# Syncthing

> Syncthing (89k stars, v2.1.6 Oct 2026) keeps folders in sync directly between two or more of your devices over an encrypted, documented protocol; nothing is uploaded to a cloud, so devices must be online at the same time. Per folder file versioning keeps old copies. MPL-2.0, single binary for Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD and more. It is not a Dropbox replacement for sharing: there are no public share links or web file manager. The official Android app was archived in Dec 2024 and there is no official iOS app.

- Repository: https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing
- Official docs: https://docs.syncthing.net/
- Checked: 2026-10-16

## What it replaces
- Dropbox: Desktop folder sync across devices, File version history and recovery (partial). Device-to-device sync with versioning only; no share links, web access or cloud copy.

## Facts, with sources

| Question | Status | Answer | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on my machine? | Confirmed | Yes, runs on each of your devices; no server or cloud | https://docs.syncthing.net/users/faq.html | 2026-10-16 |
| Code licence | Partial | MPL-2.0 (file-level copyleft) | https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing#license | 2026-10-16 |
| Model weights licence | Confirmed | No separate model weights | https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing#readme | 2026-10-16 |
| Commercial use | Confirmed | Yes; MPL-2.0 allows commercial use, changes to MPL files must stay open | https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing#license | 2026-10-16 |
| Paid services needed? | Confirmed | None; no paid tier or cloud service involved | https://docs.syncthing.net/users/faq.html | 2026-10-16 |
| Hardware | Unknown | Not documented | none found | - |
| Operating systems | Confirmed | Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD and more; no official iOS app, official Android app archived | https://syncthing.net/downloads/ | 2026-10-16 |
| Setup effort | Confirmed | Easy; download the binary or a distro package, then pair devices in the web GUI | https://docs.syncthing.net/intro/getting-started.html | 2026-10-16 |

GitHub: 89436 stars, 5527 forks, last push 2026-10-13, archived: no.
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Source: RepoQuarry (https://repoquarry.dev/projects/syncthing). Data licence: CC BY 4.0. Quotes are from project documentation and belong to their authors.