OpenCloud vs Syncthing
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
OpenCloud
Modern open-source file platform from ownCloud team
VS
Syncthing
Continuous peer-to-peer file synchronization
| Feature | OpenCloud | Syncthing |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,056 | ★ 88,884 |
| First released | 2025 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive | Dropbox, Resilio Sync |
What are OpenCloud and Syncthing?
OpenCloud
OpenCloud is a modern open-source file sync, share, and collaboration platform built on a microservice architecture. It targets organizations wanting a current, lightweight content collaboration server. It is deployed via Docker Compose.
- Microservice-based architecture
- Web-based collaboration
- Lightweight Go backend
- Compatible desktop clients
Syncthing
Syncthing is a continuous file synchronization program that syncs files between two or more devices directly, without a central server. It is ideal for individuals who want private, serverless sync across their own machines. It is distributed as a single binary and also runs well in Docker.
- Fully decentralized peer-to-peer sync
- TLS-encrypted transfers
- No cloud account required
- Cross-platform with mobile apps
OpenCloud vs Syncthing: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for OpenCloud versus MPL-2.0 for Syncthing. Syncthing is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for OpenCloud. Syncthing is the more established project (first released 2014), while OpenCloud arrived in 2025. Syncthing has the considerably larger community, at 88,884 GitHub stars versus 6,056.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenCloud if…
- Modern, fast codebase
- Lightweight footprint
- Permissively licensed
Watch out for
- Very new project
- Smaller ecosystem so far
Choose Syncthing if…
- No central server needed
- Very private by design
- Lightweight and reliable
Watch out for
- No web file browsing
- Not a sharing platform
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCloud or Syncthing better?
Syncthing is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OpenCloud if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are OpenCloud and Syncthing free and open-source?
Yes. OpenCloud is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Syncthing under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenCloud and Syncthing with Docker?
OpenCloud: yes. Syncthing: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, OpenCloud or Syncthing?
Syncthing has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for OpenCloud. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.