Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Rclone VS sshfs

Compare Rclone VS sshfs and see what are their differences

Rclone logo Rclone

rsync for cloud storage.

sshfs logo sshfs

This is a filesystem client based on the SSH File Transfer Protocol.
  • Rclone Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-23
  • sshfs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-26

Rclone features and specs

  • Versatility
    Rclone supports a wide range of cloud storage providers such as Google Drive, Amazon S3, Dropbox, OneDrive, and many others, making it a versatile tool for synchronization and backup.
  • Command-Line Interface
    Rclone offers a powerful command-line interface which provides advanced users detailed control over their synchronization and backup operations.
  • Cross-Platform
    Rclone is cross-platform and can be used on Windows, macOS, and various Linux distributions, offering flexibility in different environments.
  • Encryption
    Rclone supports encryption for both files and directory names, ensuring that data is secure while being transferred or stored.
  • Scriptability
    Being a command-line tool, Rclone can be easily included in scripts and automated workflows, which is beneficial for repetitive tasks.
  • Open Source
    Rclone is open-source software, meaning it's free to use, and the source code is available for review and contribution, promoting transparency and community-driven development.

Possible disadvantages of Rclone

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Rclone's command-line interface may be intimidating and difficult for beginners to learn and use effectively.
  • Lack of GUI
    Rclone lacks a graphical user interface (GUI), which could be a limitation for users who prefer or need a more visual interaction with their backup and synchronization tasks.
  • Limited Support
    While Rclone has a supportive community, it lacks formal customer support, which might be an issue for enterprise users needing prompt troubleshooting.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running complex synchronization tasks, especially involving large volumes of data, can be resource-intensive in terms of both CPU and memory.
  • Configuration Complexity
    The setup and configuration of Rclone can be complicated, requiring users to manually configure remote storage connections through text files or command-line prompts.

sshfs features and specs

  • Remote File Access
    SSHFS allows you to mount remote directories over SSH, enabling seamless access to files on a remote server as if they were on your local machine.
  • Security
    Relying on SSH for data transmission ensures encrypted and secure communication between the client and server, protecting against eavesdropping and tampering.
  • Ease of Use
    Setting up SSHFS is straightforward for those already familiar with SSH, making it a convenient solution for remote file handling without needing additional configurations.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    SSHFS can be used across various Unix-like systems and has ports for macOS and Windows, offering broad compatibility for different environments.
  • Portability
    As SSHFS builds on SSH, it can be used almost anywhere SSH is available, providing flexibility in working across different networks and setups.

Possible disadvantages of sshfs

  • Performance
    Since SSHFS relies on SSH for data transfer, it may not perform as well as traditional network file systems, particularly over high-latency connections.
  • Limited Functionality
    SSHFS might not support all functionalities of a full-fledged network file system, such as advanced file locking mechanisms or sophisticated permission management.
  • Dependency on SSH
    The effectiveness of SSHFS is contingent upon SSH configurations and permissions, which can limit usability if not properly set up.
  • Potential Security Risks
    If SSH access is compromised or not sufficiently secured, the data accessed over SSHFS is at risk, underscoring the need for robust SSH security practices.
  • Mount Stability
    In the event of network interruptions or SSH session drops, SSHFS mounts can become unstable or unresponsive, requiring remounting or manual intervention.

Rclone videos

What is Rclone?

More videos:

  • Review - Getting started with Rclone in Windows (GDrive & Crypt Remotes)

sshfs videos

Mounting Remote Filesystems With SSHFS

More videos:

  • Review - sshfs - Mount Network Share over SSH - Linux CLI
  • Review - Hak5 - Build Secure Online Storage - SSHFS, File Systems, Fuse and Userland, Hak5 1111 part1

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Rclone and sshfs)
Cloud Storage
92 92%
8% 8
FTP Client
0 0%
100% 100
Web Service Automation
File Sharing
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Rclone and sshfs

Rclone Reviews

  1. Mindy
    · retired at none ·
    Awesome peice of software for Rclone

    I was looking for a GUI for rclone and found one. I am so happy for this software it has made working with rclone so much easier, and so far it has worked PERFECT. I love it!!!

