Comparison of file synchronization software
This is a list of file synchronization software. File synchronization is a process of ensuring that files in two or more locations are updated via certain rules.
Definitions
Detect rename, move: Some programs sync such by a rename or move on the mirror. Most programs detect rename or move as deletion and addition, the file is copied again to the mirror at the new location or with the new name. A major difference in duration of syncing large renamed or moved files. To detect a rename or move, the most efficient option seems calculation and registration of a hash total for the original and mirror file when copying.
Open source
This is a comparison of free and open source software.
| Name | Protocol | Programming language | Windows | Mac OS X | Linux | Other OS | License | Version | Portable | Detect conflict | Detect rename (talk) | Detect move (talk) | Undo | Scheduling or Service | Sync to Cloud | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conduit | network/web app | Python | No | No | Yes | No | GPL | 0.3.16 | Yes | Synchronizes files, website, network apps | ||||||
| Create Synchronicity | file system | Visual Basic .NET | Yes | No | Yes (using Mono) | No | GPL | 2011-05-03 = 5.2.1 | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes (native, via OS) | |||
| DirSync Pro | file system | Java | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes cross-platform | GPLv3 | 2013-04-07 = 1.46 | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes (creates backup files) | Yes (native + via OS) | sym-links, filter, metadata, contents, auto-sync | |
| FreeFileSync[1] | file system | C++ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | GPL+OpenCandy | 2013-08-03 = 5.20 | Yes (installer option) | Yes | Yes (in two-way variant) | Yes (in two-way variant) | Yes (versioning + recycler) | Yes | ||
| iFolder | file system | C#, Mono | Yes (client software only) | Yes (client software only) | Yes | No | GPL | 2010-7-19 = 3.8.0.3 | No | Yes (centralized database) | Yes (files, not folders) | Yes (files, not folders) | ||||
| luckyBackup | file system | C++ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | GPLv3 | 2012-03-14 = 0.4.7 | Yes | Yes | Uses rsync backend | |||||
| OneSync | file system | C# | Yes | No | No | No | GPL | 2010-10-21 = 3.0 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |||
| rsync | file system or network | C in a Unix-Linux shell | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | GPL v3 | 2011-09-23 = 3.09 | Yes | No | No | No | No | via OS | client & server operation. Multiple comparison criteria (date, check-sum). | |
| SparkleShare | file system | C# | Yes | Yes | Yes | Android, iOS | GPL v3 | 0.8.4 | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Uses Git | ||
| Synkron | file system | C++ | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | GPL v2 | 2011-01-25 = 1.6.2 | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | no longer in active development | |
| Synchronizer (krusader) | file system | No | No | Yes | No | GPL v2 | 2012-10-21 = 2.4.0-beta3 | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Synchronizer no longer in active development | ||
| Unison | similar to rsync over socket, rsh, encrypted ssh, or file system | OCaml | Yes | Yes[2] | Yes | Yes[3][4] | GPL | 2011-05-11 = 2.40.63 | Yes[5] | Yes (centralized database) | Yes (remote xferbycopying) | Yes (remote xferbycopying) | Yes (backups) | via OS | efficient mature and stable but no longer in active development[6] | |
| Name | Protocol | Programming language | Windows | Mac OS X | Linux | Other OS | License | Version | Portable | Detect conflict | Detect rename | Detect move | Undo | Scheduling or Service | Sync to Cloud | Other information |
Freeware
This is a comparison of proprietary software released as freeware or gratis.
| Name | OS | Vendor | Online cloud storage | Remote desktop | Prior file versions, revision control | Comments | Portable | Detect rename | Detect move | Scheduling | Full duplex transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft ActiveSync | Windows | Microsoft | No | No | ? | Syncs mobile devices | |||||
| BitTorrent Sync | Windows / Mac OS X / Linux / FreeBSD | BitTorrent, Inc | No | No | Yes (previous versions moved to trash folder) | Distributed peer-to-peer sync | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Briefcase in Microsoft Windows | Windows | Microsoft | No | No | ? | ||||||
| Windows Mobile Device Center | Windows | Microsoft | No | No | ? | Syncs mobile devices; successor to Microsoft ActiveSync | |||||
| Gbridge | Windows | Gbridge LLC | No | Yes, via VNC or RDP | Sync folders, live web browsing, etc. | No | No | Yes | |||
| Microsoft Sync Framework | Windows | Microsoft | ? | No | ? | Syncs files, data, services; a framework, not a tool | Yes | Yes | - | ||
| Microsoft SyncToy | Windows | Microsoft | No | No | No, recycle bin only | Sync local folders | Yes | Yes | via OS | No | |
| Echosync | Windows | Lumisoft | No | No | No | Sync local and network folders | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, via OS (tasks scheduler) | No |
| Windows Live Mesh (discontinued 13 February 2013) | Windows (Vista and greater), Windows Mobile, OSX | Microsoft | Yes | Yes | No, recycle bin only | Sync folders, cloud storage | No | Yes | ? | No, syncs whenever it's online | Yes |
| Windows Live Sync (discontinued 31 March 2011) | Windows, OSX | Microsoft | No, browsing only | No | No, recycle bin only | Sync folders, browse devices from website, remote access; was Microsoft FolderShare, 20,000 file limit | No | Yes | Yes | No, syncs whenever it's online | ? |
Commercial
This is a comparison of proprietary software released as commercial.
