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Syncthing vs Dropbox: catalog facts
Syncthing	Dropbox
Free Free software; the Syncthing Foundation is funded by donations. There is no storage cost…	Freemium A small free tier is available. More storage and features require a paid plan.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line, Self-hosted	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web
No central server: none of your data is stored anywhere except on your own computers All traffic is TLS encrypted with perfect forward secrecy, and every device is authenticated by certificate	The most mature and reliable sync engine, with clients everywhere Smart sync keeps large libraries usable on small disks
The official Android app was archived in December 2024; Android users rely on a community fork Both devices must be online at the same time for changes to move	The free tier is only a few gigabytes and caps linked devices Files are stored unencrypted from the provider's point of view
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Hosted service
Open source	Closed source
License: MPL-2.0	License not stated
No account needed	Account needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.