    🏁 Competitors: CloudMounter, NetDrive
    👍 Pros:    Easy to use|Easy to use interface|Super simple
    👎 Cons:    No mac software
  2. cloudslinker
    · Working at CloudsLinker ·

15 Best Rclone Alternatives 2022
With Cryptomator, what you get is a simple digital protection tool. Rclone syncs your files to cloud storage, while Cryptomator syncs and locks your files to cloud storage. Cryptomator gives you access to your files on any device and only you hold the keys to access them.

sshfs Reviews

We have no reviews of sshfs yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Rclone seems to be a lot more popular than sshfs. While we know about 627 links to Rclone, we've tracked only 34 mentions of sshfs. 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.

Rclone mentions (627)

  • Dropbox will require App Indicator support on Linux
    But, for anyone on a site literally called "Hacker News", a DIY dropbox should be trivial. The fact that anybody, especially, "nerds" or "hackers" would pay good money for what is effectively an FTP server with file versioning is insane. I am mostly jealous that I didn't build and sell dropbox and become an overnight millionaire for setting up FTP. But seriously, modern approach,... - Source: Hacker News / 3 days ago
  • Use CLI on any OS to read-write your iPhone folders (without cloud or cable)
    The WebDAV server is Class 1 compliant (Basic), compatible with WebDAV clients like Cyberduck, rclone (GUI & CLI, available on macOS, Windows, and Linux), etc. This guide will use Cyberduck, but rclone works too. - Source: dev.to / 12 days ago
  • Simple backup service with rclone, restic and systemd on WebDAV (or another storage)
    Let me show you how I back up my computers with restic and rclone using simple systemd configuration. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • How do you backup your Android?
    Rclone [1] (bidirectional sync) on Termux [2], with Termux:Widget [3] to make syncing as simple as a button press. I backup my stuff to Google Drive, although rclone has many other supported remotes. [1] https://rclone.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Show HN: Open-source, E2E encrypted file storage on Google Drive
    The app looks pretty cool! Congratulations, OP!! If you don't need a web UI, I'd strongly recommend rclone (https://rclone.org/) that can layer e2e encryption over many and I mean MANY cloud storage providers! It runs on Linux, Windows, MacOS and Android. Finally, it has some nifty features as "union" which combines multiple backends into a single directory view. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
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sshfs mentions (34)

  • Sshfs for Windows
    What are you basing that on? It had a release in 2022 and last commit is 7 months old. It probably hasn't needed any new features in a while. I'm not sure how often it would need security updates. Ah, I see now there's a note in the README[0]. It sounds more like it's in maintenance mode / understaffed than completely abandoned, but I suppose it's worth being aware of. Sshfs has been a killer feature for me on my... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • How do you setup your gnome extension development environment?
    Sshfs - allows us mount a remote filesystem using SFTP. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • The Cheapest NAS
    I use sshfs. If you can login via ssh then you can mount the remote server through ssh as a local drive. https://github.com/libfuse/sshfs For added security I limit my home ssh access to a handful of trusted IPs including my cloud VM. Then I set up an ssh tunnel from my hotel through the cloud VM to home. The cloud VM never sees my password / key. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Rclone syncs your files to cloud storage
    > It's replaced sshfs for some cases. I'd been using sshfs for some years until I learned that rclone can mount remotes to the file system, and I've been using that happily since then. https://rclone.org/commands/rclone_mount/ > at present SSHFS does not have any active, regular contributors, and there are a number of known issues - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • A currently maintained fork of SSHFS
    Interesting, I alaways assumed sshfs was part of OpenSSH, learn something new every day. Also, looks like sshfs used in Slackware is abandoned. https://github.com/libfuse/sshfs A quote from the link, I wonder if this project will be the 'one': >If you would like to take over this project, you are welcome to do so. Please fork it and develop the fork for a while. Once... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Rclone and sshfs, you can also consider the following products

Syncthing - Syncthing replaces proprietary sync and cloud services with something open, trustworthy and...

WinSCP - WinSCP is an open source free SFTP client and FTP client for Windows.

Cryptomator - When it comes to saving your files on a cloud server, it is important to ensure the security of those files. Keeping your delicate files out of the wrong hands can save you a lot of time and hassle. Read more about Cryptomator.

WinFsp - WinFsp, Windows File System Proxy, is a set of software components for Windows computers that...

RaiDrive - Mount NAS, Router, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox to a network drive or file explorer.

SSHFS-Win - SSHFS-Win is a minimal port of SSHFS to Windows.