Alternatives to git-annex

A command-line tool that manages and syncs large files with git without storing their contents in git. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as git-annex.

  • Syncthing

    Keeps folders identical across your own machines, directly between them, with no cloud account in the middle.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand lineSelf-hosted

    Syncthing is open source and keeps folders in sync across your machines with a simpler setup, but does not track where content lives on offline drives.

  • Unison

    Synchronize two file collections while preserving changes from both sides.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Unison is GPL-3.0 open source and syncs two file collections both ways with a far gentler learning curve, but does not track content across many drives.

  • Rclone

    A command line tool that syncs, copies and mounts files across more than seventy cloud storage services.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    Rclone is MIT open source and syncs files to over seventy cloud services with checksums and encryption, but has no git integration or location tracking.

Also worth comparing

These listings name git-annex as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Resilio Sync

    Peer-to-peer file sync with no cloud server in the middle.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    git-annex tracks where large files live across drives and remotes with checksums and encryption, but it is command-line focused with a steep learning curve for non-git users.

  • Tahoe-LAFS

    A decentralized storage system that spreads encrypted files across multiple servers you control.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hostedCommand line

    git-annex tracks file content across many drives and special remotes with checksums and encryption, using git rather than a dedicated storage node network.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.