PrivacyTools.io
Reviewed by Gabriel Bachmann
Syncthing logo

Syncthing

syncthing.net
4.3 (6)

Synchronizes files between two or more computers in real time, safely protected from prying eyes. Your data is your data alone and you deserve to choose where it is stored, whether it is shared with some third party, and how it’s transmitted over the internet.

Threat level
Hardened

A hardened pick. Worth the effort once you have chosen to shrink your footprint on purpose. Enough for most people. Threat levels

Screenshot of the Syncthing website
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Our take

Continuous file sync between your own devices with no cloud and no account anywhere in the middle, which is exactly what you want if a third-party server is the thing you are trying to avoid. The trade is setup and topology: you connect devices yourself, both ends need to be online to sync, and there is no provider to fall back on. Excellent for people who want to own their sync entirely; not for those expecting cloud-style always-available access from anywhere.

MPL-2.0 gop2ppeer-to-peersynchronization
Stars
90,053
+231 this week
Forks
5,576
1,055 watching
Last commit
today
healthy
Latest release
v2.1.7
13d ago, 100+ total
Star history
Issues
94% closed
381
open
5,616
closed
+27 / -17
opened / closed, last 4 weeks
Opened vs closed, last 12 weeks
Commits, last 26 weeks
136 commits, active 25 of 26 weeks
351 contributors since Nov 2013
Languages
  • Go 84.6%
  • HTML 7.1%
  • JavaScript 5.6%
  • Other 2.7%
Updated daily from the GitHub API. Star tracking since Jun 10, 2026.
Website at a glance
syncthing.net
D score 30
Weak website security headers
Graded by Mozilla HTTP Observatory, tested today

Measures the security configuration of the tool's own website, not the privacy of the product itself. A strong tool can still score low here.

Syncthing alternatives

Syncthing license, in plain English
MPL-2.0
Weak copyleft

Use it freely, even commercially. Changes to the project's own files must stay open, but you can combine it with closed-source code.

Permits

  • Commercial use
  • Modification
  • Distribution
  • Patent use
  • Private use

Requires

  • Disclose source of modified files
  • Same license on those files
  • License and copyright notice

Does not provide

  • Trademark use
  • Liability cover
  • Warranty

Why it matters: Weak copyleft protects the project's own files: improvements to them stay open, while the code can still sit alongside closed-source software.

Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.