SilentSuite vs EteSync: The Same Protocol, Maintained

EteSync created the Etebase protocol that SilentSuite runs on, which makes this the one comparison in the series written about a project SilentSuite owes something to. So it is not a post about replacing EteSync. It is a post about what SilentSuite inherited, what it maintains, and how the two projects' current activity actually compares.

Start with the debt. Etebase is a good design: per-item content and per-collection metadata encrypted on the client, with the server holding ciphertext it cannot read. SilentSuite did not invent that. It builds on it, and the protocol's reputation is part of SilentSuite's. A post that trashed EteSync would be arguing against its own foundations.

Is EteSync still maintained?

Mostly abandoned. One client still ships; the rest of the stack has stopped moving. The evidence, from the EteSync GitHub organisation and F-Droid on 2026-08-15:

The Android client is the exception that proves the rule. F-Droid lists v2.7.0, released 2026-03-09, following v2.6.0 in October 2025. Hosted signup is open and pricing is live: Personal at $2/month billed yearly, Supporter at $4/month billed yearly, with a two-week trial.

The maintainer flagged the slowdown in a status update published 2023-12-20: “I have much less time than before so the development of the apps has slowed down. With that being said they continue to be maintained.” The same post says the servers are actively maintained and updated regularly. That refers to the hosted service, which nobody outside the project can inspect. A quiet server repository does not prove an unpatched deployment, and I am not going to claim otherwise.

What the repository history does show is a stack that has largely stopped. The server has not been committed to since July 2024, the JavaScript SDK since early 2023, and the iOS client since 2022. The Android app and the Java bindings are the only parts still moving, which is why I describe EteSync as mostly abandoned rather than healthy.

What does SilentSuite add to Etebase?

Maintenance across the whole surface, and a set of components kept in step with each other: an Etebase server under AGPL-3.0, a native Android app, a web client, and a local CalDAV/CardDAV bridge that decrypts on your machine and serves DAV on 127.0.0.1. What was forked, what was rebuilt, and which compatibility contracts still hold is set out in EteSync fork, SilentSuite.

SilentSuite is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by EteSync or Etebase. The upstream attribution and licence terms stay in the repository, because that is both the licence requirement and the honest thing to do.

EteSync vs SilentSuite

Prices as of 2026-08-15: EteSync Personal at $2/month billed yearly from the Etebase dashboard; SilentSuite from €3/mo on the Early Adopter tier billed annually, with self-hosting free under AGPL-3.0. EteSync costs less. That is a fair reading of the table.

Should you move from EteSync to SilentSuite?

If EteSync works for you today, it works today. The Android app still ships, the hosted service takes signups, and the encryption is the same encryption, so there is no security cliff waiting for you this week. What there is, is a project that has mostly stopped.

The case for moving is that the rest of the stack is not coming back on its own. If you want a maintained web client, a bridge with recent releases, and a server under current development, SilentSuite is where that work is happening. Because both products speak Etebase, the data model carries over rather than being rebuilt. Looking for an EteSync alternative covers the export and import path and the compatibility limits that still apply, including that the EteSync iOS app is not compatible with SilentSuite today.

What do both products encrypt?

The same things, because it is the same protocol. Item contents and collection metadata are encrypted on the client. The server sees that collections and items exist, roughly how many, and when they were revised. It does not see event titles, contact names, or calendar names. The detail is in what SilentSuite actually encrypts, and the boundaries of that promise are in SilentSuite's threat model.

FAQ

Is EteSync abandoned?
Mostly abandoned. Only the Android app still ships occasional releases: v2.7.0 landed on 2026-03-09, and hosted signup and pricing are live. The Etebase server has not been committed to since July 2024, the JavaScript SDK since early 2023, and the iOS client since 2022. The maintainer's 2023 status update said development had slowed.

Do SilentSuite and EteSync use the same encryption?
Yes. Both are built on the Etebase protocol, so item contents and collection metadata are encrypted on the client and the server holds ciphertext it cannot read. SilentSuite did not redesign the cryptography.

Can I move my data from EteSync to SilentSuite?
Yes, through export and import rather than an account transfer. Because both products speak Etebase, the data model carries over rather than being rebuilt. Compatibility limits still apply, including that the EteSync iOS app does not work with SilentSuite today.

Is SilentSuite affiliated with EteSync or Etebase?
No. SilentSuite is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either project. Upstream attribution and licence terms stay in the repository.

Which costs less, EteSync or SilentSuite?
EteSync. As of 2026-08-15, EteSync Personal is $2/month billed yearly, and SilentSuite is from €3/mo on the Early Adopter tier billed annually. Self-hosting the SilentSuite server under AGPL-3.0 is free beyond the infrastructure you run.

Etebase is a protocol worth keeping alive, and EteSync built it. The wider encrypted field is compared in encrypted calendar sync in 2026. If you want a maintained continuation of the protocol, get started with SilentSuite, or self-host the server under AGPL-3.0 and answer to nobody.