head to head · open source
syncthing vs Nextcloud
syncthing has 90,019 GitHub stars, 5,584 forks, 388 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Nextcloud has 37,396 stars, 5,334 forks, 3,657 open issues and last shipped yesterday. syncthing leads on adoption by 141% (90,019 vs 37,396 stars). syncthing is written in Go under MPL-2.0; Nextcloud is written in PHP under AGPL-3.0. syncthing has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Nextcloud 14%. Nextcloud 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
| syncthing | Nextcloud | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 90K | ★ 37K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.6K | ⑂ 5.3K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick syncthing if
- You weight community size — 90K stars and counting
- You want the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Nextcloud if
- You want the Nextcloud feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and Nextcloud fits your workflow better
About syncthing
[![Syncthing][14]][15] Goals Syncthing is a continuous file synchronization program . It synchronizes files between two or more computers. We strive to fulfill the goals below. The goals are listed in order of importance, the most important ones first. This is the summary version of the goal list for more commentary, see the full [Goals document][13]. Syncthing should be: 1. Safe From Data Loss Protecting the user's data is paramount. We take every reasonable precaution to avoid corrupting the user's files. 2. Secure Against Attackers Again, protecting the user's data is paramount. Regardless of our other goals…
read the full syncthing overview →
About Nextcloud
Nextcloud Server ☁ A safe home for all your data. Why is this so awesome? 🤩 📁 Access your Data You can store your files, contacts, calendars, and more on a server of your choosing. 🔄 Sync your Data You keep your files, contacts, calendars, and more synchronized amongst your devices. 🙌 Share your Data …by giving others access to the stuff you want them to see or to collaborate with. 🚀 Expandable with hundreds of Apps ...like Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Video Chat and all those you can discover in our App Store 🔒 Security with our encryption mechanisms, HackerOne bounty program and two factor authentication…
read the full Nextcloud overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is syncthing or Nextcloud more popular?
syncthing has 90,019 GitHub stars and Nextcloud has 37,396. syncthing has the larger community by that measure.
Are syncthing and Nextcloud free?
Both are open source. syncthing is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Nextcloud under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between syncthing and Nextcloud?
syncthing is written in Go and Nextcloud in PHP. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, syncthing or Nextcloud?
Choose syncthing if you want the larger community (90,019 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose Nextcloud if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.