head to head · open source
syncthing vs xplorer
syncthing has 90,166 GitHub stars, 5,579 forks, 388 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. xplorer has 5,696 stars, 383 forks, 49 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. syncthing leads on adoption by 1,483% (90,166 vs 5,696 stars). syncthing is written in Go under MPL-2.0; xplorer is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. syncthing has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, xplorer 7%. 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 | xplorer | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 90K | ★ 5.7K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-05 | 2026-06-25 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.6K | ⑂ 383 |
| 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 xplorer if
- You want the xplorer 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 xplorer 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 xplorer
Xplorer A modern, AI powered file manager built with Rust and React. Cross platform. AI integrated. Extensible. One app for all your files. Website Documentation Discussions Why Xplorer? Most file managers haven't changed in decades. Xplorer is a ground up rethink: a Tauri 2 desktop app with a Rust backend for speed and a React frontend for flexibility. It ships with AI chat, Git integration, an extension marketplace, and themeable UI out of the box. Note: This is the next branch a full rewrite using Tauri 2, React 18, and a new extension system. Not yet production ready, but actively developed. Feedback…
read the full xplorer overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is syncthing or xplorer more popular?
syncthing has 90,166 GitHub stars and xplorer has 5,696. syncthing has the larger community by that measure.
Are syncthing and xplorer free?
Both are open source. syncthing is licensed under MPL-2.0 and xplorer under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between syncthing and xplorer?
syncthing is written in Go and xplorer 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 xplorer?
Choose syncthing if you want the larger community (90,166 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose xplorer if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.