Cloudreve vs Syncthing
| Tagline | Multi-storage cloud file management system with sharing, sync, and a web UI | Continuous peer-to-peer file synchronization between your own devices |
| Category | File Storage & Sync | File Storage & Sync |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive, Box | Dropbox, Google Drive |
| GitHub stars | 28k | 85k |
| Language | Docker | Go |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Self-host difficulty | 2/5 Easy | 2/5 Easy |
| Deploy options | Docker Manual | Docker Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | 5 days ago | 2 days ago |
| View repo | View repo |
Where each falls short
The honest trade-offs — what you give up with each, versus the proprietary tools they replace.
Cloudreve
- No native desktop sync client; relies on WebDAV or manual uploads
- Collaborative document editing (Google Docs equivalent) is absent
- Mobile apps are community-maintained and not officially supported
- Advanced team/enterprise features like audit logs and granular permissions are limited
Syncthing
- Pure peer-to-peer sync: no cloud copy, so files only exist where a device is online (no always-available server unless you run one)
- No web file browser, sharing links, or per-file access control like Dropbox
- No built-in versioning UI beyond simple file versioning options
- Not designed for multi-user team sharing; it's device-to-device for one owner
Bottom line
Both are a similar lift to self-host; choose Syncthing for the larger community and ecosystem. Syncthing has seen more recent development. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.
Cloudreve
Multi-storage cloud file management system with sharing, sync, and a web UI