Top pick · highest health
Syncthing
Syncthing is an open source peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool.
★ 90k 52 commits / 90d ⟳ yesterday MPL-2.0 Docker
Category
Open source file transfer & synchronization
File transfer, sharing and synchronization software software. 20 self-hosted file transfer tools are listed here, ordered purely by a repository health score that Repoly recomputes nightly. Syncthing leads at 100/100 with 52 commits in the last 90 days and 90k stars, followed by Puter (99) and ownCloud (96). 11 of the 20 score 70 or above, 8 publish a Docker image, and the median health is 77. AGPL-3.0 is the most common licence, carried by 7 of them. Between them they stand in for Dropbox, Google Drive, Zoho, Microsoft Office 365 and SharePoint and 1 more proprietary products. The score weighs commits in the last 90 days, release recency, stars, archive status and Docker support; a low number means low measurable activity, not low quality, so a finished, stable tool can legitimately sit lower down.
updated Oct 2026 20 tools ★ 250k stars 8 with Docker median 77
Best for…
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Most starred
89,892 stars on GitHub, the largest community in the category.
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Most active
2,445 commits in the last 90 days, the fastest-moving codebase here.
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Most permissive
Apache-2.0 licence with health 95/100: the strongest option if you need to embed or fork commercially.
Ranked by health
Table view
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Puter
Web-based operating system designed to be feature-rich, exceptionally fast, and highly extensible.
★ 44k 1062 commits / 90d ⟳ today AGPL-3.0 Docker
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ownCloud
All-in-one solution for saving, synchronizing, viewing, editing and sharing files, calendars, address books and more.
★ 8.8k 94 commits / 90d ⟳ today AGPL-3.0 Docker
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OpenCloud
File Sharing and Collaboration Platform.
★ 6.3k 836 commits / 90d ⟳ today Apache-2.0 Docker
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Sync-in
File storage, syncing, sharing, and collaboration with real-time editing, permission management, and desktop/CLI clients.
★ 1.9k 270 commits / 90d ⟳ yesterday AGPL-3.0 Docker
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Nextcloud
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and [more](https://apps.nextcloud.com/) from any device, on your terms.
★ 37k 2445 commits / 90d ⟳ today AGPL-3.0
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Kinto
Minimalist JSON storage service with synchronisation and sharing abilities.
★ 4.4k 45 commits / 90d ⟳ today Apache-2.0
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Hoodik
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage server. Files are encrypted and decrypted in the browser, so the server only ever holds ciphertext. Runs on SQLite or PostgreSQL, stores chunks on local disk or any S3-compatible service.
★ 1.5k 22 commits / 90d ⟳ 8 days ago CC-BY-NC-4.0 Docker
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Pydio
Turn any web server into a powerful file management system and an alternative to mainstream cloud storage providers.
★ 2.3k 47 commits / 90d ⟳ yesterday AGPL-3.0
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bewCloud
File sharing + sync, notes, and photos (alternative to Nextcloud and ownCloud's RSS reader).
★ 1.2k 20 commits / 90d ⟳ 12 days ago AGPL-3.0 Docker
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Cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage providers.
★ 29k 9 commits / 90d ⟳ 10 days ago GPL-3.0 Docker
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Unison
Unison is a file-synchronization tool for OSX, Unix, and Windows.
★ 5.6k 10 commits / 90d ⟳ 1 month ago GPL-3.0
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Peergos
Secure and private space online where you can store, share and view your photos, videos, music and documents. Also includes a calendar, news feed, task lists, chat and email client.
★ 2.5k 579 commits / 90d ⟳ today AGPL-3.0
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Seafile
File hosting and sharing solution primary for teams and organizations.
★ 15k 8 commits / 90d ⟳ 14 days ago GPL-2.0
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FileRun
Complete solution for your files with integration with Google and Office.
★ 0 0 commits / 90d ⟳ unknown ⊘ Proprietary
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Git Annex
File synchronization between computers, servers, external drives.
★ 0 0 commits / 90d ⟳ unknown GPL-3.0
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Resilio Sync
Proprietary peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool.
★ 0 0 commits / 90d ⟳ unknown ⊘ Proprietary
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Samba
Samba is the standard Windows interoperability suite of programs for Linux and Unix. It provides secure, stable and fast file and print services for all clients using the SMB/CIFS protocol.
