Syncthing 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.
Syncthing
Continuous peer-to-peer file synchronization
VS
elFinder
Web file manager with a desktop-style interface
| Feature | Syncthing | elFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MPL-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 88,884 | ★ 4,804 |
| First released | 2014 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Resilio Sync | Google Drive, Dropbox |
What are Syncthing and elFinder?
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
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 vs elFinder: key differences
Syncthing is written in Go, while elFinder is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Syncthing versus BSD-3-Clause for elFinder. ElFinder is the more established project (first released 2010), while Syncthing arrived in 2014. Syncthing has the considerably larger community, at 88,884 GitHub stars versus 4,804. Syncthing lists first-class Docker deployment; elFinder does not.
Why pick each one
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
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Syncthing or elFinder better?
Syncthing is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider elFinder if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Syncthing and elFinder free and open-source?
Yes. Syncthing 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 and elFinder with Docker?
Syncthing: yes. elFinder: check the project docs for container support.