Syncthing Alternatives for Android: 5 Picks (2026)

If you used Syncthing to keep your phone and computer in step, you have probably noticed something is off: the official Android app stopped getting updates after December 2024. The team behind it ran out of active contributors and kept hitting walls with Google Play Store policies, so the Android wrapper was retired. The desktop and core versions are fine — but on a phone, you now need a plan B.

The good news is that the options are solid, and I checked every one of them live on the Play Store on October 6, 2026. There is one catch you should know up front, because it decides which app suits you: Syncthing-style syncing has no cloud server in the middle. Your phone and your computer talk to each other directly. That is great for privacy, but it means both devices have to be awake and online at the same time for changes to move. If that sounds like a problem for your daily routine, the cloud-style options below will suit you better.

1. Syncthing-Fork — the closest thing to the real thing

Syncthing-Fork is the community-maintained successor to the official app, and it is the pick for anyone who wants their old Syncthing setup to keep working with the least change. It wraps the same Syncthing engine in an Android app, so your folders, device IDs, and settings carry over.

One thing to clear up: older guides from 2024 say the fork had to be sideloaded from GitHub or F-Droid because it was not on the Play Store. That is outdated. I verified live that Syncthing-Fork is on the Play Store under the developer nel0x, with a 4.31 rating from over 2,100 reviews and 500K+ downloads. (The fork did change maintainers in 2026, which explains the confusing older advice.) Install it straight from the Play Store — no sideloading needed.

The current build is a major one: it upgraded to Syncthing version 2, and on first launch it runs a one-time database migration. Do not force-close the app during that migration; back up your data and export the app's configuration first if your setup is large.

What the fork adds over the old official app is practical: per-device and per-folder sync conditions (for example, sync a folder only on Wi-Fi, or only when the phone is charging), an hourly-sync mode that saves battery, a readable sync-progress UI, a recent-changes list you can tap to open files, and two-way sync on external SD cards on Android 11 and newer. The battery-drain complaints the old app had are addressed too.

Best for: anyone who already used Syncthing and wants to keep the exact same private, direct device-to-device sync.
Price: free, open source.

Download Syncthing-Fork on Google Play

2. Resilio Sync — the closest P2P feel, commercial

Resilio Sync works the way Syncthing does at its core: your devices exchange files directly with each other, and nothing is stored on a company server in between. It uses BitTorrent peer-to-peer technology under the hood, which handles large files well — the listing notes transfers can run much faster than typical cloud uploads on a local network.

Where it differs from the Syncthing family is polish and focus. It has automatic camera backup (photos and videos back up as soon as you take them, so you can then delete them from the phone to save space), selective sync that lets you keep only some files on the phone, and one-time send links for sharing files with friends without setting up a permanent sync connection. You can pair two devices by scanning a QR code, even on a local network with no internet.

The trade-off is that it is closed-source commercial software, not a community project. On the Play Store it holds a 3.69 rating from about 5,800 reviews under Resilio Inc. If the open-source nature of Syncthing mattered to you, Syncthing-Fork is the closer match; if you want a supported product with camera backup built in, Resilio is worth a look.

Best for: photo and video backup across your own devices with no cloud in the middle.
Price: free app on the Play Store; the company sells paid tiers, so check inside the app for current pricing.

Download Resilio Sync on Google Play

3. FolderSync — sync your phone with your cloud or home server

FolderSync takes a different approach: instead of syncing phone-to-computer directly, it syncs folders between your phone and cloud storage or your own server. If the both-devices-online requirement of P2P sync sounds annoying, this is the fix — the cloud or server sits in the middle and holds your files until each device shows up.

It supports many providers: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, MEGA, pCloud, Proton Drive, Amazon S3, and more, plus direct protocols like FTP, SFTP, and SMB Windows shares — so a NAS box at home works too. There is a full file manager built in for browsing both sides, scheduled syncs, Tasker automation support for fine control, and root file access on rooted devices.

On the Play Store, FolderSync (by Tacit Dynamics) has a 4.27 rating from over 36,500 reviews. The lite version is free, and the Pro version is listed at $6.99 for a one-time purchase. Note the obvious: you still need storage somewhere — your existing cloud quota or your own server — since FolderSync moves files rather than hosting them.

Best for: syncing phone folders into Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or a home NAS on a schedule.
Price: free lite version; Pro $6.99 one-time.

Download FolderSync on Google Play

4. Nextcloud — your own private cloud

Nextcloud is for people who like the cloud idea but not the cloud landlord. You run the server yourself — on a home NAS, a Raspberry Pi, an old computer, or inexpensive rented hosting — and the Android app syncs your files to it. Your data lives on hardware you control, with nobody else's subscription quota in the picture.

Beyond file sync, the same server can handle contacts, calendars, and notes, which makes it a genuine Google-account replacement for some households. The Android app (package com.nextcloud.client) has a 4.71 rating from over 85,000 reviews on the Play Store, which is the strongest rating on this list.

The honest cost: the app is free and open source, but the server is on you. That means either hardware you already own or a small hosting bill, plus the one-time effort of setting it up. If you just want two devices to match folders with zero setup, Syncthing-Fork is simpler. If you want a private cloud that the whole family can use, Nextcloud is the serious option.

