head to head · open source
PairDrop vs Sync-in
PairDrop has 11,422 GitHub stars, 691 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. Sync-in has 1,769 stars, 136 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. PairDrop leads on adoption by 546% (11,422 vs 1,769 stars). PairDrop is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0; Sync-in is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. PairDrop has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Sync-in 8%. Sync-in was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (file-sharing), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| PairDrop | Sync-in | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 11K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-04-22 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 691 | ⑂ 136 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick PairDrop if
- You weight community size — 11K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Sync-in if
- You want the Sync-in feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Sync-in fits your workflow better
About PairDrop
PairDrop is open source JavaScript web app for file sharing. It lives in browser PWA ecosystem, using WebRTC, WebSockets, IndexedDB, Node.js. It is fork of Snapdrop. It is inspired by Apple AirDrop. It is listed as Productivity & Utilities / File Management & Sync. License is GPL 3.0. GitHub metadata lists 11390 stars and 690 forks.
read the full PairDrop overview →
About Sync-in
Sync in is a self hosted platform for file storage, synchronization, and team collaboration. It lives in the self hosted file management ecosystem, alongside homelab, on premise, and cloud alternative use cases. The project is written in TypeScript and licensed under AGPL 3.0.
read the full Sync-in overview →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More File Management & Sync projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the File Management & Sync field.
Frequently asked questions
Is PairDrop or Sync-in more popular?
PairDrop has 11,422 GitHub stars and Sync-in has 1,769. PairDrop has the larger community by that measure.
Are PairDrop and Sync-in free?
Both are open source. PairDrop is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Sync-in under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PairDrop and Sync-in?
PairDrop is written in JavaScript and Sync-in in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, PairDrop or Sync-in?
Choose PairDrop if you want the larger community (11,422 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Sync-in if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.