shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Syncthing?

Open-source continuous file synchronization between your own devices - syncthing.net

Worth it. Buy if you're technical and want free, private device-to-device sync with no cloud middleman. Skip it if you want Dropbox-level simplicity, an iPhone in the mix, or someone to call when things break.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 40+ public sources; many snippets truncated, so depth is limited.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityCommunity forum only; no quality evidence
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Desktop / server

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Android (Google Play)Paid one-time
Managed hosting (Elestio)Varies

Best for

  • Self-hosters
  • Privacy-conscious multi-device users
  • Obsidian and note-sync users
  • Technical hobbyists

Not for

  • Non-technical users wanting Dropbox simplicity
  • iPhone-centric households and teams
  • Businesses needing vendor support or SLAs
  • IT managers wanting central admin of many users

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

iOS unsupported; syncing with an iPhone requires third-party workarounds

medium

Community forum is your only support; response times are unguaranteed

medium

Android is fragmented: official Play app costs money; free community forks exist

medium

Users report sync stalls; troubleshooting stuck folders eats time

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source; no subscriptions
  • Peer-to-peer: files sync device-to-device without any cloud server
  • Ranked as still the best peer-to-peer file sync tool
  • Users report it working impressively within minutes
  • Runs everywhere; managed hosting exists if self-hosting feels heavy

Cons

  • No native iOS app
  • First-time users flag setup and usability friction
  • Some long-time note-sync users gave up on it
  • Donation-funded: no vendor, no SLA, no support guarantees
  • Actively abused by hackers to exfiltrate stolen data

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 12 sources - 3 CVEs disclosed (most recent patched June 2023); no breach of the project itself, but malware operators abuse the tool for data exfiltration.

official x3review x7security x1news x1
  • CVE-2022-46165 — XSS in Web GUI, Medium-severity cross-site scripting in the web GUI, patched June 2023.
  • CVE-2017-1000420 — symlink file write, Older symlink vulnerability allowing file writes outside synced folders.
  • CVE-2021-21404, Low-severity vulnerability in syncthing; detail limited in sources.
  • Abused by threat actors, Ukraine warned hackers use Syncthing to move stolen data — abuse vector, not a product flaw.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free forever, donation-funded
  • Ease of use: 3/5. First-time usability critique documented by users
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Called best P2P sync tool; six strengths cited
  • Support quality. Community forum only; no quality evidence
  • Security posture: 3/5. Three CVEs; encrypted design but abuse-prone
  • 4.0/5 ProPrivacy rating Editorial review
  • $0 Price Open source, donation-funded
  • Yes Free tier Desktop and server fully free
  • 3 Known CVEs OpenCVE tracker; most recent patched 2023

Pricing

Desktop / server

$0

  • Full continuous sync
  • All desktop platforms
  • Open source

Android (Google Play)

Paid one-time

  • Official app funds development
  • Free fork: Syncthing-Fork

Managed hosting (Elestio)

Varies

  • Fully managed service
  • No self-hosting setup

Security

3 CVEs disclosed (most recent patched June 2023); no breach of the project itself, but malware operators abuse the tool for data exfiltration.

  • CVE-2022-46165 — XSS in Web GUIMedium-severity cross-site scripting in the web GUI, patched June 2023.⁷
  • CVE-2017-1000420 — symlink file writeOlder symlink vulnerability allowing file writes outside synced folders.
  • CVE-2021-21404Low-severity vulnerability in syncthing; detail limited in sources.
  • Abused by threat actorsUkraine warned hackers use Syncthing to move stolen data — abuse vector, not a product flaw.⁸

What users say

Users love the privacy and cross-device sync but consistently gripe about setup friction and no iOS support.

“After 5 minutes of use: Syncthing is amazing.”
Reddit, r/Syncthing
“Syncthing is a GAME CHANGER”
Reddit, r/SBCGaming
“I've been using Syncthing for about a year now”
Hacker News
Full analysis

Based on 40+ public sources; many snippets truncated, so depth is limited.

Free open-source P2P file sync. Brilliant for technical users; painful for iPhone owners and setup-averse users.

Methodology

Based on 40+ public sources; many snippets truncated, so depth is limited.

Sources

  1. Syncthing Review | Is it worth it? — ProPrivacyproprivacy.com
    review
  2. 6 reasons Syncthing is still the best P2P file sync tool — XDAxda-developers.com
    review
  3. After 5 minutes of use: Syncthing is amazing — Redditreddit.com
    review
  4. Just started using Syncthing with Obsidian — Redditreddit.com
    review
  5. First-time user usability review — Syncthing Forumforum.syncthing.net
    review
  6. Syncthing does not sync and is stuck — Syncthing Forumforum.syncthing.net
    review
  7. CVE-2022-46165 — NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  8. Ukraine says hackers abuse Syncthing — BleepingComputerbleepingcomputer.com
    news
  9. Donations — Syncthingsyncthing.net
    official
  10. Native iOS port / GUI — GitHub issuegithub.com
    official
  11. Fully Managed Syncthing as a Service — Elestioelest.io
    official
  12. Localized price complaint (Android app) — Redditreddit.com
    review

Rate this review

Anonymous. You can change your vote.

Loading votes…

Comments

One queue. No nested comments. Give a display name first. Limit: 200 words per comment and 7 comments per day. You can edit or delete yours.

Save a name to write a comment.

0 / 200 words

No comments yet.