10 top picks · 3 audience rankings
Best open source file sync and storage apps
The best open source file sync and storage app is Syncthing (MPL-2.0, 89,827 GitHub stars, Docker image). Puter stands out for its TypeScript codebase, and Nextcloud stands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (8,046).
This page also breaks the picks down by team size and use: Syncthing leads for startups, small business, enterprise and home use.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Syncthing
syncthing/syncthing
Syncthing is an open source peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool.
Active · last commit Oct 28, 2026
File Sync & StorageGoDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Syncthing has 89,827 GitHub stars, uses the MPL-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 244 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox.
- Rank 2:
Puter
HeyPuter/puter
Web-based operating system designed to be feature-rich, exceptionally fast, and highly extensible.
Active · last commit Oct 28, 2026
File Sync & StorageTypeScriptDockerStands out for its TypeScript codebase. Puter has 43,955 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,744 commits in the last year; it replaces Dropbox.
- Rank 3:
Nextcloud
nextcloud/server
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.
Active · last commit Oct 28, 2026
FeaturedFile Sync & StoragePHPStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (8,046). Nextcloud has 37,321 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 8,046 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox.
At a glance
Open source file sync and storage apps compared
Ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits across the 14 apps in the file sync & storage category. Projects with fewer than 12 commits in the last 12 months rank below every more active project.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syncthing | the most GitHub stars | MPL-2.0 | 89,827 | 244 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| Puter | its TypeScript codebase | AGPL-3.0 | 43,955 | 2,744 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| Nextcloud | the most commits in the last 12 months (8,046) | AGPL-3.0 | 37,321 | 8,046 | Oct 28, 2026 | No |
| Cloudreve | a published Docker image | GPL-3.0 | 28,894 | 111 | Oct 20, 2026 | Yes |
| ownCloud | the longest track record (since 2012) | AGPL-3.0 | 8,841 | 367 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| OpenCloud | – | Apache-2.0 | 6,242 | 2,015 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| Seafile | – | GPL-2.0 | 15,394 | 45 | Oct 16, 2026 | No |
| Sync-in | – | AGPL-3.0 | 1,943 | 834 | Oct 25, 2026 | Yes |
| Unison | – | GPL-3.0 | 5,557 | 98 | Sep 20, 2026 | No |
| Peergos | – | AGPL-3.0 | 2,543 | 1,318 | Oct 28, 2026 | No |
1 of 4 · 10 picks
Top picks
10 of the 14 apps in the file sync & storage category.
- 1
Syncthing
Syncthing is an open source peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool.
File Sync & StorageDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Syncthing has 89,827 GitHub stars, uses the MPL-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 244 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox.
- 2
Puter
Web-based operating system designed to be feature-rich, exceptionally fast, and highly extensible.
File Sync & StorageDockerStands out for its TypeScript codebase. Puter has 43,955 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,744 commits in the last year; it replaces Dropbox.
- 3
NextcloudFeatured
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.
File Sync & StorageStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (8,046). Nextcloud has 37,321 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 8,046 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox.
- 4
Cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage providers.
File Sync & StorageDockerStands out for a published Docker image. Cloudreve has 28,894 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 111 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox.
- 5
ownCloud
All-in-one solution for saving, synchronizing, viewing, editing and sharing files, calendars, address books and more.
File Sync & StorageDockerStands out for the longest track record (since 2012). ownCloud has 8,841 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 367 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox.
- 6
OpenCloud
File Sharing and Collaboration Platform.
File Sync & StorageDockerOpenCloud has 6,242 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,015 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive.
- 7
Seafile
File hosting and sharing solution primary for teams and organizations.
File Sync & StorageSeafile has 15,394 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license and had 45 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox.
- 8
Sync-in
File storage, syncing, sharing, and collaboration with real-time editing, permission management, and desktop/CLI clients.
File Sync & StorageDockerSync-in has 1,943 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 834 commits in the last year.
- 9
Unison
Unison is a file-synchronization tool for OSX, Unix, and Windows.
File Sync & StorageUnison has 5,557 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license and had 98 commits in the last year.
- 10
Peergos
Secure and private space online where you can store, share and view your photos, videos, music and documents. Also includes a calendar, news feed, task lists, chat and email client.
