Sync-in Server vs WinShun
Sync-in Server and WinShun are both search engine software. Sync-in Server is open source under AGPL-3.0, with 2k GitHub stars. WinShun is open source under MIT, with 826 GitHub stars.
Which to pick
- Pick Sync-in Server when
- A small organisation wants a lighter Nextcloud alternative focused on files, sharing and document editing on its own servers.
- Pick WinShun when
- You use Windows, often search in Chinese, and want an Everything or Listary alternative.
Side by side
A self-hosted file storage and sharing server with spaces, permissions, public links, full-text search, WebDAV and online editing through Collabora or OnlyOffice.
A Windows search launcher opened by double-pressing Ctrl, with pinyin file search, full-text search of Office and PDF files, clipboard history, plugins and an MCP server.
The project is little more than a year old with a small team, so its long-term support is unproven next to Nextcloud or ownCloud.
Created in October 2026 and mainly aimed at Chinese-speaking users.
Usable
Experimental
Self-hosted server
Desktop app
TypeScript, Node.js and Angular
C++, QML and Python
Open source, AGPL-3.0 (network copyleft)
Open source, MIT (permissive)
Use inside your business is unrestricted. If you change it and let customers use it over the internet, you must publish your changes.
You can build it into a product you sell, as long as you keep its copyright notice.
2k GitHub stars
826 GitHub stars
Young: started 15 months ago, latest release v2.6.2.
New: started under a month ago, latest release v0.18.0.
Other comparisons
More search engines for apps and sites
Both sides were judged on 2026-11-03 from each project's README and GitHub data. License, age and popularity lines are worked out directly.