vdirsyncer vs Xandikos
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted calendar & contacts options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
vdirsyncer
Synchronize calendars and contacts via CalDAV/CardDAV
VS
Xandikos
Git-backed CalDAV and CardDAV server
| Feature | vdirsyncer | Xandikos |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Calendar & Contacts | Calendar & Contacts |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,859 | ★ 593 |
| First released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Replaces | iCloud sync | Google Calendar, iCloud |
Why pick each one
Choose vdirsyncer if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Xandikos if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is vdirsyncer or Xandikos better?
Neither is universally better. vdirsyncer has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are vdirsyncer and Xandikos free and open-source?
Yes. vdirsyncer is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Xandikos under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run vdirsyncer and Xandikos with Docker?
vdirsyncer: check the project docs for container support. Xandikos: yes.