Editorial pickFile synchronisation
Syncthing
File synchronisation between devices, directly and without a cloud
256 MB RAMamd64 / arm64 / armv7Go / JavaScriptEasyMPL-2.0Version v2.1.7
Instead of a subscription
Self-hosted alternatives to Google Drive
Google Drive stores, syncs and shares files, tied to the Google account that also holds your mail and photos. The recipes here separate the two jobs: a personal cloud with sharing and web editing, or plain synchronisation between devices you own.
Catalog
Recipes that cover it
2048 MB RAMamd64 / arm64 / armv7PHP / JavaScriptMediumAGPL-3.0-onlyVersion v35.0.1
2048 MB RAMamd64C / Python / JavaScript / GoMediumAGPL-3.0-only AND Apache-2.0Version 13.0.28
Requirements
Side by side
| Application | Minimum RAM | Disk estimate | Database | Installation difficulty | Backup | Recipe verification | License |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syncthing | 256 MB RAM | 2 GB | No database | Easy | Yes · Restore tested | Fully verifiedRecheck overdue · 0 dCheck is current | MPL-2.0 |
| Nextcloud | 2048 MB RAM | 20 GB | PostgreSQL | Medium | Yes · Restore tested | Fully verifiedRecheck overdue · 0 dCheck is current | AGPL-3.0-only |
| Seafile | 2048 MB RAM | 10 GB | MariaDB | Medium | Yes · Restore tested | Fully verifiedRecheck overdue · 0 dCheck is current | AGPL-3.0-only AND Apache-2.0 |
The bill
The subscription against a server
Both figures are editable, because only you know which of them you actually pay. The server is sized from the figure the recipe recommends — the same one the catalog calls a comfortable fit on your profile — and not from the cheapest row of a price list.
Syncthing asks for 0.5 GB of RAM, 1 vCPU and 2 GB of disk — $6 a month on DigitalOcean Basic.
The difference
- Per month
- $3.99
- Per year
- $47.88
- Over three years
- $143.64
Hosting it yourself is cheaper — $47.88 a year stays with you.
Not counted: your own time, a domain, and a backup kept anywhere other than that same server. A machine you already run costs nothing extra — set the server to zero.
Google Drive · Google One, 2 TB, billed monthly, price checked 2026-09-10Server prices: DigitalOcean Basic, checked 2026-09-10
Migration
What changes when you host it yourself
The data stops leaving your network, and so does the responsibility for it: backups, the restore you have actually tested, and the disk it all sits on.
Feature parity is never exact. Read what each recipe states about limitations and the smoke test before planning a migration.
The bill turns into work: updates, certificates and an eye on the release notes. The catalog shows how much of that each recipe asks for.
Categories
Guides with these applications
- A home server that earns its keepA modular home-server starter set: passwords, DNS, sync, monitoring, notifications, media and household recipes. Choose the services you need and add them gradually.
- Applications with a minimum of 1 GB RAM or lessSmall declared resource requirements for a VPS or thin client, with new metrics, notifications, notes and utility recipes. The limit applies to each application separately.
- What a Raspberry Pi can actually runA shortlist for 32-bit ARM systems, plus the newer options a 64-bit Pi can consider. Check the actual architecture test result before choosing a recipe.
- Services that never need a public addressKeep household services behind loopback, a private network or a VPN. Private access still needs application authentication, safe initialization and backups.
- A family cloud without the subscriptionFiles, photos and device sync for a household. Decide who holds each copy, how access is granted and where the off-server backup lives.