Best for: a self-hosted private cloud for files, contacts, and calendars.
Price: free open-source app; you provide the server or hosting.

Download Nextcloud on Google Play

5. LocalSend — quick transfers, not real sync

LocalSend deserves a spot with a clear label: it is a transfer app, not a sync app. Open it on two devices on the same Wi-Fi, pick files, and they move across with TLS encryption — no internet, no account, no cloud. It is open source, has no ads, and on the Play Store it holds a 4.62 rating from over 15,400 reviews with 10M+ downloads (updated August 2026, developer Tien Do Nam).

Why include it then? Because many people who search for Syncthing alternatives actually just want to move photos or documents from phone to computer now and then. For that job, LocalSend is faster to set up than any sync tool and does not keep a background service running. Just do not expect it to watch your folders and keep them matched automatically — it only sends what you pick, when you pick it.

Best for: one-shot file transfers to nearby devices, no setup.
Price: free app; in-app purchases are listed on the Play Store page.

Download LocalSend on Google Play

Sync is not backup — read this before you switch

This is the section that saves people from losing files. Syncing mirrors changes. If you delete a photo on your phone, that deletion syncs to your computer too. If a file gets corrupted on one device, the corrupted copy spreads. A sync tool is not a backup unless you configure it to behave like one.

Two settings protect you. First, file versioning: Syncthing and its fork can keep old copies of files they overwrite or delete (trash-can, simple, or staggered versioning), so a bad change can be undone. Turn versioning on for any folder holding files you care about. Second, one-way folder modes: set a folder to "send only" on the device with the originals and "receive only" on the other, so deletions on one side cannot wipe the other.

For anything you truly cannot lose — family photos, important documents — keep a real backup that sync never touches: an external drive, a separate cloud copy, or both. Syncthing folks say it plainly in their own docs, and every experienced user agrees.

The one limitation that should drive your choice

With Syncthing-Fork and Resilio Sync, there is no server holding your files between syncs. Your phone and your computer must be awake and reachable at the same time. In real life that means: edit notes on your laptop in the morning, close the lid, open your desktop in the evening — nothing moves until the laptop wakes up again. It is not a bug; it is the design you chose for privacy.

The standard fix is one always-on device in the mix: a NAS box, a Raspberry Pi, a home server, or even an old laptop with sleep disabled. Everything syncs to that one machine, and your phone and laptop catch up whenever they appear. If you do not want to run hardware 24/7, that is exactly what the cloud-style options are for — FolderSync or Nextcloud keep a copy waiting so your devices never have to meet.

Two Android-specific notes. First, Android aggressively puts background apps to sleep, so after installing any sync app, exempt it from battery optimization and let it run in the background — otherwise syncing pauses when the screen is off. Second, Syncthing-Fork lets you set conditions per folder and per device (Wi-Fi only, charging only, hourly intervals), which keeps battery use sane; use them.

Which one should you pick?

For note-takers, one more connection worth knowing: Syncthing is the standard free way people keep note apps like Obsidian in sync across devices without paying for official sync — see our Obsidian vs Logseq comparison for how that works on Android. And if your main goal is protecting photos rather than syncing folders, our guide on how to back up photos on Android covers the camera-backup angle in more depth. If syncing is partly about reclaiming space, freeing up storage without deleting apps pairs well with the selective-sync tricks above.

Frequently asked questions

Why was the Syncthing Android app discontinued?

The official Syncthing Android app got its final update in December 2024. The project team cited too few active contributors plus ongoing problems with Google Play Store policies around storage access. The desktop and server versions of Syncthing are unaffected.

Is Syncthing-Fork on the Google Play Store?

Yes. Older guides from 2024 say it had to be sideloaded, but as of October 2026 Syncthing-Fork is listed on the Play Store under the developer nel0x with a 4.31 rating from over 2,100 reviews and 500K+ downloads. You can install it directly from the Play Store.

Do both devices need to be online for Syncthing sync?

Yes. Syncthing has no cloud server holding your files in the middle, so two devices can only exchange changes while both are awake and reachable. An always-on device like a home NAS, Raspberry Pi, or home server fixes this — everything syncs through it and other devices catch up whenever they come online.

Is Syncthing a backup?

No. Sync mirrors changes: if you delete a file on one device, the deletion spreads to the others unless you turn on file versioning or use one-way folder modes. Treat versioning as a safety net, and keep a real separate backup of anything you cannot afford to lose.

Is LocalSend a Syncthing replacement?

Not for continuous sync. LocalSend is excellent for sending files to a nearby device in one shot, but it does not watch folders and keep them in step automatically. If you want your folders to stay matched without thinking about it, pick Syncthing-Fork, Resilio Sync, FolderSync, or Nextcloud instead.

Which alternative is best if I want zero cloud involvement?

Syncthing-Fork and Resilio Sync both move files directly between your devices with no cloud in the middle. Syncthing-Fork is free and open source; Resilio Sync is commercial but built for the same direct device-to-device job, including camera backup and selective sync.