# lsyncd vs Unison

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Unison

| Attribute | lsyncd | Unison |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 29.5 (32% (low)) | 37.9 (59% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 0 | 5 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 3 | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 6,067 | 5,528 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Lsyncd actively watches local file systems for modifications using filesystem event interfaces, then automatically copies those changes to remote systems. It supports rsync and rsync+ssh as synchronization protocols and offers customization through configuration files and Lua scripting. It is indexed under File Sync.","source":"https://lsyncd.github.io/lsyncd","question":"What is lsyncd?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"lsyncd is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the GPL-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://lsyncd.github.io/lsyncd","question":"Is lsyncd free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. lsyncd can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://lsyncd.github.io/lsyncd","question":"Can lsyncd be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. lsyncd is published under the GPL-2.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/lsyncd/lsyncd","question":"Is lsyncd open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"Unison is an open-source utility that maintains two replicas of files and directories across separate hosts or storage devices, automatically propagating non-conflicting changes while detecting conflicting updates. It works over internet connections including slow links, and allows offline access to already-synchronized data. It is indexed under File Sync.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"What is Unison?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Unison offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"Is Unison free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Unison supports Windows, macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"What platforms does Unison support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Unison can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"Can Unison be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Unison is published under the GPL-3.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison","question":"Is Unison open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Watches a local directory tree for changes using filesystem event notifications (inotify or fsevents) and efficiently synchronizes them to a remote target using rsync or SSH, without requiring block-level mirroring or filesystem modifications. | Unison maintains multiple copies of files and directories on different hosts or disks, automatically propagating non-conflicting changes between replicas. It detects conflicting updates, works offline after synchronization, and runs as a user-level program without requiring kernel modifications or elevated privileges. |
| features.capabilities | `{"pricing_model":"free_open_source","deployment_model":"self_hosted","peer_to_peer_p2p_network_routing":false,"block_level_delta_sync_transfer_speed":false}` | `{"pricing_model":"free_open_source","deployment_model":"self_hosted","peer_to_peer_p2p_network_routing":true,"self_hosted_linux_docker_deployment":true,"block_level_delta_sync_transfer_speed":true,"client_server_architecture_cloud_host":false,"version_history_and_conflict_resolution":true}` |
| language.primary | Lua | OCaml |
| license.spdx | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://lsyncd.github.io/lsyncd","retrievedAt":"2026-08-20T16:37:11.845Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://github.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-10-14T11:28:28.015Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 162 | 132 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/lsyncd/lsyncd/releases/tag/v2.3.1","date":"2022-11-17T02:10:40Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.3.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/lsyncd/lsyncd/releases/tag/v2.3.0","date":"2022-06-07T21:49:00Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.3.0"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.54.0","date":"2026-05-01T00:33:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.54.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.8","date":"2025-11-05T00:07:47Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.7","date":"2024-11-05T13:41:24Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.6","date":"2024-11-05T00:44:16Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.5","date":"2024-05-07T01:32:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.4","date":"2024-02-19T17:52:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.3","date":"2023-04-28T00:28:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.2","date":"2023-03-20T17:39:53Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.1","date":"2023-03-19T12:42:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.0","date":"2022-11-07T11:34:26Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.52.1","date":"2022-05-08T12:26:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.52.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.52.0","date":"2022-03-12T19:12:50Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.52.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.51.5","date":"2021-12-18T15:51:34Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.51.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.51.4","date":"2021-06-24T14:50:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.51.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.51.3","date":"2020-10-21T13:15:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.51.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.51.2","date":"2018-01-27T21:19:26Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.51.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.48.15v4","date":"2017-12-18T12:25:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.48.15v4"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.51.0","date":"2017-11-24T21:50:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.51.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/2.48.4","date":"2016-09-29T12:39:45Z","type":"stable","version":"2.48.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/2.48.3","date":"2016-09-29T12:37:20Z","type":"stable","version":"2.48.3"}]` |
| security.scorecard | - | 4.7 |
| security.trust_center | - | https://github.com/security |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=homebrew&package_name=lsyncd&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=openbsd&package_name=net%2Funison%2C-gui&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (File Sync)

| Capability | lsyncd | Unison |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Deployment model | Self hosted | Self hosted |
| Peer to peer p2p network routing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Client server architecture cloud host | - | ✗ |
| Block level delta sync transfer speed | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self hosted linux docker deployment | - | ✓ |
| Synology qnap nas hardware integration | - | - |
| Aws s3 azure blob external mounts | - | - |
| Active directory ldap identity sync | - | - |
| Version history and conflict resolution | - | ✓ |
| End to end encryption keys in transit | - | - |
| SOC2 type ii | - | - |
| ISO 27001 | - | - |
| Pricing model | Free open source | Free open source |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T20:10:43.471Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*