SHSelfHostIndex

Syncthing vs WebDAV Server Go

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?
Syncthing Continuous peer-to-peer file synchronization VS WE WebDAV Server Go Lightweight standalone WebDAV file server
FeatureSyncthingWebDAV Server Go
Deploy effort≈5-minute setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score100 · Excellent90 · Excellent
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseMPL-2.0MIT
LanguageGoGo
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM128 MB64 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, bare-metaldocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 88,884★ 5,877
First released20142017
ReplacesDropbox, Resilio SyncDropbox

What are Syncthing and WebDAV Server Go?

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

Read the full Syncthing guide →

WebDAV Server Go

A lightweight standalone WebDAV server that exposes a directory tree for syncing with WebDAV-capable clients. It is useful as a minimal sync backend for many file managers and apps.

  • Standalone WebDAV
  • Per-user permissions
  • Minimal backend
  • Cross-platform clients

Syncthing vs WebDAV Server Go: key differences

Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Syncthing versus MIT for WebDAV Server Go. WebDAV Server Go is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Syncthing. Syncthing is the more established project (first released 2014), while WebDAV Server Go arrived in 2017. Syncthing has the considerably larger community, at 88,884 GitHub stars versus 5,877.

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
Syncthing details

Choose WebDAV Server Go if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Mature project with 5.9k GitHub stars
WebDAV Server Go details

Frequently asked questions

Is Syncthing or WebDAV Server Go better?

Neither is universally better. Syncthing has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Syncthing and WebDAV Server Go free and open-source?

Yes. Syncthing is licensed under MPL-2.0 and WebDAV Server Go under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Syncthing and WebDAV Server Go with Docker?

Syncthing: yes. WebDAV Server Go: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, Syncthing or WebDAV Server Go?

WebDAV Server Go has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Syncthing. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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