EteSync vs Horde Kronolith
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
VS
Horde Kronolith
Calendar application from the Horde groupware suite
| Feature | EteSync | Horde Kronolith |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 20 · At risk | 69 · Good |
| Category | Calendar & Contacts | Calendar & Contacts |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,770 | ★ 10 |
| First released | 2017 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Google Calendar, iCloud | Google Calendar, Exchange |
What are EteSync and Horde Kronolith?
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
Horde Kronolith
Kronolith is the calendar component of the Horde groupware framework. It provides shared calendars, event management, and supports CalDAV synchronization with desktop and mobile clients.
- Part of Horde groupware
- Shared calendar support
- CalDAV synchronization
EteSync vs Horde Kronolith: key differences
EteSync is written in Python, while Horde Kronolith is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for EteSync versus GPL-2.0 for Horde Kronolith. Horde Kronolith is the more established project (first released 2003), while EteSync arrived in 2017. EteSync has the considerably larger community, at 1,770 GitHub stars versus 10. EteSync lists first-class Docker deployment; Horde Kronolith does not.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Horde Kronolith if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is EteSync or Horde Kronolith better?
EteSync is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Horde Kronolith if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are EteSync and Horde Kronolith free and open-source?
Yes. EteSync is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Horde Kronolith under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EteSync and Horde Kronolith with Docker?
EteSync: yes. Horde Kronolith: check the project docs for container support.