head to head · open source
syncthing vs Palmr
syncthing has 90,414 GitHub stars, 5,590 forks, 388 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Palmr has 2,396 stars, 107 forks, 1 open issues and last shipped 28 days ago. syncthing leads on adoption by 3,674% (90,414 vs 2,396 stars). syncthing is written in Go under MPL-2.0; Palmr is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. syncthing has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Palmr 4%. syncthing 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 | Palmr | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 90K | ★ 2.4K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-10 | 2026-10-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.6K | ⑂ 107 |
| 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 Palmr if
- You want the Palmr feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Palmr 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 Palmr
⚠️ Project Archived After deep reflection, I have decided to focus my limited time and energy on my other projects. As a solo developer, I have struggled to actively maintain multiple projects with the care and attention they deserve. Without enough sponsors, it became unfeasible to maintain Palmr. If you are interested in continuing this work through a fork, I will be happy to add a link to it here in the README. We thank all the contributors and users who have supported Palmr over time! 🌴 Palmr. Open Source File Transfer Palmr. is a flexible and open source alternative to file transfer services like…
read the full Palmr overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is syncthing or Palmr more popular?
syncthing has 90,414 GitHub stars and Palmr has 2,396. syncthing has the larger community by that measure.
Are syncthing and Palmr free?
Both are open source. syncthing is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Palmr under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between syncthing and Palmr?
syncthing is written in Go and Palmr 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, syncthing or Palmr?
Choose syncthing if you want the larger community (90,414 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose Palmr if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.