1Retro
1Retro vs Syncthing
Syncthing is a great general-purpose file sync tool. Your game saves are not general-purpose files. Here's an honest look at where each one fits.
The short version
Choose 1Retro if you want
- Your saves backed up in the cloud, not just mirrored between devices
- Sync that works even when your other devices are asleep or powered off
- Automatic save detection, version history, and conflict resolution
- MiSTer, OnionOS handhelds, Android, and desktop supported out of the box
- A setup measured in minutes, not evenings
Choose Syncthing if you want
- A fully self-hosted, peer-to-peer setup with no cloud involved
- To sync any kind of file, not just game saves
- Open source software with no storage limits
- You're comfortable configuring device pairs, folders, and versioning yourself
Two very different kinds of sync
Syncthing mirrors folders directly between your devices, peer to peer. Nothing is stored anywhere else, which is its whole appeal: your data never leaves hardware you own. That design is also why it struggles with game saves. Both devices have to be online at the same moment, deletions and corruption mirror instantly to every device, and it treats your 40-hour RPG save exactly like any other file in the folder.
1Retro syncs each device with the cloud independently, and it understands what it's syncing. It knows which file belongs to which game, keeps a version history of every save, and surfaces conflicts instead of quietly renaming them.
Feature by feature
| 1Retro | Syncthing | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for game saves | General-purpose file sync | |
| Automatic save detection | Syncs the folders you configure | |
| Save versioning & rollback | File versioning, off by default, per folder | |
| Conflict resolution | Leaves .sync-conflict files to sort out by hand | |
| Cloud backup copy | Peer-to-peer mirror only | |
| Syncs while other devices are off | Both devices must be online together | |
| Web dashboard for your saves | Local admin UI only | |
| In-game save metadata | Play time, party, items for supported games | |
| MiSTer FPGA | Unofficial, manual install | |
| OnionOS / Miyoo handhelds | Bundled by Onion, manual pairing | |
| Syncs any file type | Game saves only | |
| Open source | ||
| Self-hosted option | ||
| Free | Free tier; paid plans add storage | Free and open source |
The differences that matter
A real backup, not a mirror
Syncthing's own documentation says it plainly: synchronization is not backup. If a save gets corrupted or deleted on one device, that change mirrors to every other device, faithfully and fast. 1Retro keeps a versioned copy of every save in the cloud. When something goes wrong, roll back to any earlier version from the web dashboard.
Your devices don't keep the same hours
Syncthing only syncs when two devices are online at the same time. Your handheld sleeps in a drawer, your desktop is off during the week, and the sync you assumed happened never did. The usual workaround is running an always-on server to bridge the gap, which is one more device to set up and maintain. With 1Retro, every device syncs with the cloud on its own schedule, so nothing has to be awake at the same time as anything else.
Built for saves, not folders
To Syncthing, your save is just bytes in a folder you configured. 1Retro detects saves automatically, matches them to the right game, tracks every version, and for supported games even shows in-game details like play time and party. When the same game changes on two devices, 1Retro shows you both and lets you choose. Syncthing drops a .sync-conflict file next to the original and leaves you to compare two binary files yourself.
Runs where retro lives
Getting Syncthing onto retro hardware is a project. MiSTer needs a manual install on the Linux side, and while OnionOS bundles Syncthing, you still pair devices and map folders by hand. 1Retro ships packages for MiSTer and OnionOS, plus desktop apps, Android, and a CLI. Point it at your emulator and play.
Where Syncthing genuinely wins
Fair is fair. Syncthing is free, open source, has no storage limits, syncs any kind of file, and never touches a cloud server. If keeping everything on your own hardware matters most to you, and saves are only part of what you sync, it's excellent software. Plenty of people use Syncthing for their ROM library and 1Retro for their saves.
Common questions
Can I use Syncthing to sync retro game saves?
Yes, plenty of people do, and it works if your devices are usually online at the same time and you set up folder shares and versioning carefully. The failure modes are just silent: a corrupted save mirrors to every device, a conflict becomes a .sync-conflict file you never notice, and a handheld that sleeps through every sync window quietly drifts out of date.
Do my devices need to be online at the same time with 1Retro?
No. Each device syncs with the cloud on its own schedule. Play on your handheld at lunch, turn it off, and the save is waiting on your desktop that evening.
Can I use Syncthing and 1Retro together?
Absolutely. A common split is Syncthing for your ROM library and 1Retro for your saves. Just avoid pointing both tools at the same save folders; two sync engines fighting over the same files helps neither.
Isn't Syncthing's file versioning enough?
It helps, but it's off by default, configured per folder on each device, and it versions files, not saves. Restoring means digging through a hidden .stversions folder on another machine for timestamped copies. 1Retro shows the version history of every game's save and restores it from your browser.
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