# Synctrain vs Ribbon

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.

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

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Synctrain | Ribbon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.9 (142 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synctrain/id6553985316/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribbon-a-linkding-client/id6762416055/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **142** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 89.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 42 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [T-Shaped](https://appshunter.io/developer/1758051723) | [Cory Dransfeldt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1682961961) |

## What reviewers say

### Synctrain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synctrain/id6553985316)

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:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🚀 Seamless sync between devices
- 🔓 Open-source and free
- 💡 Integrates with iOS Files app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connection issues
- 🔍 Could use more Apple-like design

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional app crashes
- Sync delays on some devices

**Requested features**

- Direct photo/video sync to remote devices
- Faster initial connection to server


### Ribbon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribbon-a-linkding-client/id6762416055)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*