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Self-Hosting Syncthing: Decentralized File Sync

Syncthing syncs files between devices without a central server. Peer-to-peer, encrypted, and open source.

syncthingfilessyncdecentralized

What Is Syncthing?


Syncthing synchronizes files between two or more devices in real time. Unlike Dropbox or Google Drive, there's no central cloud server — devices talk directly to each other.


How It's Different


Traditional Cloud Sync (Dropbox)

Device → Cloud Server → Other Device

  • Files stored on third-party servers
  • Monthly storage fees
  • Privacy concerns

    • Syncthing

    Device ↔ Device

  • Direct peer-to-peer sync
  • Files never touch a third-party server
  • Free, no storage limits
  • End-to-end encrypted

    • Use Cases


    Multi-Device Sync

    Keep files in sync across laptop, desktop, and phone. Changes on one device appear on all others.


    Backup to Server

    Sync your important folders to a TinyPod server. The server keeps a copy even when your devices are off.


    Team File Sharing

    Share folders with team members. Everyone has the latest version.


    Phone Photo Backup

    Automatically sync photos from your phone to your server.


    Features


    Versioning

    Syncthing can keep old versions of files:

  • Simple: Keep previous versions in a .stversions folder
  • Staggered: Keep versions at decreasing intervals (hourly → daily → weekly)
  • External: Call an external command for custom versioning

    • Selective Sync

    Ignore specific files or folders with .stignore patterns.


    Conflict Resolution

    When two devices modify the same file, Syncthing keeps both versions and flags the conflict.


    Web UI

    Manage everything through a browser-based interface.


    Syncthing + TinyPod


    Run Syncthing on your TinyPod server as an always-on sync node:

    1. Deploy Syncthing on TinyPod

    2. Install Syncthing on your devices

    3. Connect devices by exchanging device IDs

    4. Select folders to sync

    5. Files sync automatically


    The TinyPod server acts as an always-available peer — when your laptop syncs files, the server receives them immediately. When your other devices come online, they sync from the server.


    Resources: 1 CPU, 512 MB RAM. Storage scales with synced data.