File Sync & StoragePeergos has 2,543 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 1,318 commits in the last year.
2 of 4 · 5 picks
Which open source file sync and storage app is best for startups?
For startups, Syncthing ranks first (MPL-2.0, 89,827 GitHub stars), followed by Puter and Cloudreve. Ranked for startups on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses, project websites and recent commits.
- 1
Syncthing
Syncthing is an open source peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool.
File Sync & StorageDockerSyncthing has 89,827 GitHub stars, uses the MPL-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 244 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.
- 2
Puter
Web-based operating system designed to be feature-rich, exceptionally fast, and highly extensible.
File Sync & StorageDockerPuter has 43,955 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,744 commits in the last year; it replaces Dropbox. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.
- 3
Cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage providers.
File Sync & StorageDockerCloudreve has 28,894 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 111 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.
- 4
NextcloudFeatured
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.
File Sync & StorageNextcloud has 37,321 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 8,046 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox. For startups it also scores on an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.
- 5
OpenCloud
File Sharing and Collaboration Platform.
File Sync & StorageDockerOpenCloud has 6,242 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,015 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, a permissive license (Apache-2.0), a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.
3 of 4 · 5 picks
Which open source file sync and storage app is best for small business and enterprise?
For small business and enterprise, Syncthing ranks first (MPL-2.0, 89,827 GitHub stars), followed by Puter and Nextcloud. Ranked for small business and enterprise (the same order for each) on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, open-source licenses and recent commits.
- 1
Syncthing
Syncthing is an open source peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool.
File Sync & StorageDockerSyncthing has 89,827 GitHub stars, uses the MPL-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 244 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox, and appsgit has a step-by-step deploy guide for it. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website, a commit in the last 90 days and an appsgit deploy guide.
- 2
Puter
Web-based operating system designed to be feature-rich, exceptionally fast, and highly extensible.
File Sync & StorageDockerPuter has 43,955 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,744 commits in the last year; it replaces Dropbox. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.
- 3
NextcloudFeatured
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.
File Sync & StorageNextcloud has 37,321 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 8,046 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox, and appsgit has a step-by-step deploy guide for it. For small business it also scores on an open-source license, a project website, a commit in the last 90 days and an appsgit deploy guide.
- 4
Cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage providers.
File Sync & StorageDockerCloudreve has 28,894 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 111 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.
- 5
ownCloud
All-in-one solution for saving, synchronizing, viewing, editing and sharing files, calendars, address books and more.
File Sync & StorageDockerownCloud has 8,841 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 367 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.
4 of 4 · 5 picks
Which open source file sync and storage app is best for home use?
For home use, Syncthing ranks first (MPL-2.0, 89,827 GitHub stars), followed by Puter and Cloudreve. Ranked for home use on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits.
- 1
Syncthing
Syncthing is an open source peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool.
File Sync & StorageDockerSyncthing has 89,827 GitHub stars, uses the MPL-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 244 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days.
- 2
Puter
Web-based operating system designed to be feature-rich, exceptionally fast, and highly extensible.
File Sync & StorageDockerPuter has 43,955 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,744 commits in the last year; it replaces Dropbox. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days.
- 3
Cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage providers.
File Sync & StorageDockerCloudreve has 28,894 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 111 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days.
- 4
NextcloudFeatured
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.
File Sync & StorageNextcloud has 37,321 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 8,046 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox. For home use it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days.
- 5
ownCloud
All-in-one solution for saving, synchronizing, viewing, editing and sharing files, calendars, address books and more.
File Sync & StorageDockerownCloud has 8,841 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 367 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days.
Is Syncthing free?
Yes. Syncthing is open-source software released under the MPL-2.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I self-host these file sync and storage apps with Docker?
Yes, 6 of the 10 picks. Syncthing, Puter and Cloudreve publish Docker images, so you can run them on a VPS or home server with Docker Compose. The others install from their own packages or source; follow each project's install guide.
Are all of these file sync and storage apps open source?
All 10 apps on this list are open source. You can self-host and modify each one under its license.
Which of these file sync and storage apps is the most actively developed?
Nextcloud, with 8,046 commits in the last 12 months and a latest release, v33.0.10, from October 2026. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits across the 14 apps in the file sync & storage category. Projects with fewer than 12 commits in the last 12 months rank below every more active project.
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