaming imports, translating route definitions and swapping the client components. The step-by-step guide covers the route mapping, environment variables and the components to replace.

The quickest check is to install the packages next to your current setup and port one route first. This is the button component from the Next.js quickstart:

npm install @uploadkitdev/next @uploadkitdev/react

import { UploadButton } from '@uploadkitdev/react';

export default function ProfilePage() {
  return (
    <UploadButton
      route="imageUploader"
      onUploadComplete={(files) => {
        console.log('Files uploaded:', files.map((f) => f.url));
      }}
      onUploadError={(error) => {
        alert(`Upload failed: ${error.message}`);
      }}
    />
  );
}

The button needs an upload route and a provider; the Next.js quickstart walks through both. Read the migration guide: UploadThing to UploadKit.