# Syncthing Application: Syncthing Also called syncthing windows, synctrayzor Syncthing, Productivity Peer-to-peer folder sync with no vendor cloud. The process is syncthing.exe. It is not Dropbox. ## What you need to know Syncthing is peer-to-peer. Dropbox is a hosted folder. syncthing.exe syncs devices you pair. Dropbox.exe needs a Dropbox account. Installing Syncthing does not create a cloud mailbox. - **What is it?**: Peer-to-peer sync **Still current?**: Yes, see Current status **Official download?**: Use the vendor link in this article Feex says If syncthing.exe is running, I would look at device IDs and folder shares, not a Dropbox password. There is no Syncthing corporate folder in the cloud. ## What is Syncthing? Syncthing is peer-to-peer folder sync. syncthing.exe is the engine. Dropbox is a vendor cloud. You do not get a Syncthing account. You get a device ID. ## If you have never used it If you want folders to copy between your own PCs with no Dropbox account, this is Syncthing, not Dropbox. Download it from syncthing.net/downloads. You pair device IDs. There is no syncthing.com mailbox. Dropbox.exe talks to Dropbox servers. syncthing.exe talks to your other devices, with optional community relays. ## What is it used for? **Pair two PCs** Share a folder by device ID. Dropbox sharing is an email link to Dropbox servers. **No vendor mailbox** Files stay on the devices you approve. Relays can help NAT. That is still not a Dropbox datacenter as the home of the files. **Versioning Syncthing documents** Optional file versioning on disk. Dropbox version history is a cloud feature. ## Who is it for? - People who refuse a vendor cloud - Homelab users pairing a desktop and a NAS-class PC - Anyone who should not create a Dropbox account to finish setup ## Current status Actively developed. This article is the Windows engine. Tray wrappers such as SyncTrayzor are optional. ## How old is it? Syncthing started in 2013 as open-source P2P sync. Dropbox is a 2008 hosted service. Resilio Sync is a BitTorrent-family cousin. They are not the same protocol. ## Versions Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here. syncthing.exe Tray wrappers ## System requirements Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need. ### Minimum | Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor | | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | RAM | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more. | ## Resource profile - **CPU demand**: Follows what you open inside the app **RAM demand**: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries ## Installed processes These executables belong to this product when it is installed. | syncthing.exe | Sync engine. A tray UI may be a separate wrapper | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ## Startup components syncthing.exe often starts with Windows if you installed a service or tray wrapper. That is local, not Dropbox. ## File locations | Typical install | C:\Users\\\\AppData\Local\Syncthing\ or the folder you unpacked | | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ## File formats whatever folders you share ## Common problems ### Devices never see each other Firewall, NAT, or a missing relay. That is P2P, not a Dropbox regional outage. ### People expect a website file list There is no Dropbox-style website unless you built one. The GUI is local. ## Getting unstuck ### Add the other device ID from Syncthing's local GUI A Dropbox share link will not pair devices. ### Install from syncthing.net/downloads A "Syncthing Windows" search ad is the wrong file. ### If you wanted a vendor cloud, use Dropbox or OneDrive instead Syncthing will not grow a mailbox. That is the sibling-swap test. ## Alternatives Dropbox, Nextcloud, and Resilio Sync overlap. Dropbox is hosted. Resilio uses a BitTorrent family protocol. ## Official help and downloads Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel. | Download | [syncthing.net/downloads/ ](https://syncthing.net/downloads/)Official installer or vendor page | | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Help | [docs.syncthing.net/ ](https://docs.syncthing.net/)Vendor support | | Official site | [syncthing.net/downloads/ ](https://syncthing.net/downloads/)Start here, not a random exe host | ## Related hardware Sync is disk and network bound. Two spinning disks on a large tree will grind. ## Technical details Technical details Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build. ## Related These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link. [Dropbox: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/dropbox)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager) ## Sources and verification Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research). - [Syncthing official site ](https://syncthing.net/downloads/)· Vendor product page - [Syncthing help ](https://docs.syncthing.net/)· Vendor support - [Syncthing intro ](https://docs.syncthing.net/intro/getting-started.html)· Device IDs and folders - [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark. ## Was this article useful? A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note. Quick facts The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article. - **Developer**: Syncthing **Category**: Peer-to-peer sync **Process**: syncthing.exe **License**: MPL open source **First released**: 2013 **Official site**: [syncthing.net](https://syncthing.net/downloads/) **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026 --- Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/syncthing/) [Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)