ownCloud vs Syncthing (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Syncthing grades higher than ownCloud: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
ownCloud grades higher on platforms. Syncthing grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick ownCloud if
- Fits if you have someone who can run a server and want files on your own hardware
- Works for an organisation that needs unlimited users on Community
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server: you host and update it yourself
- Skip it if you need support, as Community has the forum only
- Watch out: Enterprise and Standard start at 25 users with a yearly commitment
- Watch out: no price is published for Enterprise, Standard or ownCloud Online
Pick Syncthing if
- Fits if you want folders in step between your own computers with no cloud provider involved
- Works for people with a home server who want a desktop's folders copied to it
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want your files on your iPhone, as there are no plans for an official iOS app
- Not for you if you want a cloud copy, since files live only on your own devices
- Not for you if a command-line program with a browser settings page sounds like hard work
- Watch out: devices swap files only when both are online at the same time
- Watch out: there are no sharing links, and help is a community forum unless you pay Kastelo, a separate company
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAownCloudFair | 2.6GPASyncthingGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CCommunity is free but self-managed, which needs a server and counts as a C. Paid editions are quoted. | AFree software with no paid plans at all, where the rest of this category charges around $5 a month for ever. The project lives on donations, and if you want somebody to call, a separate company, Kastelo, sells commercial support. |
| Free plan and trial | BCommunity is free with unlimited users, and there are 30-day and 14-day trials of paid editions. | AFree outright on every operating system it supports, source code and all, with no paid tier above it holding anything back and no account to make in the first place. |
| Features | CFile sync and sharing with apps, but Community lacks the support and features of Enterprise. | CIt does its one job completely: continuous sync of as many folders as you like, over encrypted and authenticated connections, at home or across the internet. But that one job is smaller than this category's. There's no cloud copy, no sharing links, and devices swap files only when both are online. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and update the server yourself unless you buy ownCloud Online. No store rating on record. | DWhat you download is a command-line daemon you configure through a page in your browser, on every machine, with tray icons and file-browser integration as separate downloads. Devices do pair by ID with no network fiddling, but this is not install and go. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, and 5 integrations listed. No Linux client is listed. | CComputers only: Mac, Windows, Linux and several BSD systems. No phone apps are listed and the team says it has no plans to support iOS officially, so your photos and your phone are out of the picture. |
| Best for | self-hosted file sync for IT teams | syncing your own computers with no cloud |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ownCloud and Syncthing. How we grade
Where they differ
- ownCloud is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- ownCloud also covers file sharing.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSOpen sourceFile sync
At a glance
| ownCloud | Syncthing | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | Not published | Free |
| Free plan | Community edition: free, open source and self-managed, with unlimited users and community forum support only. | Syncthing is free software with no paid plans. The project's servers and development grants are funded by donations. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of the Enterprise features; 14-day trial of ownCloud Online | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ownCloud GmbH | The Syncthing Foundation |
| Price read from | owncloud.com | syncthing.net |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ownCloud
- Prices for Enterprise, Standard and ownCloud Online are not published; the page gives only a figure from EUR 1.85 per user per year for large or education deployments.
- The Community edition has no customer support beyond the forum.
- Enterprise and Standard start at 25 users with a yearly commitment.
- You run and update the server yourself unless you buy ownCloud Online.
Syncthing
- There is no cloud storage: files live only on your devices, and devices exchange data only when they are online at the same time.
- The Syncthing team says it has no plans to officially support iOS; a separate open source iOS app incorporates Syncthing.
- The base download is a command-line daemon with a web interface. Tray icons and file browser integration come from separate downloads.
- Support is through the community forum; commercial support is sold by a separate company, Kastelo.
Key features
ownCloud
- Self-hosted file sync and share
- The server runs on your own infrastructure, with desktop apps for Finder or Explorer and mobile apps for Android and iOS.
- Open source core
- The Community edition is 100% open source and has no user cap; Enterprise adds a commercial license for core and enterprise modules.
- Hosted option in Germany
- ownCloud Online hosts storage in Germany, with 180 days of file recovery, multi-factor authentication and guest accounts.
- Office editing integrations
- The site lists Collabora Online, ONLYOFFICE and Microsoft 365 integrations for editing documents in the browser.
- Enterprise support
- Paid editions include a customer portal and email support with a stated 2-hour reaction time.
Syncthing
- Continuous synchronization
- Folders are kept in sync between two or more computers in real time. You can sync as many folders as you need, with other people or only between your own devices.
- No central server
- Data is never stored anywhere other than on your own computers, so there is no cloud account or third-party server holding the files.
- Encrypted, authenticated connections
- All communication is secured with TLS and perfect forward secrecy. Each device has a cryptographic certificate, and only devices you explicitly allow can connect.
- Browser-based interface
- Syncthing is configured and monitored through a responsive web interface served by the program and opened in a browser.
- Works over LAN and Internet
- Devices find each other by ID without IP addresses or advanced configuration. UPnP is used where available, and relays carry traffic when no direct connection is possible.
- Open protocol and source
- The sync protocol is a documented specification and all source code is public, with development and bug reports open for anyone to read.
Plans
ownCloud
Community$0
Self-managed on your own server, unlimited users, community apps and forum. No customer support.
EnterpriseCustom
From 25 users, yearly commitment, 12x5 phone and email support with 2-hour reaction, pro app features. No price published.
StandardCustom
From 25 users, on-premises, yearly commitment, 9x5 email support with 2-hour reaction. Contact sales; no price published.
ownCloud OnlineCustom
Hosted in Germany. 1,000 GB for teams from 5 users, 500 GB for 1 to 4 users. The page shows no prices.
Syncthing
SyncthingFree
The full program for every supported operating system, with source code available on GitHub.
Ways to pay less
ownCloud
- Education
Special pricing for large and education deployments
ownCloud quotes individual pricing for large deployments and educational institutions, starting at EUR 1.85 per user per year.
Syncthing
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ownCloud or Syncthing?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ownCloud publishes no starting price, and Syncthing is free.
Which has a free plan, ownCloud or Syncthing?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both ownCloud and Syncthing have a free plan.
Which platforms do ownCloud and Syncthing run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only ownCloud lists a web app and iOS and Android apps and only Syncthing lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.