Syncthing: Sync Files Directly Between Two Computers Without Any Server

Solves in a sentence: Want to sync files between multiple computers without storing them on someone else’s server? Syncthing creates direct connections between your devices — data never goes to the cloud.

Cloud drive sync is convenient, but there’s one problem — your files live on someone else’s server. Dropbox, Baidu Cloud, Nutstore are all centralized. Files must first be uploaded to the provider’s server, then downloaded to another device.

If you care about privacy, or your files are too large and you don’t want to be limited by cloud speed and capacity, Syncthing is the better choice.

What is Syncthing?

Syncthing is an open-source, peer-to-peer file synchronization tool. It establishes direct encrypted connections between your own devices. Files don’t pass through any third-party servers. When you modify a file on one device, other devices sync automatically.

The problem it solves: Secure file synchronization between multiple devices without relying on cloud service providers.

Key Features

• Peer-to-peer sync: Direct device connection, no intermediate servers
• End-to-end encryption: All transferred data is encrypted with TLS
• Decentralized: No central server; any device going offline doesn’t affect others
• Real-time sync: Automatically triggers sync when file changes are detected
• Conflict handling: When the same file is modified on multiple ends, all versions are preserved
• Version control: Built-in file version management, accidental deletions can be recovered
• Cross-platform: Windows/Mac/Linux/Android/iOS/NAS

Use Cases

• Sync between two computers: Keep files consistent between work and home computers
• Backup to NAS: Automatically sync computer files to NAS
• Small team sharing: Share project files among a few people
• Auto-sync photos from phone to computer: Set up camera directory sync on Android
• Cloud drive alternative: Private sync solution when you don’t trust cloud providers

Difference from Cloud Sync

Comparison	Syncthing	Baidu Cloud / Nutstore
Data Storage Location	Your devices	Provider’s servers
Privacy	Completely private	Provider can access
Sync Speed	Extremely fast on LAN	Limited by bandwidth
Storage Capacity	Your hard drive size	Limited by plan
All Endpoints Online Required	✅ Yes	❌ No
Ease of Setup	Moderate	Easy

Download

• Official website: https://syncthing.net/
• GitHub Releases: https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases
  • Windows: download syncthing-windows-x64-*.zip

Tip: The official website doesn’t provide a Windows installer. Download the ZIP, extract it, and run syncthing.exe. After launching, the browser will automatically open the management interface (http://localhost:8384). It’s recommended to set it to start automatically with the system for continuous syncing.

Quick Start

1. Download and extract, then run syncthing.exe
2. The browser automatically opens the management interface
3. Click “Add Remote Device” to see your device ID (a long encrypted string)
4. Install Syncthing on another computer as well, add each other’s device IDs
5. After the two devices are paired, create a shared folder
6. Put files in the shared directory — the other device syncs automatically