Syncthing
Keeps folders in sync directly between your own devices.
Instead of Google Drive, OneDrive sync
Screenshot from syncthing.net, taken 2026-10-23, shown to help you recognise the tool. It belongs to its maker. Ask us to remove it.
Moving a folder between your own machines without it travelling through somebody else's building is Syncthing's whole idea. It copies changes between your own computers with no cloud in the middle, so it is the purest answer on this list to rented storage. On the desktop it is excellent and has been for years, and it runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Syncthing scores a 5 on footprint, lock-in and power, a 4 on longevity and delivery and a 2 on self-direction.
Self-direction is low because setup asks you to understand device IDs and folder sharing, and that is more than most people want.
On phones the official Android app was discontinued at the end of 2024, and the recommended community fork went through a messy change of maintainer, so Longevity takes a hit too.
- Syncs folders directly between your own devices, with no cloud in the middle
- Excellent on the desktop, rougher on phones
- Setup asks you to understand device IDs and folder sharing
What stands out
Do you make Syncthing? Get the badge for your site
This badge reports a dated review. It is not a certification and it costs nothing. Link it to this page and leave the numbers alone: the image always shows the current score.
For dark backgrounds, use syncthing-dark.svg in place of syncthing-light.svg.
Side by side. Syncthing vs Google Drive
For comparison, we also reviewed Google Drive (15/30) as a benchmark.
Other tools for “move files between my devices”
LocalSendSend files between any two devices on the same Wi-Fi.
CryptomatorEncrypts the files you keep in any cloud folder before they leave your device.
PairDropSend a file to a nearby device from the browser, with nothing to install.
NextcloudYour own file storage, calendar and contacts, on a server you choose.