| Name | Windows | Mac | Linux | Other OS | Open source | Online backup service | Freeware version | Portable | Detect conflict | File lock | Open file support | Revision control | Detect rename | Detect move | Full duplex transfer | Propagate deletes | Case sensitive | Delta copying (block level transfer) | LAN Sync | Sync any directory | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allway Sync | Yes | No | No | No | No | via other providers | Yes, with limits | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | |||||||||
| AIMstor | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes, with limits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes through VSS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No case preserving | ||||
| Argentum Backup | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||
| BackupAssist | Yes | No | No | No | No | via Rsync | No | No | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Backup4all | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||
| BatchSync | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes, with limits | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Box Sync | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes, with limits | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes | ? | No | ||||
| CloudMe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, iPhone, Android, Google TV, Samsung TV | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ? | ? | No | Yes | No | ? | ? | Yes | ? | No | Yes | |
| Distributed Storage | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | via other providers | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||||||
| Dmailer Sync (discontinued) | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||
| Dropbox | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, Android, iPhone, BlackBerry | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | No | |
| Easy2Sync for Files | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, for folders | ||||||||||||
| Egnyte | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, Android, iPad, iPhone | No | Yes | No | No | No, handled by versioning | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No, case preserving | ||||
| FileRock | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
| GoodSync | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, Android, iPad, iPhone, USB flash drive | No | Yes, with limits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Handy Backup | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | ||||||||||||||
| ownCloud | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, but not supported | Yes, with limits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| RepliWeb | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes, partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Robocopy | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | ||||||||||||
| SpiderOak | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Partial | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[7] | No, one-way sharing only | Yes[8] | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| SugarSync | Yes | Yes | No | Yes, Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[9] | ||||||||||||
| SuperFlexible | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes, Linux only | Yes, manual install | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| SyncBack | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Syncdocs | Yes | No | No | No, Google Docs web interface only | No | Yes | Yes, beta only | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | for MS Word only[10] | Yes | |||||
| Synchronize It! | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |||||||||||||
| Syncplicity | Yes | Yes | No | Yes, Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |||||||||
| Tonido | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Phone | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Ubuntu One | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, Android, iPhone, iPad [11] | Partial | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||
| Wuala | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, Android | Partial | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||
| ZumoDrive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, Android, iPhone, Palm webOS | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Name | Windows | Mac | Linux | Other OS | Open source | Online backup service | Freeware version | Portable | Detect conflict | File lock | Open file support | Revision control | Detect rename | Detect move | Full duplex transfer, collaborative | Propagate deletes | Case sensitive | Delta copying (block level transfer) | LAN Sync | Sync any directory |
See also
- Comparison of file comparison tools
- Comparison of online backup services
- Comparison of file hosting services
- Comparison of revision control software
- Comparison of browser synchronizers
- List of backup software
References
- Kerner, Sean (2008-02-13). "Get In Sync with File Syncing Software". Tom's Guide. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- Kerner, Sean (2008-02-27). "Syncing Software Redux: More Options". Tom's Guide. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ http://sourceforge.net/projects/freefilesync/
- ^ No way to edit jobs via GUI, CLI version just starts GUI
- ^ "Unison File Synchronizer". Cis.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
- ^ unison on Android
- ^ "The Portable Freeware Collection - Portable Unison". Portablefreeware.com. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
- ^ "Unison File Synchronizer". Cis.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
- ^ Susie Ochs (2009-06-11). "Online Storage Battle: Which Cloud Back-Up Service Reigns Supreme?". MacLife. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|2=(help); Text "style="background:#FFC7C7;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-no"|No" ignored (help); Text "style="background:#FFC7C7;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-no"|No" ignored (help) - ^ "Does SpiderOak backup the whole file every time it changes?". SpiderOak. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ^ "See How SugarSync Stacks up to the Competition". SugarSync (formerly called SharpCast). Retrieved 2010-01-13.
- ^ "Syncdocs feature list". Syncdocs Web. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
- ^ "Ubuntu One:Downloads". Ubuntu One. Retrieved 14 April 2013.