Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

rsync VS Sync.com

Compare rsync VS Sync.com and see what are their differences

rsync logo rsync

rsync is a file transfer program for Unix systems. rsync uses the "rsync algorithm" which provides a very fast method for bringing remote files into sync.

Sync.com logo Sync.com

Sync. com offers a backup tool and a file sharing service, rolled into one.
  • rsync Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-31
  • Sync.com Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12

rsync features and specs

  • Efficient Data Transfer
    Rsync uses a delta-transfer algorithm which allows it to update files by only sending the differences between the source and destination, greatly reducing the amount of data transferred.
  • Bandwidth Throttling
    Rsync provides an option to limit the bandwidth used during the transfer, helping to manage network resources and avoid congestion.
  • Compression
    Rsync supports compression of data during transfer, which can further reduce the amount of data sent over the network.
  • Secure Transfer
    Rsync can utilize SSH for secure data transfer, adding a layer of encryption to protect data as it moves between systems.
  • Versatile
    Rsync can be used for a variety of tasks such as backups, mirroring, and synchronization, making it a versatile tool for different data management needs.
  • Preserves File Attributes
    Rsync preserves file permissions, timestamps, ownerships, and symbolic links during the transfer, ensuring that all file attributes remain intact.
  • Widely Supported
    Rsync is available on most Unix-like operating systems and there are ports available for Windows, making it accessible across different platforms.
  • Open Source
    Rsync is free and open-source software, allowing anyone to use, modify, and distribute it without licensing fees.

Possible disadvantages of rsync

  • Complex Syntax
    The rsync command line options can be complex and difficult to master, especially for users who are not familiar with command-line interfaces.
  • Initial Setup
    Setting up rsync for the first time can be cumbersome, particularly when dealing with SSH keys, excluding files, and setting up cron jobs for automation.
  • Resource Intensive
    During large data transfers, rsync can be resource-intensive, consuming a considerable amount of CPU and RAM, which might affect system performance.
  • Limited Incremental Backup Support
    Rsync's incremental backup feature is somewhat limited and less sophisticated compared to dedicated backup solutions, requiring additional scripting for effective implementation.
  • Remote File System Compatibility
    Rsync may encounter issues with certain remote file systems that have different characteristics or limitations, such as differing maximum file path lengths or unsupported special characters.
  • No Native GUI
    Rsync does not have a native graphical user interface (GUI), which may make it less accessible to users who prefer or require a visual interaction.
  • No Built-in Scheduling
    Rsync lacks built-in scheduling capabilities, necessitating the use of external tools like cron (Linux/Unix) or Task Scheduler (Windows) to automate scheduled tasks.

Sync.com features and specs

  • Zero-Knowledge Encryption
    Sync.com offers end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the user has access to their data. Even Sync.com itself cannot access or read your files.
  • Privacy Compliance
    Sync.com complies with global privacy laws, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PIPEDA, making it suitable for business and personal use where data privacy is a concern.
  • Generous Free Plan
    Sync.com provides a free plan with up to 5 GB of storage, which is useful for users who need basic cloud storage without financial commitment.
  • Affordable Pricing
    Sync.com offers competitive pricing on its premium plans compared to other cloud storage providers, making it a cost-effective option for individuals and businesses.
  • File Versioning
    Sync.com includes file versioning, allowing users to recover older versions of their files up to 180 days in most plans, which can be beneficial in case of accidental deletion or file corruption.
  • Device and Platform Support
    Sync.com is compatible with various devices and platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, offering flexibility for accessing files from different environments.
  • Collaborative Features
    Sync.com provides tools for file sharing and collaboration, such as shared folders, file requests, and permissions, facilitating teamwork and file management.

Possible disadvantages of Sync.com

  • Limited Third-Party Integrations
    Sync.com has fewer integrations with third-party applications compared to other cloud storage providers, which might be a limitation for users who rely on a wide range of software solutions.
  • No Native Office Suite
    Sync.com lacks an integrated office suite for document editing and collaboration, which means users might need to use external applications to edit and collaborate on documents.
  • Speed and Performance
    Some users report slower upload and download speeds compared to other cloud storage services, which could be a drawback for users needing fast file transfers.
  • Basic Media Playback
    Sync.com's media playback functionality is relatively basic, which might not meet the needs of users looking for advanced media streaming capabilities directly from their storage account.
  • No Linux Support
    Sync.com does not offer a native application for Linux, excluding a segment of users who prefer or require Linux-based systems.
  • Learning Curve
    New users might find the Sync.com interface and features complex and may require time to understand and utilize the platform effectively.

