File syncing apps have plenty of uses, and the apps covered here work well for most needs. For example, Dropbox stores your files online so that you can access them anywhere, while Resilio Sync skips servers altogether and syncs via a peer-to-peer connection. Dropbox is a file sync utility that’s easy to use because the folder in which you store files on your device is replicated to all the computers and mobile devices signed in to your account. Dropbox is free for the first 2 GB of data. You can buy more storage with the individual Plus plan or Family plan, both of which offer 2 TB of storage, or the Professional plan that offers 3 TB of storage. Download For: Like most file sync apps, GoodSync keeps two folders in sync with each other. However, you can take it a step further and connect the program to your phone to back up your photos and videos automatically or to send files from your computer to your phone on a schedule. Unlike most file sync software programs, GoodSync lets you connect to a variety of locations in addition to your computer folders, like FTP servers and cloud storage services. If you don’t use an online service, GoodSync works like a P2P file sync program—no data is stored online. The free version of GoodSync has some limitations—a maximum number of files that you can sync for any single job and a maximum number of jobs you can make in any one account. You can buy GoodSync to get more features beyond the free version. Download For: All versions of SyncBack let you sync select files and folders, back up to FTP, compress files, and set other basic options. However, SyncBack Lite also supports copying locked files; SyncBackSE works for business use and includes a USB app, incremental backups, and file versioning; and SyncBackPro with SyncBack Touch is a multi-platform solution for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. SyncBack doesn’t work with iOS. You can sync your files within your same network, such as another drive on your computer or a shared folder on a different computer. You can also sync your files to an online account like Dropbox or Google Drive. To sync to another computer that’s not in your network, you have to buy SyncBack Touch. Unlike Dropbox, where you put every file you want to sync into the Dropbox folder, Resilio has you pick folders on your computer that will be synced to your other devices. For example, select your iTunes folder to share your music between your different computers. When you accept a folder share from another computer, you pick which folder on your computer is used to download the files. From there, any changes you make are reflected back to the other computer’s original folder. Some features, such as selective syncing to sync only certain files from a folder, are available only if you upgrade out of the free version of Resilio. Development may have slowed down with the 2020 release. Resilio is promoting its Connect product heavily. FreeFileSync is useful for individuals and businesses for comparing multiple folders and synchronizing folders. It provides a robust backup solution. Choose to sync folders in real time, sync on a schedule, or run the sync program at startup. Setup and scheduling are easy to handle, although some users may find the cluttered interface a little overwhelming at first.
