AgenDAV vs EteSync
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted calendar & contacts options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
EteSync
End-to-end encrypted sync for contacts and calendars
| Feature | AgenDAV | EteSync |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 20 · At risk |
| Category | Calendar & Contacts | Calendar & Contacts |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 825 | ★ 1,770 |
| First released | 2011 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Google Calendar | Google Calendar, iCloud |
What are AgenDAV and EteSync?
AgenDAV
AgenDAV is a CalDAV web client that lets users manage and share calendars stored on a CalDAV server. It provides a responsive Ajax interface with drag-and-drop event editing.
- CalDAV web frontend
- Drag-and-drop event editing
- Calendar sharing
EteSync
EteSync is a secure, end-to-end encrypted, and journaled solution for syncing contacts, calendars, and tasks. Data is encrypted on the client so the server never sees plaintext.
- End-to-end encryption
- Journaled change history
- Android and iOS apps
AgenDAV vs EteSync: key differences
AgenDAV is written in PHP, while EteSync is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for AgenDAV versus AGPL-3.0 for EteSync. AgenDAV is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for EteSync. AgenDAV is the more established project (first released 2011), while EteSync arrived in 2017. EteSync has the considerably larger community, at 1,770 GitHub stars versus 825.
Why pick each one
Choose AgenDAV if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose EteSync if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is AgenDAV or EteSync better?
Neither is universally better. EteSync has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AgenDAV and EteSync free and open-source?
Yes. AgenDAV is licensed under GPL-3.0 and EteSync under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AgenDAV and EteSync with Docker?
AgenDAV: yes. EteSync: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, AgenDAV or EteSync?
AgenDAV has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for EteSync. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.