Alternatives to Syncthing

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

  • Resilio Sync

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

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Resilio Sync also syncs directly between devices with official Android and iOS apps, but it is closed source, so its protocol and crypto cannot be audited.

  • Unison

    Synchronize two file collections while preserving changes from both sides.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Unison is a GPL-3.0 tool that reconciles two file collections with changes on both sides, but it runs on demand rather than as continuous real-time sync.

  • Nextcloud

    A file sync and collaboration server you run yourself, with desktop and mobile clients that behave like Dropbox.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSSelf-hostedWeb

    Nextcloud replaces device-to-device sync with a self-hosted server and clients for all platforms including iOS, so you must maintain the server's updates and backups.

  • Seafile

    Self-hosted file sync and share with optional client-side encryption.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSSelf-hosted

    Seafile uses a self-hosted server with block-level sync, iOS and Android clients and optional per-library encryption, but requires a database and careful upgrades.

  • GoodSync

    Block-level file sync and backup with versioning and many back ends.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    GoodSync adds block-level sync with versioning across many back ends and mobile apps, but it is a paid, closed-source product instead of free MPL-2.0 software.

  • Dropbox

    The original file sync service, with clients on every platform.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSWeb

    Dropbox stores files in its cloud so devices need not be online together, but it is closed source and the free tier caps storage and linked devices.

  • git-annex

    A command-line tool that manages and syncs large files with git without storing their contents in git.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxCommand line

    git-annex manages large files across drives with checksums, encryption and an assistant mode for folder syncing, but it has a steep learning curve and is command-line focused.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Syncthing as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • FolderSync

    A folder sync app for Android and desktop that works with over 20 cloud providers.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroid

    Syncthing is free and open source and syncs folders directly between devices with no cloud, but the official Android app was archived and a community fork is needed.

  • FreeFileSync

    Compares two folders, shows exactly what differs, and copies only what changed.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Syncthing keeps folders in continuous real-time sync directly between your own machines with versioning, rather than running saved comparison jobs, and both devices must be online.

  • Lsyncd

    A live syncing daemon that watches local directories and mirrors changes to remote targets with rsync.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxCommand line

    Syncthing offers real-time continuous two-way sync with versioning and TLS encryption on every desktop platform, configured per folder and per device.

  • Mutagen

    Open-source tool for real-time file sync and network forwarding between local machines and remote containers.

    FreeOpen sourceCommand line

    Syncthing keeps folders in continuous two-way sync with versioning and conflict handling, aimed at general devices rather than code in remote containers.

  • Möbius Sync

    Third-party iOS app that brings Syncthing file synchronization to iPhone and iPad.

    FreemiumProprietaryiOS

    Syncthing is the upstream open-source project that Möbius Sync builds on, running on Windows, macOS, Linux and BSD rather than on iPhone or iPad.

  • osync

    Two-way file synchronization script built on rsync with fault tolerance and near real-time sync.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxCommand line

    Syncthing replaces rsync scripts with continuous two-way sync, TLS encryption and versioning across Windows, macOS, Linux and BSD, but both devices must be online.

  • Synology Drive

    A file sync and sharing package for Synology NAS devices, with desktop and mobile clients.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOSWebSelf-hosted

    Syncthing keeps folders identical across your own machines directly with no server at all, but both devices must be online at once and Android relies on a community fork.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.