Best Syncthing Alternatives for Teams and Businesses

Why Look for a Syncthing Alternative?

Syncthing does one thing well: it syncs files directly between your devices without touching any third-party servers. Your data never leaves hardware you control. For privacy-conscious users, that matters.

The architecture creates trade-offs that become deal-breakers for many teams:

Both devices must be online simultaneously. If you edit a file on your laptop at a coffee shop, your desktop at home won't receive that update until both machines are powered on and connected at the same time. For remote teams across time zones, this creates constant sync gaps.

No central backup. P2P sync means files exist only on your devices. If your laptop dies and your desktop is offline, that file is gone. There's no cloud copy waiting for recovery.

Technical setup complexity. Firewalls, NAT traversal, and device discovery require configuration. Non-technical users struggle with initial setup and troubleshooting.

Limited sharing options. Sharing a folder with an external client requires them to install Syncthing and manage cryptographic keys. That's fine for technical collaborators, but impractical for sending files to clients who just need a download link.

If any of these friction points affect your workflow, alternatives exist that preserve Syncthing's strengths while addressing its limitations.

What is Better Than Syncthing?

The answer depends on what problem you're solving. Syncthing works well for private, local sync between devices you control. If that's your only need, nothing is "better." Syncthing does exactly what it's designed to do.

But most users searching for alternatives hit one of these walls:

• "I need my files accessible even when my computer is off." Cloud-based solutions keep files available 24/7.
• "I need to share files with clients who won't install software." Link-based sharing eliminates friction.
• "I want sync without thinking about device online status." Centralized storage removes the P2P coordination problem.
• "I need an admin dashboard and user management." Enterprise features require commercial tools.

The best Syncthing alternative is the one that solves your specific problem without adding unnecessary complexity.

Resilio Sync: The Fastest P2P Alternative

Resilio Sync (formerly BitTorrent Sync) is the closest direct competitor to Syncthing. Both use peer-to-peer technology to transfer files without a central server.

How Resilio differs: It uses the BitTorrent protocol, which splits files into chunks and downloads from multiple peers simultaneously. For large files, this is often faster than Syncthing, especially over Wide Area Networks where latency matters.

What you gain:

• Faster transfer speeds for multi-gigabyte files
• Selective sync (choose which folders to download)
• Better mobile apps
• Encrypted folders for zero-knowledge privacy

What you trade off:

• Proprietary software (Syncthing is open source)
• Paid tiers for team features (Syncthing is completely free)
• Same "both devices must be online" limitation as Syncthing

Best for: Power users who want P2P privacy but need faster speeds for massive files and don't mind paying for a commercial product.

Pricing: Free for personal use. Business licenses start at $60/user/year with volume discounts.

Nextcloud: The Self-Hosted Cloud

Nextcloud takes a different approach entirely. Instead of syncing between peers, it gives you a personal cloud server. Files live on your server permanently, and devices sync to that central hub.

The architecture shift matters: Your laptop doesn't need your desktop to be online. Both sync to the Nextcloud server. Edit a file on your phone at midnight, and your desktop downloads it when you power on in the morning.

What you gain:

• Files accessible when any single device is offline
• Web interface for access from any browser
• Collaboration features (calendar, contacts, document editing)
• Full control over your data location

What you trade off:

• You must run and maintain a server
• Security responsibility falls entirely on you
• Performance depends on your server resources
• 10+ hours/month in maintenance for most deployments

Best for: Technical users with existing server infrastructure who want complete control and are comfortable with Linux administration.

If you're considering Nextcloud, read our self-hosted file sharing guide for an honest look at total cost of ownership.

Fast.io: Cloud Speed Without Cloud Complexity

Fast.io sits between self-controlled storage and managed cloud services. It connects to storage you already own (S3, Backblaze B2, Google Cloud Storage) and adds a team-friendly interface on top.

Why this matters for Syncthing users: You keep ownership of your data. Files live in your cloud bucket, not on a vendor's servers. But you get the "always available" access of cloud storage without running your own servers.

What you gain:

• Files accessible 24/7, even when all devices are offline
• Branded portals for client delivery
• Team workspaces with fine-grained permissions
• No server maintenance required
• Usage-based pricing (not per-seat)

Key differences from Syncthing:

Best for: Teams and agencies who need reliable file sharing with clients, want cloud convenience, but don't want their files stored on a vendor's servers.

Google Drive and Dropbox: The Mainstream Options

Sometimes the best Syncthing alternative is the obvious one. Google Drive and Dropbox started as sync tools but now offer full collaboration features.

When these make sense:

• Your team already uses Google Workspace or Microsoft 365
• Real-time document collaboration matters more than file sync
• Sharing with non-technical recipients is your primary need
• You don't have strong data sovereignty requirements

Why Syncthing users often reject them:

• Files live on Google's or Dropbox's servers (no data ownership)
• Per-seat pricing gets expensive ($15-20/user/month for business tiers)
• Privacy concerns with major tech platforms
• Sync conflicts when multiple people edit offline

The cost comparison: A 25-person team on Dropbox Business pays roughly $450/month. The same team on Fast.io with 5TB of storage pays around $60/month, since Fast.io uses usage-based pricing rather than per-seat licensing.

For teams where cost or data ownership matters, comparing cloud storage options helps clarify the trade-offs.

LocalSend: The Simple LAN Transfer Tool

If you only use Syncthing for quick file transfers between devices on the same Wi-Fi network, LocalSend might be all you need.

What LocalSend does: It discovers devices on your local network and sends files directly, similar to AirDrop. Works across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Open source and completely free.

What it doesn't do:

• No folder sync (it's one-time transfers only)
• No sync status or versioning
• No cloud connectivity
• No remote access

Best for: Quick, ad-hoc transfers between devices in the same room. Not a replacement for ongoing folder synchronization.

Syncthing vs Alternatives: Complete Comparison

Here's how the main alternatives stack up against Syncthing's core capabilities:

The takeaway: If you use Syncthing for data ownership and privacy, Resilio Sync and Nextcloud keep that control. If "devices must be online together" is your main problem, you need a centralized solution.

Choosing the Right Syncthing Alternative

Start with your primary frustration:

"I'm tired of both devices needing to be online." Move to a centralized architecture. Nextcloud if you want full self-hosting. Fast.io if you want managed infrastructure with your own storage.

"I need faster transfers for large files." Resilio Sync uses BitTorrent chunking that outperforms Syncthing on large files over WAN connections.

"I need to share files with clients who won't install software." Fast.io or Dropbox. Both offer link-based sharing where recipients just click to download.

"I want open source and community development." Stick with Syncthing or move to Nextcloud. Both are open source with active communities.

"I need enterprise features but hate per-seat pricing." Fast.io includes team management, permissions, and audit logs with usage-based pricing. A 100-person team costs the same as a 10-person team using similar storage.

For teams evaluating secure file sharing solutions, the architecture choice (P2P vs centralized) often matters more than individual feature comparisons.