head to head · open source
Seafile vs Sync-in
Seafile has 15,254 GitHub stars, 1,677 forks, 94 open issues and last shipped 21 days ago. Sync-in has 1,769 stars, 136 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Seafile leads on adoption by 762% (15,254 vs 1,769 stars). Seafile is written in C under a custom or non-standard licence; Sync-in is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. Seafile has attracted 11% 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 2 topic tags (file-sharing, file-sync), 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.
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Side by side
| Seafile | Sync-in | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-08-28 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.7K | ⑂ 136 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Seafile if
- You weight community size — 15K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches C
- 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 Seafile
Seafile is an open source cloud storage system written in C and positioned as a self hosted alternative to Dropbox and Google Drive. It organizes files into libraries, each of which can be synced separately, encrypted with a user chosen password, and shared between users or groups. The project lives in the self hosted file sync and document management ecosystem, where it combines storage, collaboration, knowledge management, and metadata features.
read the full Seafile 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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Seafile or Sync-in more popular?
Seafile has 15,254 GitHub stars and Sync-in has 1,769. Seafile has the larger community by that measure.
Are Seafile and Sync-in free?
Both are open source. Seafile has no licence declared in this registry, and Sync-in is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Seafile and Sync-in?
Seafile is written in C 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, Seafile or Sync-in?
Choose Seafile if you want the larger community (15,254 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Sync-in if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.