Dropbox vs. Syncthing
Side by side, with sources. Checked Oct 3, 2026.
Price
Basic is free with 2 GB and up to 3 devices. Plus (2 TB) and team plans are paid; prices depend on your country. From Japan the plans page shows Plus at ¥1,200 a month billed yearly.from ¥1,200/monthSource: dropbox.com
Free open-source software with no paid plans; the project is funded by donations.Source: syncthing.net
Pricing model
Paid plans · Free plan available
Open source · Free plan available
License
ProprietaryA proprietary cloud service and apps under Dropbox’s terms of service.
Open source · MPL-2.0Mozilla Public License 2.0.
Works on
- ✓ Windows
- ✓ Mac
- ✓ Linux
- ✓ iPhone & iPad
- ✓ Android
- ✓ Web browser
- ✓ Windows
- ✓ Mac
- ✓ Linux
- – iPhone & iPad
- – Android
- – Web browser
Where your data lives
On Dropbox’s servers, protected in transit and at rest.
Only on your own devices; there is no central server.
Getting started
—
Difficulty: Medium Installers and apps exist, but you must pair every device by exchanging device IDs, and with no cloud copy, devices only sync with each other.
Hosted version
—
NoneThere is no cloud service by design: your data is only ever stored on your own devices.
Our take
Ideal if you never want files on someone else’s server. It syncs devices you pair rather than sharing links, and devices must be online together.
Best for
Devices you own
Keeping a laptop, desktop and home server in step without a subscription.
Check first
Phones and sharing
There is no official phone app, and it is not built for sending files to other people.