Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Syncthing VS Insync

Compare Syncthing VS Insync and see what are their differences

Syncthing logo Syncthing

Syncthing replaces proprietary sync and cloud services with something open, trustworthy and...

Insync logo Insync

Meet the Insync team that made it possible for users to do more with Google Drive storage on your devices.
  • Syncthing Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-18
  • Insync Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-18

Syncthing features and specs

  • Open Source
    Syncthing is open-source software, making it free to use and allowing for community contributions. This fosters transparency and continuous improvement.
  • Privacy
    The software uses peer-to-peer communication, meaning your files are not stored on a third-party server, enhancing privacy and security.
  • Cross Platform
    Syncthing is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android, ensuring broad compatibility.
  • Real-time Sync
    The software offers real-time synchronization, which ensures that changes are immediately propagated across all devices, minimizing data inconsistencies.
  • Version Control
    Syncthing provides file versioning features, which can help recover older versions of files in case of accidental deletion or changes.

Possible disadvantages of Syncthing

  • Complex Setup
    Initial configuration and setup might be complex for users who are not technically inclined, requiring a certain level of understanding of network concepts.
  • Resource Usage
    Real-time syncing and continuous operation can consume significant system resources, affecting performance, especially on less powerful devices.
  • No Native Mobile Experience
    While Syncthing is available on Android, there is no official iOS app, which limits its usability for users on Apple's mobile platform.
  • Network Dependency
    Effective synchronization depends on the availability of a reliable network connection, which can be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity.
  • Self-Management
    Unlike cloud-based solutions, Syncthing requires users to handle their own backups, security, and maintenance, which can be time-consuming and complex.

Insync features and specs

  • Multi-account support
    Insync allows users to sync files across multiple Google Drive and OneDrive accounts, which is useful for people managing personal and professional accounts separately.
  • Cross-platform compatibility
    The software is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring that users can access their synced files regardless of the operating system they use.
  • Selective Sync
    Insync offers selective sync options, allowing users to choose specific files or folders to sync, saving bandwidth and storage space.
  • User-friendly interface
    The application features an easy-to-navigate interface, making setup and file management straightforward for users of varying technical skills.
  • Additional cloud storage integrations
    Besides Google Drive and OneDrive, Insync supports other cloud storage services, providing more flexibility and consolidation for file management.

Possible disadvantages of Insync

  • Cost
    Unlike native Google Drive and OneDrive clients, Insync is not free and requires a one-time purchase per account or a subscription, which might be a drawback for budget-conscious users.
  • Occasional sync issues
    Some users have reported intermittent issues with file synchronization, such as delays or conflicts, though these seem to be relatively uncommon.
  • Limited customer support
    Customer support is not available 24/7, and response times can be slow, which could be frustrating for users needing urgent assistance.
  • Resource usage
    The application can be resource-intensive, particularly for users running older hardware or dealing with large volumes of files.

Syncthing videos

Why We Use Syncthing, The Open Source Private File Syncing Tool instead of NextCloud

More videos:

  • Review - Setup and Review of SyncThing, The Open Source File synchronization tool
  • Review - Syncthing for Syncing Both Computers & Phones

Insync videos

Selectively Sync Google Drive Files on Linux using Insync

More videos:

  • Review - InSync - Year in Review 2018 | Highlights of the Year | APPSeCONNECT
  • Review - InSync: Best of 2015 - The Year in Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Syncthing and Insync)
Cloud Storage
98 98%
2% 2
File Sharing
100 100%
0% 0
Web Service Automation
0 0%
100% 100
File Sharing And Backup
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Syncthing and Insync

Syncthing Reviews

15 Best Rclone Alternatives 2022
With this tool, you can synchronize files between multiple computers without hassles. Syncthing is not very different from rclone as it also supports command-line functionality. Also, it’s a free and open source application with all source code available on GitHub.

Insync Reviews

  1. It will duplicate all your backups

    I have a PC which I have reformatted twice. In both occasions I backed up all my files which I then proceeded to restore. Upon re-installing and re-configuring Insync, I made the mistake of believing it would actually do its job and check and compare the local files and folders with the online ones, you know, as one would expect… or maybe I’m stupid and I just don’t get how syncing software should work. In any case, of course it did NOT check and compare anything because why would it? No Sir, it just went and uploaded EVERYTHING again to Google Drive so now I have duplicated files and folders all over the place because of course I do. It has been almost a year to the day since I first wrote to Insync about this, of course I received a very kind reply that was good for absolutely nothing, which I now clearly see because the exact same thing has happened again.

    Moral of the story: If it’s mission-critical, find another software of be ready to spend hours hoping to fix Insync’s poorly executed solution. And don’t expect them to do anything at all to fix the issue, EVER.


15 Best Rclone Alternatives 2022
Insync is a platform said to have syncing superpowers. The tool supports cloud selective sync, local selective sync, one-way sync, and more. With all these, you can create the perfect syncing workflow.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Syncthing seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 852 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Syncthing mentions (852)

  • KeepassDX – open-source Password Manager for Android
    Syncing the database between devices with Syncthing (https://syncthing.net/) is pretty neat too! - Source: Hacker News / 7 days ago
  • Syncthing File Sync for Self-Hosted Knowledge Systems
    Unlike cloud storage platforms, Syncthing uses a peer-to-peer model where each device holds its own copy of synced folders and exchanges changes directly with trusted peers. There is no central server that owns your data, no subscription account, and no vendor lock-in. The project is open-source and community-driven, with more details at syncthing.net. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • The Quiet Renovation at Bitwarden
    Been using this setup for many years and never had any problem at all. I sync between desktop and mobile with Syncthing[0]. And also you can configure Syncthing to do file versioning, and it has many options (Trash Can, Simple, Staggered or External file versioning) so if some weird conflict happens you'll never lose data. But honestly, I have never had any issues, and I have been running this setup for many... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Show HN: Stop paying for Dropbox/Google Drive, use your own S3 bucket instead
    Https://syncthing.net/ <- like this :) Free, opensource, works on computers and phones, can in most cases puncture nat, supports local discovery (lan, multicast). No googles, no dropboxes, no clouds, no AI training, no "my kid likes the wrong video on youtube, now our whole family lost access to every google account we had, so we lost everything, including family photos", just sync! (not affiliated, just really... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Seafile vs Syncthing: Server vs Peer-to-Peer
    Syncthing is a decentralized, peer-to-peer file sync tool. Devices connect directly to each other — no central server. It does one thing: keep folders in sync across devices. It does this exceptionally well, with block-level delta sync and strong encryption. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
View more

Insync mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Insync yet. Tracking of Insync recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Syncthing and Insync, you can also consider the following products

Dropbox - Online Sync and File Sharing

odrive - odrive aggregates all cloud storage. Access, sync, share, and encrypt everything in one place. Integrations to 20+ storage services, desktop sync, Linux support, placeholder files, zero-knowledge-encryption, web client, advanced sharing, and more!

Nextcloud - With Nextcloud enterprises host their own secure cloud solution for storage, collaboration & communication from any device, anywhere.

GoodSync - GoodSync provides highly reliable file backup and synchronization for both individuals and businesses.

FreeFileSync - FreeFileSync is a free open source data backup software that helps you synchronize files and folders on Windows, Linux and macOS.

Duplicati - Free backup software to store backups online with strong encryption. Works with FTP, SSH, WebDAV, OneDrive, Amazon S3, Google Drive and many others.