What is Syncthing macOS used for?

Syncthing macOS is the official macOS tray app that bundles Syncthing, the peer-to-peer file synchronization tool, so it behaves like a native Mac application. It is a good fit for syncing folders between Macs and other devices.

Is Syncthing macOS open source?

Yes. Syncthing macOS is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at syncthing/syncthing-macos and is written mainly in Objective-C.

Is Syncthing macOS free?

Yes. Syncthing macOS is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Syncthing macOS?

Yes. Syncthing macOS can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What is Syncthing macOS an alternative to?

Syncthing macOS is an open-source alternative to Dropbox, Resilio Sync, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. Other open-source alternatives to Dropbox include Nextcloud All-in-One, ownCloud and Sync-in.

Is Syncthing macOS actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Syncthing macOS was on 17 September 2026, and the latest release is v2.1.5-1, published on 17 September 2026. The project has 4k stars on GitHub.

Syncthing macOS: open-source alternative to Dropbox

About Syncthing macOS

The syncthing-macos project is the official native macOS application bundle for Syncthing, an open-source, peer-to-peer tool for keeping folders synchronized across your own devices without a central cloud server. The bundle packages its own Syncthing instance and wraps the background process, so it feels like a normal Mac app rather than a command-line utility managed through a browser.

A tray menu lets you open the Syncthing web interface in your preferred browser and manage the app from the menu bar. The README notes that Syncthing version 2 is the supported version since 23 February 2026 and requires at least macOS 12, while version 1 is deprecated and will not receive updates. The wrapper is written in Objective-C and Swift and described as frugal and simple.

The macOS wrapper is MIT-licensed, and the bundled Syncthing is open source as well. It runs entirely on your own Mac, with no vendor-hosted sync service, which suits people who want private file synchronization or backup between computers and phones.

Key features

Native macOS tray application
Bundled Syncthing instance
One-click access to the web interface
Peer-to-peer file synchronization
Syncthing v2 on macOS 12 or later
Objective-C and Swift wrapper

Good fit for

→Syncing folders between Macs and other devices
→Private alternative to cloud file sync

Built with: Objective-C; Swift
Tags: file-sync; syncthing; macos; peer-to-peer; backup; privacy; menu-bar-app

Syncthing macOS: questions and answers

What is Syncthing macOS used for?: Syncthing macOS is the official macOS tray app that bundles Syncthing, the peer-to-peer file synchronization tool, so it behaves like a native Mac application. It is a good fit for syncing folders between Macs and other devices.
Is Syncthing macOS open source?: Yes. Syncthing macOS is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at syncthing/syncthing-macos and is written mainly in Objective-C.
Is Syncthing macOS free?: Yes. Syncthing macOS is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Syncthing macOS?: Yes. Syncthing macOS can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What is Syncthing macOS an alternative to?: Syncthing macOS is an open-source alternative to Dropbox, Resilio Sync, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. Other open-source alternatives to Dropbox include Nextcloud All-in-One, ownCloud and Sync-in.
Is Syncthing macOS actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Syncthing macOS was on 17 September 2026, and the latest release is v2.1.5-1, published on 17 September 2026. The project has 4k stars on GitHub.