Comparison

Synctrain vs Ribbon

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Synctrain

Securely synchronize files and folders between devices running Syncthing. Stream audio and video directly from other devices. All changes, including deletions, are mirrored across your connected devices.

Highlights
  • Secure file synchronization
  • Full folder or specific file syncing
  • Audio and video streaming
  • Cross-device changes mirrored
  • Integrates with iOS Files app
Features
Read full description

With Synctrain you can securely synchronize files with other devices that have Syncthing installed. You can choose to synchronize full folders, or choose specific files. With Synctrain you can also stream audio and video files from other devices. When you synchronize files, all changes, including deleting files, also happen on your other devices. Do not use Synctrain for back-up purposes, and always keep a back-up of your data. You decide with which devices you share which files. This also means the app makers cannot help you access or recover any lost files. This app is powered by Syncthing. This app is however not associated with or endorsed by Syncthing nor its developers. Please do not expect support from the Syncthing developers. Instead, contact the maker of this app if you have questions.

About

Ribbon

This app provides a native mobile interface for managing your self-hosted bookmarks. It allows you to browse, search, and save links with features like automatic prefill and a share extension. Organize your saved content with tags and bundles, and perform bulk actions for efficient management.

Highlights
  • Browse bookmarks with filter pills
  • Search active and archived bookmarks
  • Add bookmarks with automatic prefill
  • Share extension for saving links
  • Organize with tags and bundles
  • Swipe actions for editing and archiving
  • Bulk bookmark actions
Features
Read full description

Ribbon is a native iPhone and iPad app for Linkding, the fast, self-hosted bookmark manager. Browse, search, and save your bookmarks from anywhere — your data stays on your server, always. Features - Browse your bookmarks with filter pills: All, Unread, Untagged, and Archived - Search across active and archived bookmarks simultaneously - Add bookmarks with automatic title and description prefill - Save from Safari or any app with the share extension - Clipboard detection — Ribbon offers to use a URL you already copied - Organize with tags and smart Bundles - Archive, edit, and delete with swipe actions or press-and-hold menus - Bulk actions — archive, delete, tag, or mark multiple bookmarks at once - Secure credential storage in the iOS Keychain Requirements Ribbon requires a running Linkding instance. Linkding is a free, open-source bookmark manager you self-host on your own server or NAS. Visit linkding.link to get started. Your Linkding API token can be found under Settings → API Access in your Linkding instance.

Screenshots

Synctrain4 screens
Ribbon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Synctrain at Free against Ribbon's $2.99. Synctrain also leads on ratings volume (142 vs 7). Ribbon's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 89%). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Synctrain is free to download; Ribbon costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Synctrain against 5.0 for Ribbon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Synctrain has 142 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Synctrain's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ribbon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Synctrain ships an update every 6 weeks, Ribbon weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Synctrain versus Ribbon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSynctrainRibbon
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.9 (142 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews89.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings142 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperT-ShapedCory Dransfeldt

Customer experience

Synctrain

All ratings141 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive89.5%
Neutral6.3%
Negative4.2%

Ribbon

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Synctrain

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional app crashes
  • Sync delays on some devices

Requested features

2 requests
  • Direct photo/video sync to remote devices
  • Faster initial connection to server

Ribbon

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Synctrain

No in-app purchases

None

Ribbon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Synctrain free?
Synctrain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ribbon free?
Ribbon costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Synctrain or Ribbon?
Ribbon is rated higher. Synctrain averages 4.9 out of 5 from 142 ratings, while Ribbon averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do Synctrain or Ribbon have ads?
Neither Synctrain nor Ribbon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Synctrain or Ribbon?
Synctrain ships an update every 6 weeks, and Ribbon weekly. Most recently, Synctrain was updated on November 8, 2026 and Ribbon on November 5, 2026.

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