Syncthing

Open-source alternative to Dropbox Sync and Resilio Sync. Continuous peer-to-peer file synchronization between your own devices without a central cloud.

One of the purest open-source wins: your folders simply stay in sync across your devices.

At a glance

ReplacesDropbox Sync, Resilio Sync
Open-source licenseMPL-2.0
PrivacyEncrypted direct device sync; no central file store or service account.
Lightweight signalSmall daemon and web UI run on desktops, servers, and low-power devices.
Community healthLarge, mature and highly trusted project
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, Android, BSD
Privacy advantage

Encrypted direct device sync; no central file store or service account.

Less bloat

Small daemon and web UI run on desktops, servers, and low-power devices.

Trust signal

Large, mature and highly trusted project. Verify current releases and open issues in the source repository before critical deployment.

Should you switch to Syncthing?

One of the purest open-source wins: your folders simply stay in sync across your devices. A successful migration starts with a small real project, not a feature checklist. Test the files, integrations, shortcuts, and collaboration steps you use every week before removing the existing tool.

Open source gives you inspectable code and a path away from vendor lock-in, but it does not eliminate tradeoffs. Support may be community-led, some commercial file formats may be imperfect, and self-hosted options require security updates and backups. Use the official website and source repository above to confirm current compatibility.

More cloud & self-hosting alternatives