Syncthing vs Internxt
Both are free/open-source alternatives to Dropbox. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Syncthing
Continuous peer-to-peer file sync with no cloud.
Syncthing keeps folders in sync directly between your own devices, peer-to-peer and encrypted, with no server and no cloud in the middle. It is the purest self-owned option — brilliant for device-to-device sync, though it is sync only, not a sharing suite.
Internxt
Open-source, zero-knowledge encrypted storage with lifetime plans.
Internxt is an open-source, zero-knowledge cloud storage service — every file is end-to-end encrypted with AES-256 (and, since 2026, post-quantum Kyber), and the code is public on GitHub. It's a hosted service rather than something you self-host, so it sits between Nextcloud's full ownership and Dropbox's convenience: open, encrypted, EU-based storage with zero setup. There's a 10GB free tier and one-time lifetime plans if you'd rather not pay monthly.
Side by side
| Syncthing | Internxt | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 92 | 68 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Local-first | Yes | No |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Free / open-source | 10GB free; 200GB ~€3.49/mo; 2TB ~€8.99/mo; lifetime plans from ~€135 one-time |
Syncthing edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Syncthing
Strengths
- +No server or cloud at all
- +Peer-to-peer and encrypted
- +Very light and reliable
Trade-offs
- −Sync only — no web sharing/links
- −Devices must be online to sync
Internxt
Strengths
- +Open-source apps; zero-knowledge AES-256 plus post-quantum encryption
- +EU-based (GDPR), privacy-first
- +Free tier and one-time lifetime options
Trade-offs
- −A hosted service — you don't self-host it
- −Newer and smaller than Dropbox; fewer integrations
- −Desktop sync less mature than the incumbents
More Dropbox head-to-heads
Facts verified 2026-07-04. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.