Analysis of Sync.com

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Sync.com is considered a reliable and secure cloud storage service, especially for users who prioritize data privacy. It competes well with other cloud services by offering competitive pricing and robust security features.

Why this product is good

  • Sync.com is often praised for its strong emphasis on privacy and security. It offers end-to-end encryption, meaning that only you have access to your data. The service also includes features like zero-knowledge authentication, which ensures that your information remains private. Additionally, Sync.com provides generous storage plans, seamless file sharing, and synchronization capabilities across devices. Users appreciate its simplicity, user-friendly interface, and excellent customer support.

Recommended for

  • Individuals and businesses prioritizing data privacy and security
  • Users seeking an easy-to-use cloud storage solution
  • People who need a secure way to share files and collaborate
  • Individuals looking for reliable customer support

rsync videos

Rsync Backup on Linux

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Properly Use Cloud Storage | Rsync Encrypt Tutorial
  • Review - Setup OpenMediaVault 5.0 beta NAS on Raspberry Pi 4: RPi4 NAS + Configure RSync with x2 shares OMV5

Sync.com videos

Sync.com Review 2020: The Best Encrypted Cloud Storage?

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Sync.com Review and Tutorial 2020
  • Review - Sync.com - Is it Time to Drop Dropbox?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to rsync and Sync.com)
File Sharing And Backup
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Storage
37 37%
63% 63
File Sharing
64 64%
36% 36
Encrypted Cloud Storage
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare rsync and Sync.com

rsync Reviews

Linux File Backup - 5 Best Softeware for Linux Desktop and Server
Rsync(secured URL: https://linux.die.net/man/1/rsync) is a famous software among Linux desktop users since it offers command-line system backup services. Besides featuring incremental backups, you can update the complete file directory tree inside the system. Even it is possible to protect file ownership, permissions, links, etc.
Source: www.easeus.com
The Best Free Backup Software and Why it is Difficult to Find One
Rsync is the very definition of bare-bones backup software. It is a backup tool that is made for Unix systems with the ability to operate it both via the graphic interface and the command line. It allows for its users to perform local and remote backups on multiple devices, including incremental backups. Rsync also has the capability to sync systems across the internet with...
Source: www.bacula.org
The Top 17 Free and Open Source Backup Solutions
Rsync is a command line Linux backup tool, but it also offers a graphical user interface. With this software, IT administrators are able to perform incremental backups, as well as local and remote backups. Rsync enables users to update their whole directory tree and file system. The solution is built for UNIX-like systems, and is recommended to users looking to locally back...
11 Best Linux Backup Solutions
Rsync is another feature-rich backup solution available for Linux. It allows for incremental backups, update whole directory tree and file system, both local and remote backups, preserve file permissions, ownership, links, privileges, automated scripts and much more. Rsync is a command-line tool but there GUI or frontends such as Grsync available. Rsync is very popular in...
25 Outstanding Backup Utilities for Linux Systems in 2020
It also has a graphical user interface called Grsync but one advantage with the rsync is that backups can be automated using scripts and cron jobs when used by experienced System Administrators on the command line.
Source: www.tecmint.com

