SyncThingyLinux
vs
Google DriveWindows
SyncThingy as a Linux alternative to Google Drive
Updated
Our verdict
SyncThingy is not a replacement for Google Drive. It only provides a tray icon to control Syncthing, which synchronizes files locally between devices. Google Drive offers cloud storage, web‑based access, document collaboration, and sharing permissions that Syncthing does not provide. If you need a peer‑to‑peer sync solution without a central server, SyncThingy can be useful, but it is not suitable for users who rely on Google Drive’s cloud features.
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 1.0 (September 26, 2026)
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Both allow file synchronization across multiple devices
- Both are cross‑platform
- Both can be accessed via a web UI
- Both support manual start/stop of the sync process
What is different
- SyncThingy syncs only locally over the network, Google Drive syncs to a cloud server
- Google Drive provides document collaboration and real‑time editing, SyncThingy does not
- Google Drive offers web‑based file access, SyncThingy only exposes the local Syncthing UI
- Google Drive manages permissions and sharing links, SyncThingy has no sharing controls
- Google Drive stores files in a central repository, SyncThingy stores them on each device
Opening your Google Drive files
Google Drive stores files in its own format for Docs, Sheets, and Slides. SyncThingy simply copies the files as they exist on disk, so native Google Drive documents will not open in their original applications unless they are first exported to a compatible format (e.g., .docx, .xlsx, .pptx).
Switching from Google Drive to SyncThingy, step by step
- 1. Export all Google Drive documents to standard formats (docx, xlsx, pdf).
- 2. Create a folder on each device where you want the files to sync.
- 3. Install Syncthing on all devices and add the folder as a shared folder.
- 4. Install SyncThingy to manage Syncthing via the tray icon.
- 5. Verify that the folder contents appear on all devices.
- 6. Delete the old Google Drive files once the sync is confirmed.
- faq
Key features of SyncThingy
- Tray icon with status indicator
- Start/stop Syncthing daemon
- Open Syncthing web UI
- Built in C++ for low overhead
- Cross‑platform packaging (Arch, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, Ubuntu)
- GPL‑3.0 license
- Simple configuration via system tray
How to install SyncThingy on Linux
flatpak install flathub com.github.zocker_160.SyncThingysudo apt install syncthingsudo apt install syncthingsudo dnf install syncthingsudo pacman -S syncthing-relaysrvsudo zypper install syncthing3 other alternatives to Google Drive
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