Overview

Google Drive

Stacks84.2K

Followers70.4K

Votes2.1K

Syncthing

Stacks48

Followers78

Votes2

GitHub Stars77.3K

Forks4.8K

Google Drive vs Syncthing: What are the differences?

Introduction

Google Drive and Syncthing are both file synchronization and cloud storage services, but they have some significant differences in their features and functionality. This Markdown code provides a detailed comparison of key differences between Google Drive and Syncthing.

User Interface: Google Drive offers a user-friendly web interface and dedicated mobile apps for easy navigation and file management. In contrast, Syncthing primarily operates through a command-line interface or a lightweight web interface, which requires more technical proficiency to use effectively.
Storage Location: Google Drive stores files on its cloud servers, providing convenient access from any device with an internet connection. Syncthing, on the other hand, uses a peer-to-peer network and allows users to synchronize files directly between their devices, eliminating the need for a centralized storage solution.
File Sharing and Collaboration: Google Drive offers robust file sharing and collaboration features, allowing multiple users to work on the same file simultaneously and providing real-time synchronization. Syncthing is designed primarily for individual file synchronization and lacks the advanced collaboration features of Google Drive.
Privacy and Security: Google Drive's data is stored in the cloud, which raises concerns about privacy and security. While Google implements extensive security measures, some users might be uncomfortable with their data being stored on third-party servers. Syncthing, being a peer-to-peer synchronization tool, allows users to retain complete control over their data as it is not stored on external servers.
Syncing Mechanism: Google Drive uses a sync client that continuously monitors files on the local device and syncs changes to the cloud server. Syncthing, on the other hand, relies on a file change notification system, ensuring that only the necessary parts of the file are synced, resulting in faster synchronization and reduced network bandwidth usage.
Operating Systems Compatibility: Google Drive has dedicated apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, providing seamless integration across different platforms. Syncthing, on the other hand, is an open-source project that supports a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, and even some network-attached storage (NAS) devices.

In summary, Google Drive and Syncthing differ in their user interface, storage location, file sharing capabilities, privacy, syncing mechanisms, and operating systems compatibility. While Google Drive offers a user-friendly and feature-rich experience for cloud storage and collaboration, Syncthing provides a decentralized and privacy-focused solution for individual file synchronization needs.

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Detailed Comparison

Google Drive	Syncthing
Keep photos, stories, designs, drawings, recordings, videos, and more. Your first 15 GB of storage are free with a Google Account. Your files in Drive can be reached from any smartphone, tablet, or computer.	It is a continuous file synchronization program. It synchronizes files between two or more computers and replaces proprietary sync and cloud services with something open, trustworthy and decentralized. Your data is your data alone and you deserve to choose where it is stored, if it is shared with some third party and how it's transmitted over the internet.
Create & collaborate.- In Google Drive, you can create new documents, spreadsheets and presentations instantly. Work together at the same time, on the same doc, and see changes as they appear.;Work better with the products you use everyday.- Say goodbye to bulky email attachments. Send a link from Google Drive in Gmail and everyone has the same file, same version—automatically. Your pictures in Google Drive are instantly available in Google+, so you’re never more than one click away from sharing with your circles.;Powerful search.- Google Drive helps you get to your files faster. Search for content by keyword and filter by file type, owner and more. Google Drive can even recognize objects in your images and text in scanned documents.;View anything.- Open over 30 file types right in your browser—including HD video, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop—even if you don’t have the program installed on your computer.;Google Drive with your favorite apps.- Create, open and share files from a variety of apps directly in Google Drive.;Share the way you want.- You can share files or folders with anyone, and choose whether they can view, edit or comment on your stuff.;Start a discussion.- Create and reply to comments to get feedback and make files more collaborative.;Go back in time.- Google Drive tracks every change you make—so when you hit the save button, a new revision is saved. You can look back as far as 30 days automatically, or choose a revision to save forever.	Configure and monitor Syncthing via a responsive and powerful interface accessible via your browser; Portable; Synchronize as many folders as you need with different people
Statistics
GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 77.3K
GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 4.8K
Stacks 84.2K	Stacks 48
Followers 70.4K	Followers 78
Votes 2.1K	Votes 2
Pros & Cons
Pros 505 Easy to use 326 Gmail integration 312 Enough free space 268 Collaboration 249 Stable service Cons 7 Organization via web ui sucks 2 Not a real database	Pros 1 Offline 1 Convenient to use Cons 1 Not intuitive how to set up on a headless machine
Integrations
Trello DocuSign RingCentral Balsamiq Conceptboard HelloFax Notable Marqueed	Linux OpenBSD Windows Mac OS X FreeBSD

What are some alternatives to Google Drive, Syncthing?

Dropbox

Harness the power of Dropbox. Connect to an account, upload, download, search, and more.

Box

The Box API gives you access to the content management features you see in our web app and lets you extend them for use in your own app. It strives to be RESTful and is organized around the main resources you’re familiar with from the Box web interface.

Nextcloud

A suite of client-server software for creating and using file hosting services The most deployed self-hosted file share and collaboration platform on the web. Access & collaborate across your devices.

ceph

In computing,It is a free-software storage platform, implements object storage on a single distributed computer cluster, and provides interfaces for object-, block- and file-level storage.

Microsoft SharePoint

It empowers teamwork with dynamic and productive team sites for every project team, department, and division. Share and manage content, knowledge, and applications to empower teamwork, quickly find information, and seamlessly collaborate across the organization.

OneDrive

Outlook.com is a free, personal email service from Microsoft. Keep your inbox clutter-free with powerful organizational tools, and collaborate easily with OneDrive and Office Online integration.

Dropmark

Dropmark offers super simple drag-and-drop file sharing, like a number of web apps before it, but if you want to use it for more you can create presentations, slideshows, and collaborate with others just as easily.

Alfresco

Alfresco Platform is an open, modern and secure system that intelligently activates process and content to accelerate the flow of business.

Streem

Unlike other cloud storage tools, Streem takes up no space on your computer, but still gives you instant access to your files without any lag. All media on Streem is converted on-the-fly so you can access it seamlessly regardless of the device or bandwidth.

ownCloud

It is an open source, self-hosted file sync and share app platform. Access & sync your files, contacts, calendars & bookmarks across your devices. You decide what happens with your data, where it is and who can access it.