Sync.com Reviews

Best MEGA Alternatives in 2024 : These 5 Are Much Better!
Sync is great in terms of ease of use. Yes, its apps work on a myriad of platforms and they’re incredibly easy to set up and use. You can drag and drop your files to upload and download them while enjoying stellar performance. Sync isn’t the fastest compared to pCloud, for example.
Source: www.01net.com
Best Free Cloud Storage for 2024: What Cloud Storage Providers Offer the Most Free Storage?
If you’d prefer “free” to mean free, and you don’t mind a bit of hustle, you could take advantage of Sync.com’s generous referral system. Get real people to sign up to use Sync.com (they have to be real; Sync.com does check), and you’ll gain an extra 1GB free cloud storage per signup. Although 20GB is the cap, the company has been known to remove it if you email...
13 WeTransfer Alternatives (Free) in 2022
Sync.com is a cloud service for sharing files from any computer or mobile device. Sync provides an ideal solution for storing and sharing confidential and sensitive data.
Source: www.guru99.com
14 Best WeTransfer Alternatives to Share Large Files in 2022
The trusted all-in-one online file sharing platform Sync is trusted by more than 2 million users. Almost daily, all organizations must share files and folders with different internal teams for project-specific operations, with clients, vendors, etc. To accomplish this goal, sync is essential, and because it is cloud-based, users may benefit from redundancy, security, backup,...
Source: geekflare.com
The Best Google Drive Alternatives for 2022: Ditching Big Brother
Easily the most secure service on this list, Sync.com is the best Google Drive alternative if you want to keep your data safe from prying eyes. It offers client-side encryption for a price that can’t be beat and even bests Google in terms of file sharing. You can find out more about Sync.com in our full Sync.com review.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Sync.com seems to be a lot more popular than rsync. While we know about 155 links to Sync.com, we've tracked only 15 mentions of rsync. 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.

rsync mentions (15)

  • Down the Rabbit Hole of creating a Home Lab
    Rsync - Fast file copying and syncing. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Researchers have identified a total of 6 vulnerabilities in rsync
    Does this apply to the GPL or BSD codebase? There are (now) two rsync codebases. GPL: https://rsync.samba.org/ BSD: https://www.openrsync.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Which synchronization tool are you using together with the pCloud Crypto Folder?
    Rsync can be used to synchronize a local disk to the pCloud drive p. Works similarly as the Sync option of the pCloud Drive app. May be useful if one prefers a bulk upload once a day over a continuous synchronization. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Advanced Backup and Disaster Recovery Strategies
    Tools that can be used to handle this include Rsync, Duplicati, Cohesity. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Use rsync to Sync a Node Project to Dropbox and Ignore the node modules Folder
    To overcome this issue, you can use rsync, a powerful command-line tool for synchronizing files and directories, along with a bash script that excludes the node_modules folder and also filter out anything in a .gitignore file that you specify. In this article, I'll guide you through the process of setting up and using this bash script to sync your Node.js project while ignoring the node_modules folder. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
View more

Sync.com mentions (155)

  • How do you pro guys backup your workstation?
    External portable SSD for weekly Time Machine backups, stored offsite. Cloud-based storage (sync.com) with version control for frequently used documents. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Apps compatibility between ultra tab c (Android 11) and Air 3 c (Androids 12)
    I am moving from an ultra tab c to an air 3 c and strangely enough one of my apps (sync.com cloud storage) can be installed in the ultra tab c but it says its not compatible with the air 3 c device, even android is newer.. why? Am I missing something to fix/do? Source: over 1 year ago
  • Google Workspace Enterprise unlimited storage, gmail account deactivated
    Depends on what you need, I have been sniffing around sync.com to back up my unraid. Will have to use a windows VM to handle the "backup". Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Looking for an Affordable and Fast Cloud System (preferably with good speed in Europe)
    Sync.com might be unlimited right now but I highly doubt they will keep this up in the long run. And having to reupload after a few months sucks, especially with a slow connection. Every other service so far canceled this tier, or has some major asteriscs. Storage is pretty expensive, even if you operate at a huge scale so this is simply not a viable business model. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Looking for an Affordable and Fast Cloud System (preferably with good speed in Europe)
    Wait but sync.com does offer unlimited. And also Dropbox. These services are not good at all? Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing rsync and Sync.com, you can also consider the following products

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

Dropbox - Online Sync and File Sharing

Duplicati - Free backup software to store backups online with strong encryption. Works with FTP, SSH, WebDAV, OneDrive, Amazon S3, Google Drive and many others.

Mega - Secure File Storage and collaboration

GoodSync - GoodSync provides highly reliable file backup and synchronization for both individuals and businesses.

Google Drive - Access and sync your files anywhere