SHSelfHostIndex

Syncthing Android Wrapper vs elFinder

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
SY Syncthing Android Wrapper Archived Official Android client for Syncthing sync VS EL elFinder Web file manager with a desktop-style interface
FeatureSyncthing Android WrapperelFinder
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectRead-the-docs project
Health score15 · At risk87 · Excellent
StatusArchivedActively maintained
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseMPL-2.0BSD-3-Clause
LanguageJavaJavaScript
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentbinarybare-metal
GitHub stars★ 4,283★ 4,804
First released20152010
ReplacesDropbox, Google PhotosGoogle Drive, Dropbox

What are Syncthing Android Wrapper and elFinder?

Syncthing Android Wrapper

The official Syncthing Android app embeds the Syncthing core to provide continuous peer-to-peer file synchronization on mobile devices. It syncs photos and documents without any central server.

  • Mobile peer-to-peer sync
  • Photo backup folders
  • No central server
  • Encrypted transfers

elFinder

elFinder is an open-source web file manager with a user interface inspired by the macOS Finder. It supports multiple storage backends, drag and drop, and image editing.

  • macOS Finder-style UI
  • Multiple storage backends
  • Built-in image editor

Syncthing Android Wrapper vs elFinder: key differences

The biggest difference is maintenance: Syncthing Android Wrapper's repository is archived and no longer developed, while elFinder is actively maintained. Syncthing Android Wrapper is written in Java, while elFinder is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Syncthing Android Wrapper versus BSD-3-Clause for elFinder. ElFinder is the more established project (first released 2010), while Syncthing Android Wrapper arrived in 2015.

Why pick each one

Choose Syncthing Android Wrapper if…

  • Released under the MPL-2.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Active community (4.3k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Java
Syncthing Android Wrapper details

Choose elFinder if…

  • Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
  • Active community (4.8k GitHub stars)
  • Written in JavaScript
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
elFinder details

Frequently asked questions

Is Syncthing Android Wrapper or elFinder better?

Neither is universally better. elFinder has the larger community, while Syncthing Android Wrapper is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Syncthing Android Wrapper and elFinder free and open-source?

Yes. Syncthing Android Wrapper is licensed under MPL-2.0 and elFinder under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Syncthing Android Wrapper and elFinder with Docker?

Syncthing Android Wrapper: check the project docs for container support. elFinder: check the project docs for container support.

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