Pydio Cells vs Syncthing-Fork
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Pydio Cells | Syncthing-Fork |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,252 | ★ 2,894 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Box, Google Drive | Dropbox, Google Drive |
What are Pydio Cells and Syncthing-Fork?
Pydio Cells
Pydio Cells is a content collaboration platform for organizations, offering file sharing, workspaces, and access controls. It is designed for teams and enterprises needing governed document collaboration. It is deployed via Docker or native binaries.
- Workspace-based collaboration
- Granular access control
- Built-in search and metadata
- Mobile and desktop clients
Syncthing-Fork
Syncthing-Fork is a maintained Android wrapper around the Syncthing core that provides a polished mobile experience for continuous, peer-to-peer file synchronization. It adds battery-aware scheduling and per-folder controls on top of the Syncthing engine.
- Battery-aware sync scheduling
- Per-folder run conditions
- Wi-Fi and charging triggers
- Open peer-to-peer protocol
Pydio Cells vs Syncthing-Fork: key differences
Pydio Cells is written in Go, while Syncthing-Fork is built with Java. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Pydio Cells versus MPL-2.0 for Syncthing-Fork. Syncthing-Fork is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Pydio Cells. Pydio Cells lists first-class Docker deployment; Syncthing-Fork does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Pydio Cells if…
- Strong enterprise features
- Modern Go codebase
- Good access governance
Watch out for
- Heavier than simple tools
- Smaller community
Choose Syncthing-Fork if…
- Actively maintained
- No central server needed
Watch out for
- Android only
- Initial setup can be fiddly
Frequently asked questions
Is Pydio Cells or Syncthing-Fork better?
Syncthing-Fork is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Pydio Cells if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Pydio Cells and Syncthing-Fork free and open-source?
Yes. Pydio Cells is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Syncthing-Fork under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pydio Cells and Syncthing-Fork with Docker?
Pydio Cells: yes. Syncthing-Fork: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Pydio Cells or Syncthing-Fork?
Syncthing-Fork has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Pydio Cells. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.