Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

RoboCopy VS Copy Handler

Compare RoboCopy VS Copy Handler and see what are their differences

RoboCopy logo RoboCopy

Robocopy is a free file copy tool that is included with the Microsoft Windows operating system. It allows one to construct complicated instructions to move, or copy files.

Copy Handler logo Copy Handler

the open source, free file copy utility that is: fast, highly customizable
  • RoboCopy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-22
  • Copy Handler Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-11

RoboCopy features and specs

  • High Performance
    RoboCopy is designed for efficient and fast file copy operations, making it suitable for copying large volumes of data quickly.
  • Resumable Transfers
    It can resume file transfers after interruptions, reducing the need to restart the copy operation from scratch.
  • Advanced File Selection
    Supports complex file selection criteria, such as filtering by file size, attributes, and last modified date.
  • Mirroring Capabilities
    Can mirror entire directories, ensuring source and destination directories are kept in sync.
  • Logging and Reporting
    RoboCopy provides detailed logs and reports of copy operations, which is useful for auditing and troubleshooting.
  • Multi-threading
    Supports multi-threaded file copying, allowing parallel transfer of multiple files to improve performance.
  • Robust Error Handling
    Offers robust error handling and retry mechanisms, ensuring higher reliability in copy operations.
  • Access Control Compliance
    Preserves file and folder permissions (ACLs), ownership, and attributes, ensuring compliance with access control policies.

Possible disadvantages of RoboCopy

  • Complex Syntax
    The command-line interface can be complex and intimidating for users who are not familiar with command-line operations.
  • No Native GUI
    RoboCopy does not include a graphical user interface (GUI), which may make it less accessible for some users.
  • Overhead for Small Files
    There can be considerable overhead when copying a large number of small files, which may reduce overall performance.
  • Limited Real-Time Monitoring
    Does not offer real-time monitoring or progress indicators in the way that some modern copying tools provide.
  • Potential Data Loss
    Incorrect usage of certain switches (e.g., /MIR) can result in unintended data loss, making it necessary to use caution.
  • Limited Support
    Being a native Windows tool, it primarily supports Windows environments and lacks the cross-platform capabilities of some alternatives.
  • Learning Curve
    It has a steep learning curve for advanced features, requiring users to invest time in understanding its full capabilities.

Copy Handler features and specs

  • Open Source
    Copy Handler is an open-source software, which means it is free to use and its source code is available for anyone to inspect, modify, and enhance.
  • Advanced Options
    The software offers a variety of advanced features like filtering files by name, size, date, and attributes, giving users more control over the file transfer process.
  • Speed
    Copy Handler generally improves the speed of file copy operations compared to the built-in Windows file copy system.
  • Error Recovery
    The tool is equipped with error recovery capabilities to resume interrupted transfers, reducing the likelihood of data loss.
  • Queue Management
    Copy Handler allows users to manage multiple file transfer queues, which can be paused, stopped, or resumed as needed.
  • Integration
    It integrates well with Windows Explorer, making it easy to use for users familiar with the Windows interface.

Possible disadvantages of Copy Handler

  • User Interface
    The user interface may not be as modern or intuitive as some paid alternatives, potentially making it less accessible for novice users.
  • Platform Compatibility
    Copy Handler is designed primarily for Windows. Users of other operating systems, such as macOS or Linux, will not be able to use this tool natively.
  • Development Activity
    The frequency of updates and new features may be slower compared to commercial software, potentially lagging behind in addressing new user needs and technological advancements.
  • Limited Support
    As free and open-source software, Copy Handler may not offer the same level of customer support and troubleshooting assistance that commercial software provides.

Analysis of RoboCopy

Overall verdict

  • RoboCopy is generally considered a good and reliable tool for file copying and backup purposes, especially in professional and enterprise environments where data integrity and efficiency are critical. Its advanced capabilities make it a preferred choice for users who require more control over their file transfer processes.

Why this product is good

  • RoboCopy, which stands for Robust File Copy, is highly regarded due to its robustness and advanced features that extend beyond what the standard Windows copy command offers. It supports file mirroring, can resume failed copies, and recognizes NTFS attributes and properties, making it ideal for large data transfer tasks. Furthermore, RoboCopy can handle network interruptions effectively and offers extensive options for logging operations, making it suitable for administrators and power users who need to perform complex file transfer tasks with precision and reliability.

Recommended for

    RoboCopy is recommended for IT professionals, system administrators, and power users who need to perform complex file copy operations, including backing up data, file archiving, and synchronizing directories across different locations. It is particularly useful in environments where robust performance and detailed control over the copy process are necessary.

Analysis of Copy Handler

Overall verdict

  • Copy Handler is generally regarded as a good utility for users who need more control and efficiency over file transfer tasks on Windows systems. Its user-friendly interface and robust feature set make it a reliable choice.

Why this product is good

  • Copy Handler is often considered a useful tool due to its capabilities to efficiently manage file copying and moving operations on Windows. It provides advanced features like pause and resume, detailed list of pending operations, full control over the process, customizable settings, and an extensive logging system.

Recommended for

  • Users who frequently transfer large files or large quantities of files on Windows.
  • Individuals who need advanced control over file transfer operations, such as pausing and resuming transfers.
  • Anyone seeking increased speed and reliability when performing file copying tasks compared to the default Windows system.
  • Technical users who appreciate the ability to customize and tweak settings to fit specific needs.