★ 0 0 commits / 90d ⟳ unknown GPL-3.0
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Yetishare
Powerful file hosting script with support for Amazon S3, Wasabi, Backblaze, local, direct and SFTP storage.
★ 0 0 commits / 90d ⟳ unknown ⊘ Proprietary
| # | ||||||
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| 1 | Syncthing Docker | 90k | 52 | MPL-2.0 | yesterday | |
| 2 | Puter Docker | 44k | 1062 | AGPL-3.0 | today | |
| 3 | ownCloud Docker | 8.8k | 94 | AGPL-3.0 | today | |
| 4 | OpenCloud Docker | 6.3k | 836 | Apache-2.0 | today | |
| 5 | Sync-in Docker | 1.9k | 270 | AGPL-3.0 | yesterday | |
| 6 | Nextcloud | 37k | 2445 | AGPL-3.0 | today | |
| 7 | Kinto | 4.4k | 45 | Apache-2.0 | today | |
| 8 | Hoodik Docker | 1.5k | 22 | CC-BY-NC-4.0 | 8 days ago | |
| 9 | Pydio | 2.3k | 47 | AGPL-3.0 | yesterday | |
| 10 | bewCloud Docker | 1.2k | 20 | AGPL-3.0 | 12 days ago | |
| 11 | Cloudreve Docker | 29k | 9 | GPL-3.0 | 10 days ago | |
| 12 | Unison | 5.6k | 10 | GPL-3.0 | 1 month ago | |
| 13 | Peergos | 2.5k | 579 | AGPL-3.0 | today | |
| 14 | Seafile | 15k | 8 | GPL-2.0 | 14 days ago | |
| 15 | FileRun | 0 | 0 | ⊘ Proprietary | unknown | |
| 16 | Git Annex | 0 | 0 | GPL-3.0 | unknown | |
| 17 | OpenSSH SFTP server | 0 | 0 | BSD-2-Clause | unknown | |
| 18 | Resilio Sync | 0 | 0 | ⊘ Proprietary | unknown | |
| 19 | Samba | 0 | 0 | GPL-3.0 | unknown | |
| 20 | Yetishare | 0 | 0 | ⊘ Proprietary | unknown |
How the file transfer tools compare
Syncthing edges Puter 100 to 99, and most of the difference is stars: 90k stars against 44k stars. Puter is the busier codebase, though, with 1,062 commits in 90 days to 52.
The most recent release is OpenCloud v9.0.0, published 3 days ago. Peergos 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, Go (4), PHP (4) and C (3) are the most common. Syncthing, OpenCloud, Kinto and 2 more are permissively licensed; Puter, ownCloud, Sync-in and 8 more are copyleft. Hoodik, FileRun, Resilio Sync and 1 more are source-available rather than open source, which limits commercial reuse. FileRun, Git Annex, OpenSSH SFTP server and 3 more are not hosted on a forge Repoly can read, so they have no measured score yet.
File Transfer & Synchronization: common questions
What is the best open source file transfer tool?
By Repoly's GitHub health score, Syncthing at 100/100 (52 commits in 90 days, v2.1.7 from 9 days ago). Puter is next at 99; Syncthing's lead comes mostly from stars. The score measures maintenance, not features, so shortlist the top few and try them.
Which file transfer tools are the most actively developed?
Nextcloud (2,445 commits in 90 days), Puter (1,062 commits in 90 days) and OpenCloud (836 commits in 90 days). Commit activity is 35 of the 100 health points, the largest single term.
Which file transfer tools can I run in Docker?
8 of 20 publish a Docker image or Compose file, led by Syncthing, Puter, ownCloud, OpenCloud, Sync-in and 3 more.
Which file transfer tools have a permissive licence?
5 of 20: Syncthing (MPL-2.0), OpenCloud (Apache-2.0), Kinto (Apache-2.0), Seafile (GPL-2.0), OpenSSH SFTP server (BSD-2-Clause). 11 are copyleft.
Which paid products can open source file transfer tools replace?
Dropbox (Syncthing ranks highest here), Google Drive (ownCloud ranks highest here), Zoho (Nextcloud ranks highest here), Microsoft Office 365 (Nextcloud ranks highest here) and SharePoint (Nextcloud ranks highest here), plus 1 more listed on the comparison pages.
