Tag
Sync tools
4 reviewed tools: 4 free or open source.
Order: free and open source first, then hosted products with a real free tier, then paid-led; catalog order inside each group, with quiet or archived repos last. Not a score, and no tool pays for its place.
4 tools
- ElectricApache-2.0 Postgres read-path sync; Cloud PAYG under $5 waived
Free / OSS · Freemium · 10.4k GitHub stars
VerdictApache-2.0 Postgres sync. Self-host free; Cloud hobby under $5 waived.
CatchRead-path sync — not a full offline-write CRDT stack or a replacement for your mutation API. Vs PowerSync/Replicache: Postgres-native shapes + free reads on Cloud, not mobile SQLite product packaging. Pro Cloud starts $249/mo.
- rcloneMIT rsync for cloud remotes — 70+ storage backends
Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 60.4k GitHub stars
VerdictMIT cloud rsync. Free forever; sync remotes — restic if you need encrypted snapshots.
CatchVs restic (encrypted *backup snapshots*) and Garage (self-host *S3 store*): rclone is the *sync/transfer* client, not a backup vault with client-side encryption-by-default and not an object store you run. Encryption/crypt remote is optional and easy to get wrong. You still own credentials, rate limits, and the dest bill.
- ZeronMIT local control plane for coding agents — optional multi-device sync
Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 3.3k GitHub stars
VerdictMIT agent control plane when you want local-first multi-device drive of host agents — not Paperclip governance, not Herdr panes; treat sync as full workspace trust.
CatchVs Paperclip / Herdr: Paperclip is org Board/budget governance; Herdr is the terminal multiplexer runtime — Zeron’s catch is cross-device session control UI/daemon, not budgets and not pane tiling. Synced devices trust each other with workspace file access (including gitignored files if enabled) — only sign in machines you trust. Sync does not migrate old local sessions automatically.
- Skills ManagerMIT desktop app that keeps one agent-skills library and syncs it into Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and dozens more
Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 6.5k GitHub stars
VerdictIf you run more than two coding agents and your skills folder has become a mess, this is the free fix.
CatchA single-maintainer project on a fast release cadence, so expect UI churn. Presets are a one-time copy, not a live sync, so a skill applied by preset will not follow later edits unless you re-apply. Installing marketplace skills in bulk is still installing other people's instructions into your agents — read them, especially ones that run scripts. GitHub sync means signing the app into GitHub. Vs cc-switch (provider switching with skills management on the side) and vercel-skills (the `npx skills` CLI): this is the dedicated GUI for people juggling many agents.
FAQ
- What is the top free pick among Sync tools?
- Electric leads the Stack Gems list for Sync tools. Verdict: Apache-2.0 Postgres sync. Self-host free; Cloud hobby under $5 waived.
- How many Sync tools does Stack Gems review?
- 4: 4 free or open source. Each review has a verdict and an honest Catch; no tool pays for its spot.
- Which Sync tools can I self-host for free?
- Electric, rclone, Zeron and Skills Manager.
- Which Sync tools have the most GitHub stars?
- rclone (60.4k), Electric (10.4k), Skills Manager (6.5k), per GitHub on 2026-10-19. Stars measure attention, not fit; read the Catch.
- What is the catch with Electric?
- Read-path sync — not a full offline-write CRDT stack or a replacement for your mutation API.