RoboCopy videos

Robocopy Backup Tutorial for Windows

More videos:

  • Review - Create A Custom Backup Script With Windows Robocopy by Britec
  • Review - Robocopy vs GS RichCopy 360 Enterprise Backup Software

Copy Handler videos

Copy Handler

More videos:

  • Review - Copy Handler 1.44
  • Tutorial - How to use TERA COPY as your default copy handler in windows 7.(DOWNLOAD LINK )

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RoboCopy and Copy Handler)
File Management
63 63%
37% 37
File Sharing
57 57%
43% 43
File Sharing And Backup
71 71%
29% 29
Data Replication
62 62%
38% 38

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare RoboCopy and Copy Handler

RoboCopy Reviews

Top File Copiers 2022 for Windows 11
RoboCopy, an abbreviation of Robust File Copy, is a command-line based tool. It provides tons of advanced features for complex file copying operations. One of such features is repetitive copy jobs. The tool is also especially helpful for network administrators to copy large files over-the-network. You can use filters to copy only specific file types, rather than all files....
28 Best File Copy Software for Windows
WinRoboCopy is a free graphical user interface for the RoboCopy command. It possesses the following characteristics:
Source: techcult.com
Top 10 best file copy software 2021 [updated]
Unlike the ones above, this is not actually a software app you can download and install on your PC. RoboCopy is the short way to write โ€œRobust File Copy,โ€ it is a command-line utility for copying files from one directory to another in Windows OS. This file copy utility functionally replaces Xcopy with more options to offer. To run this utility, the command is robocopy. It is...
Best File Copy Software for Windows and Mac
Robust File Copy, commonly written as RoboCopy, is a command-line utility that allows Windows PC users to quickly transfer or copy files from one directory to another, and from one Windows PC to another. It is a built-in Windows 10 OS and activated with the command โ€œRobocopy /?โ€ (without quotes) via the CMD terminal.
14 Best File Copy Utility Software for Windows 10, 8, 7 in 2021
RoboCopy is not a particular tool or software for copying files. It is just a command that one can use to copy and move files on Windows. RoboCopy stands for Robust File Copy and is available in almost all versions of Windows after Windows NT 4. It is one of the oldest methods to copy files, and here are the features that RoboCopy command offers.

Copy Handler Reviews

10 Free Fast Copy Paste Software for Windows
Copy Handler is a fast copy utility for Windows to copy and move files. It can be integrated with Windows shell and the right-click menu. You can set custom buffer as per the copy type whether within the HDD, or internal HDD to External HDD, HDD to the optical drive, and so on. It is very flexible to use with a plethora of customization options. You can also set system shut...
Top 10 best file copy software 2021 [updated]
Copy Handler is an intuitive utility program with a bunch of flexible parameters to help you copy so many files at a go. For Windows PC users, this app is a perfect solution for your bulk copying needs. The program is available for free, fast in operation, supports pause, resume, restart and cancel functionalities, as well as support multiple languages. With Copy Handler,...
Best File Copy Software for Windows and Mac
Just as other file copy software that has been listed so far, Copy Handler is a worthy mention. It is fast and easy to use, providing a bunch of adjustable parameters to simplify the process of sharing files across Windows computers. More so, it features an intuitive graphical user interface and compatible with all Windows operating system versions, including Windows XP.
14 Best File Copy Utility Software for Windows 10, 8, 7 in 2021
Copy Handler is a comprehensive free tool to copy files on Windows PC. It provides multiple options such as resume, pause, stop, etc. while transferring the files. Along with the exciting features, Copy Handler also offers multi-lingual support, including English and Polish. Here are some more features of this one of the fastest copy software.
13 Best File Copy Utility Software for Windows PC in 2021
It is a free to use app. Copy Handler operates at a faster rate, and aids in pausing, resuming, restarting and cancelling the different functionalities. It supports many languages at a time. You can transfer files between drives and computers in quite a less amount of time.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, RoboCopy seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 50 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.

RoboCopy mentions (50)

  • Is ultracopier still the very best in terms of open source alternative file copying/merging tool ?
    I used robocopy on a slow network to transfer many gigabyte of data; properly configured with retries and everything worked great. Don't know about your merge needs, so take a look into it and do some tests before actually running it. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Is copying the best way to transfer large amounts of files?
    If you're copying a ton of files that vary in size, using a command prompt robocopy with the multi-thread parameter can make it so you are copying multiple files simultaneously and max out the bandwidth of whatever connection you're using (usb, SATA, ethernet, etc). Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Game data to new PC
    This would probably work well. Oblivion mod managers edit load order by modifying dates on the files, and I'm not sure if dragging-and-dropping would keep that info. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Migrating file servers - Robocopy syntax question
    Yes, /mir also deletes files and directories that have been deleted from the source. Here's a list of the switches. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Robocopy Hell - Copy data without NTFS permissions
    My friend you helped me big time. I was able to test more and the U flag on /COPY was the culprit here. Which isn't a huge deal for me so using /COPY:DAT worked great. Turns out this is the default switching for /COPY anyway according to https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/robocopy. Source: almost 4 years ago
View more

Copy Handler mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Copy Handler yet. Tracking of Copy Handler recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing RoboCopy and Copy Handler, you can also consider the following products

TeraCopy - TeraCopy is a compact program designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed, providing the user with a lot of features.

Ultracopier - SuperCopier replaces Windows explorer file copy and adds many features: Transfer resuming, transfer...

FastCopy - FastCopy is the fastest copy, delete, & sync software on Windows.

Copywhiz - Copywhiz enhances your file copy experience in Windows. It offers more flexibility when copying files by letting you choose which type of files to copy & which to ignore - Selective File Copy. Also schedule automatic file backups using Copywhiz.

MiniCopier - MiniCopier is a multi-platform graphical copy manager.

FreeFileSync - FreeFileSync is a free open source data backup software that helps you synchronize files and folders on Windows, Linux and macOS.