shouldiselfhost?they tell you if you can — we tell you if you should
THE DECISION LAYER FOR SELF-HOSTING100 APPS UNDER COVERAGEPROTOCOL v1NO VENDOR HAS EVER PAID FOR A RATING
RECENT ACTIONS 1PASSWORDNOT REALLY·ACTIVECAMPAIGNKINDA·ACUITY SCHEDULINGYES·ADOBE ACROBATYES·ADOBE LIGHTROOMNOT REALLY·AIRTABLEYES·AMPLITUDEYES·ANYLISTNOT REALLY·ASANAKINDA
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FILES-DOCS
Sync.com logo

Should I self-host Sync.com?

$4/mo · Personal 150GB · alternative: Syncthing
RATING
NOT REALLY
OUTLOOK
NOT ASSIGNED
RATIONALE

$4/mo for 2TB of e2e-encrypted storage is cheaper than the raw disk it would take to replicate — before you count your time. Syncthing is superb for device-to-device sync (no server!) and complements rather than replaces a storage subscription.

WHAT YOU LOSE
01

2TB of replicated storage for less than storage costs — the price is the moat

WHAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR

encrypted cloud storage · file sync · sharing links

Self-Hosting Facts
1 app per panel · Sync.com
Assumes 1 seat on 1 always-on box you already run
Amount per month% of sub *
Subscription$4.00
VPS share1.0025%
Storage + backup4.00100%
Your hours · 20 min @ $206.67167%
Self-hosted all-in11.67292%
Effective markup0.3×
Setup · 15 min measured$5.00 once
Break-evennever
VERDICT
NOT REALLY
OUTLOOK
NOT ASSIGNED

* Percent of the subscription price. Your time is priced at the slider's rate — $0/h ("my homelab time is free and I love it") is a legitimate position. Every number is derived from the record, never hand-written. Price source, checked 2026-08-06.

Runs comfortably on a real VPS (2 GB+).

01
ALTERNATIVES
Ranked alternatives
01Syncthing logo
SyncthingYour files sync between your own devices, with the always-on server holding ciphertext it cannot read.
syncthing/syncthing · ★ 87,547 · 0d
02Nextcloud logo
NextcloudFiles, calendars and contacts on hardware you control, with the desktop and mobile clients pointed at it instead of somebody else's cloud.
nextcloud/server · ★ 36,384 · 0d
Syncthing running from the boot-verified compose file
Syncthing, running from the compose file on this page — screenshot from our verified instance, not marketing material.
02
EVIDENCE
PROTOCOL
v1
VERIFIED BY
zernonia
REVIEWED
10 AUG 2026
SETUP MEASURED
15 MIN
AI ASSISTANT
CLAUDE-CODE · STATED
FULL TIMED LOG
# Sync.com — verdict log

- **Date:** 2026-08-10
- **Verdict:** NOT REALLY — keep paying
- **Protocol:** v1 (2GB reference env, Docker preinstalled, AI assistant: claude-code)

## Why no compose file

- This verdict is decided by economics/capability, not setup effort — the rubric doesn't require a timed install to conclude the subscription should stay (or that the replacement's cost lives elsewhere, e.g. GPUs, egress, or an installer script).

## The call

$4/mo for 2TB of e2e-encrypted storage is cheaper than the raw disk it would take to replicate — before you count your time. Syncthing is superb for device-to-device sync (no server!) and complements rather than replaces a storage subscription.
03
HISTORY
10 AUG 2026UNRATED → NOT_REALLYInitial verdict: $4/mo for 2TB of e2e-encrypted storage is cheaper than the raw disk it would take to replicate — before you co.