# rsync vs Syncthing

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Syncthing

| Attribute | rsync | Syncthing |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 49.4 (47% (low)) | 56 (58% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 27 | 16 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 267 | 175 |
| adoption.github_stars | 5,285 | 89,382 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"An open source command-line tool for efficiently synchronizing files and directories between systems. It uses the rsync algorithm to send only differences rather than complete copies, supporting multiple transport protocols (SSH, rsh, direct sockets) and can operate as both a client and server. It is indexed under File Sync.","source":"https://rsync.samba.org","question":"What is rsync?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"rsync is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://rsync.samba.org","question":"Is rsync free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"rsync supports Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://rsync.samba.org","question":"What platforms does rsync support?","confidence":0.6}]` | `[{"answer":"Syncthing automatically synchronizes files between multiple computers in real-time while encrypting all communication and storing data only on your own devices. It operates without central servers, giving you complete privacy and control over where your data is stored and who can access it. It is indexed under File Sync.","source":"https://syncthing.net","question":"What is Syncthing?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Syncthing is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MPL-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://syncthing.net","question":"Is Syncthing free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Syncthing supports the web, Windows, macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://syncthing.net","question":"What platforms does Syncthing support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Syncthing can be deployed on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://syncthing.net","question":"Can Syncthing be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Syncthing is published under the MPL-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing","question":"Is Syncthing open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Open-source command-line tool that synchronizes files between computers or locations using efficient delta transfer, available across Linux, BSD, macOS, and other Unix-like systems. | Syncthing automatically synchronizes files between multiple computers in real-time while encrypting all communication and storing data only on your own devices. It operates without central servers, giving you complete privacy and control over where your data is stored and who can access it. |
| features.capabilities | `{"pricing_model":"free_open_source","deployment_model":"self_hosted","block_level_delta_sync_transfer_speed":true}` | `{"pricing_model":"free_open_source","deployment_model":"p2p_client","peer_to_peer_p2p_network_routing":true,"aws_s3_azure_blob_external_mounts":false,"active_directory_ldap_identity_sync":false,"self_hosted_linux_docker_deployment":true,"client_server_architecture_cloud_host":false,"end_to_end_encryption_keys_in_transit":true}` |
| language.primary | C | Go |
| license.spdx | - | MPL-2.0 |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"android":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"web":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Open Source","description":"Freely available under GNU General Public License"}],"summary":"Free and open source (GNU GPL)","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://rsync.samba.org","retrievedAt":"2026-08-20T16:36:33.254Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","summary":"Free and open source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://syncthing.net","retrievedAt":"2026-08-21T12:45:46.864Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 30 | 7 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.5.1","date":"2026-09-21T04:10:18Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.5.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.5.0","date":"2026-08-13T00:30:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.4.4","date":"2026-06-08T04:59:28Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.4.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.4.3","date":"2026-05-20T00:16:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.4.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.4.2","date":"2026-04-28T04:50:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.4.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.4.1","date":"2025-01-15T21:06:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.4.0","date":"2025-01-14T19:39:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.4.0"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.7-rc.2","date":"2026-10-13T07:31:50Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.7-rc.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.7-rc.1","date":"2026-10-08T07:15:17Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.7-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.6","date":"2026-10-06T06:08:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.6-rc.4","date":"2026-09-30T07:55:44Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.6-rc.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.6-rc.3","date":"2026-09-22T13:13:35Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.6-rc.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.6-rc.1","date":"2026-09-15T12:18:28Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.6-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.5","date":"2026-09-08T07:35:00Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.4-rc.2","date":"2026-08-24T19:15:28Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.4-rc.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.4-rc.1","date":"2026-08-19T10:39:46Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.4-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.3","date":"2026-08-05T13:06:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.3-rc.3","date":"2026-08-03T22:03:26Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.3-rc.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.3-rc.2","date":"2026-07-28T06:32:24Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.3-rc.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.3-rc.1","date":"2026-07-21T05:03:07Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.3-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.2","date":"2026-07-08T13:43:41Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.2-rc.4","date":"2026-06-26T06:04:03Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.2-rc.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.2-rc.3","date":"2026-06-23T10:04:39Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.2-rc.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.2-rc.2","date":"2026-06-13T06:47:21Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.2-rc.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.2-rc.1","date":"2026-06-12T07:20:25Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.2-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.1","date":"2026-06-02T11:50:30Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/tag/v2.1.1-rc.1","date":"2026-05-25T13:35:09Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.1.1-rc.1"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | - | 5.8 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=homebrew&package_name=rsync&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":3,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fsyncthing%2Fsyncthing&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"HIGH"}` |

## Capabilities (File Sync)

| Capability | rsync | Syncthing |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Deployment model | Self hosted | P2p client |
| 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 2026-10-16T17:47:09.524Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*