Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Gmvault VS isync (mbsync)

Compare Gmvault VS isync (mbsync) and see what are their differences

Gmvault logo Gmvault

Backup the emails in your Gmail account.

isync (mbsync) logo isync (mbsync)

mbsync is a command line application which synchronizes mailboxes.
  • Gmvault Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-25
  • isync (mbsync) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-11

Gmvault features and specs

  • Open-Source
    Gmvault is open-source software, which means you can inspect, modify, and enhance it according to your needs.
  • Cross-Platform
    It is compatible with multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Automated Backups
    Gmvault allows for automated email backups, which can be scheduled to run at regular intervals.
  • Data Privacy
    Since the data is stored locally, you have complete control over your email backups and privacy.
  • Restoration Flexibility
    You can restore emails to Gmail or other IMAP servers, providing flexibility in data management.

Possible disadvantages of Gmvault

  • Command-Line Interface
    Gmvault primarily operates via a command-line interface, which may not be user-friendly for non-technical users.
  • Setup Complexity
    The initial setup can be complex and may require technical knowledge and effort, especially for those new to command-line tools.
  • Limited Support
    Being open-source, it may have limited official support, meaning users will mostly rely on community support and documentation.
  • Dependency on Gmail
    Gmvault is tailored for Gmail, so its usefulness is limited if you need to back up email from other providers.
  • No Graphical User Interface
    The absence of a graphical user interface (GUI) can be a disadvantage for users who prefer visual interactions over text commands.

isync (mbsync) features and specs

  • Efficient Synchronization
    Isync (mbsync) efficiently synchronizes mailboxes, making it suitable for users who need to keep their mail in sync across multiple devices or platforms.
  • IMAP and Maildir Support
    It supports both IMAP and Maildir formats, offering flexibility for different email storage configurations.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, isync allows users to inspect, modify, and contribute to the code, fostering community support and transparency.
  • Lightweight
    Isync (mbsync) is lightweight and doesn't consume extensive system resources, making it a good choice for users with limited resources.
  • Customizable
    The tool offers a high degree of customization, letting users configure synchronization options to match their specific needs.

Possible disadvantages of isync (mbsync)

  • Complex Configuration
    Setting up isync can be complex, requiring a solid understanding of configuration files and command-line operations.
  • Limited GUI Support
    Isync lacks a graphical user interface, which can be a hurdle for users who prefer GUI-based applications over command-line tools.
  • No Built-in Scripting or Scheduling
    Users need to rely on external scripts or scheduling tools (like cron) to automate synchronization tasks, adding an extra layer of complexity.
  • Documentation
    The documentation for isync may not be as comprehensive or user-friendly as that of some commercial alternatives, potentially causing difficulties for new users.

Analysis of Gmvault

Overall verdict

  • Overall, GMVault is a reliable tool for Gmail backup and recovery. It is especially beneficial for those looking for a scriptable and configurable solution. However, users should be comfortable with command-line tools, as GMVault is primarily a command-line utility.

Why this product is good

  • GMVault is considered a good choice for those looking to back up and restore their Gmail data due to its robust features. It allows for automatic, regular backups and can handle large volumes of email efficiently. It's useful for users who need to ensure their email data is secure and easily retrievable.

Recommended for

    GMVault is recommended for tech-savvy users, system administrators, and businesses that require comprehensive email backup solutions. It's also suitable for individuals who prefer having an offline backup of their Gmail data.

Gmvault videos

Episode 133 - GMVault: Backup You GMail Account

isync (mbsync) videos

No isync (mbsync) videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Gmvault and isync (mbsync))
Monitoring Tools
79 79%
21% 21
Email Migration
0 0%
100% 100
Email Management
68 68%
32% 32
Email
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, isync (mbsync) should be more popular than Gmvault. It has been mentiond 17 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Gmvault mentions (9)

  • Backing up gmail emails
    I use GMvault for doing this and I'm quite happy with it. Unfortunately, it's not actively maintained anymore and out of the box, it doesn't work properly thanks to some annoying changes that Google has made to Oauth, but fortunately, there's plenty of documentation on GitHub for how to fix it. I have GMvault set up to run nightly using a cron job on my NAS. Source: about 2 years ago
  • local gmail backup
    With gmvault you can download and sync. http://gmvault.org/ it saves in .eml format, I assume you could use a locally installed web mailer for accessing the emails? Source: about 2 years ago
  • local gmail backup
    I used this until I didn't need it any more, worked perfectly for a long time: http://gmvault.org/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • recommendations for archiving gmail locally for search?
    I recommend to look in gmvault http://gmvault.org/ . Source: almost 3 years ago
  • When You Get Locked Out of Your Google Account, What Do You Do? (2021)
    It's a good idea to use something like gmvault [0] to ensure you have regular downloads of your mail corpus locally. [0] http://gmvault.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
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isync (mbsync) mentions (17)

  • Imapsync
    Instead of migrating from server to server — and remaining on computers I don’t own - I download locally which it looks this tool doesn’t do. I use mbsync/isync which is fast and reliable. https://isync.sourceforge.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Seeking Advice on Backing Up Emails from External Email Providers - Not Hosting
    There are also isync and OfflineIMAP which sync email locally. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Suggestions for long term email storage
    I set up mbsync to mirror the current (last 90 days) of my Fastmail IMAP account into another local Maildir, and told Notmuch to index that as well. This ensures a Notmuch search will cover both current & archived messages. Source: about 2 years ago
  • What's the benefit of using an email client?
    On my notebook I went full-on nerd and read and write emails mostly in the Emacs text editor. In particular I use isync to fetch emails via imap (that's independent from Emacs) and the Emacs extension mu4e to view, write and send emails. It's not something I recommend if you're not used to working with code and not using Emacs anyway, but for me it makes sense, since emails are just text and Emacs is good with... Source: about 2 years ago
  • How to run a script to cleanup emails ?
    Myself, I keep a local copy of my mail using isync/mbsync. This allows me to use mutt and notmuch on my mail, or even just plain old grep. Granted, this also means you'll have to download your 30GB mailbox locally. Personally, I consider this a feature, as it gives me a local backup. Source: about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Gmvault and isync (mbsync), you can also consider the following products

MailStore - MailStore Home - A 100% free single-private-user desktop solution

imapsync - Console-based utility for migrating IMAP mailboxes.

OfflineIMAP - OfflineImap synchronizes email between an IMAP server and a MailDir or between two IMAP servers.

Got Your Back - Got Your Back (GYB) is a command line tool that backs up and restores your Gmail account.

Softaken IMAP to IMAP Migration - Softaken IMAP to IMAP Migration allows transfer of emails from one IMAP Server to another. All IMAP Servers are compatible with this application. Users can easily migrate complete mailbox folders between IMAP Server accounts with attachments.

Mail Backup X - Your one stop mail backup and archiving tool for Mac.