Top pick · highest health
Syncthing
Syncthing is an open source peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool.
DockerGodeb
File Transfer & Synchronization
Open source alternatives to Dropbox
We track 7 open-source Dropbox alternatives, of which 5 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 3 ship a Docker image. Syncthing leads on health at 100/100 with 52 commits in the last 90 days; across all 7 projects you are choosing between AGPL-3.0, Apache-2.0, GPL-2.0 and 4 other licences.
updated Oct 2026 7 alternatives best health 100 ★ 214k combined 2,870 commits / 90d 3 with Docker
Top picks to replace Dropbox
Showing 7 of 7 tools
All 7 Dropbox alternatives, ranked by health
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ownCloud
All-in-one solution for saving, synchronizing, viewing, editing and sharing files, calendars, address books and more.
DockerPHPdeb -
copyparty
Portable file server with accelerated resumable uploads, deduplication, WebDAV, FTP, zeroconf, media indexer, video thumbnails, audio transcoding, and write-only folders, in a single file with no mandatory dependencies.
Python -
Nextcloud
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and [more](https://apps.nextcloud.com/) from any device, on your terms.
PHPdeb -
Filestash
Web file manager that lets you manage your data anywhere it is located: FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Git, S3, Minio, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Docker -
Seafile
File hosting and sharing solution primary for teams and organizations.
C -
FileRun
Complete solution for your files with integration with Google and Office.
PHP
Dropbox alternatives compared
Syncthing edges ownCloud 100 to 96, and most of the difference is stars: 90k stars against 8.8k stars. ownCloud is the busier codebase, though, with 94 commits in 90 days to 52.
The most recent release is Syncthing v2.1.7, published 9 days ago. Filestash publishes no tagged releases, which costs up to 25 of the 100 points. Seafile scores under 40, so check recent activity before adopting it. By stack, PHP (3), C (1) and Go (1) are the most common. Syncthing, copyparty and Seafile are permissively licensed; ownCloud, Nextcloud and Filestash are copyleft. FileRun is source-available rather than open source, which limits commercial reuse. FileRun is not hosted on a forge Repoly can read, so it has no measured score yet.
| Tool | Health | Stars | Licence | Last commit | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syncthing Steady at 100 since 11 Sep | 100 | 90k | MPL-2.0 | yesterday | Yes |
| ownCloud Steady at 96 since 11 Sep | 96 | 8.8k | AGPL-3.0 | today | Yes |
| copyparty Steady at 89 since 11 Sep | 89 | 47k | MIT | 9 days ago | No |
| Nextcloud Steady at 88 since 11 Sep | 88 | 37k | AGPL-3.0 | today | No |
| Filestash Steady at 72 since 11 Sep, no tagged release | 72 | 15k | AGPL-3.0 | yesterday | Yes |
| Seafile | 36 | 15k | GPL-2.0 | 14 days ago | No |
| FileRun | 10 | 0 | ⊘ Proprietary | unknown | No |
Dropbox alternatives: common questions
What is the most maintained open source alternative to Dropbox?
Syncthing scores highest at 100/100, with 52 commits in the last 90 days, 90k stars on GitHub and its latest release (v2.1.7) published 9 days ago. Nextcloud has the most raw commit activity at 2445 commits in 90 days.
Which Dropbox alternatives use a permissive licence?
3 of 7 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): Syncthing (MPL-2.0), copyparty (MIT), Seafile (GPL-2.0). 3 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
Which Dropbox alternatives run in Docker?
3 of 7 publish a Docker image or Compose file: Syncthing, ownCloud, Filestash. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.
Is Syncthing or ownCloud the better Dropbox alternative?
On measured health Syncthing leads, 100 to 96. Syncthing has 52 commits in 90 days, 90k stars and v2.1.7 from 9 days ago; ownCloud has 94 commits in 90 days, 8.8k stars and v10.16.6 from 24 days ago. Syncthing is ahead or level on every term Repoly measures.
Are the Dropbox alternatives still maintained?
5 of the 6 measured options score 70 or above. Every measured option had commits in the last 90 days. Seafile scores under 40.
What languages are the Dropbox alternatives written in?
PHP: ownCloud, Nextcloud and FileRun. C: Seafile. Go: Syncthing. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.
