head to head · open source
Files vs syncthing-macos
Files has 46,513 GitHub stars, 3,015 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped yesterday. syncthing-macos has 4,005 stars, 206 forks, 45 open issues and last shipped 16 days ago. Files leads on adoption by 1,061% (46,513 vs 4,005 stars). Files is written in C# under MIT; syncthing-macos is written in Objective-C under MIT. Files has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, syncthing-macos 5%. Files was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Files | syncthing-macos | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 47K | ★ 4.0K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | C# | Objective-C |
| Last push | 2026-11-06 | 2026-10-22 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 206 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Files if
- You weight community size — 47K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick syncthing-macos if
- You want the syncthing-macos feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Objective-C
- You evaluated both and syncthing-macos fits your workflow better
About Files
Files is a modern file manager that helps users organize their files and folders. Our mission with Files is to build the best file manager for Windows, and we’re proud to be building it out in the open so everyone can participate. User feedback helps shape the features we work on, & the bug reports on GitHub help to make Files more reliable. Built and maintained by the open source community, Files features robust multitasking experiences, file tags, deep integrations, and an intuitive design. Installing and running Files Files is a community driven project that depends on your support to grow and improve. Please…
read the full Files overview →
About syncthing-macos
Syncthing for macOS [!NOTE] Syncthing v2 is the supported version since 23 february 2026. It needs at least macOS 12. Syncthing v1 is deprecated and will not get any updates or bugfixes. For version compatibility see README.md macos version support. Introduction syncthing macos project is a frugal native) macOS Syncthing tray application bundle. It bundles its own Syncthing instance and wraps Syncthing background process, making it behave more like a native macOS application and less like a command line utility with a web browser interface. Features include: Open the Syncthing WebGUI from the tray in your system…
read the full syncthing-macos overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Files or syncthing-macos more popular?
Files has 46,513 GitHub stars and syncthing-macos has 4,005. Files has the larger community by that measure.
Are Files and syncthing-macos free?
Both are open source. Files is licensed under MIT and syncthing-macos under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Files and syncthing-macos?
Files is written in C# and syncthing-macos in Objective-C. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Files or syncthing-macos?
Choose Files if you want the larger community (46,513 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose syncthing-macos if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.