restic
Focus: encryption, snapshots and command line. Shares backup and open source with FreeFileSync. Rated 4.7 (FreeFileSync: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
Desktop App
FreeFileSync
A free, open-source app for comparing and syncing folders and backups.
Rating
4.6 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Intermediate
Works on
Windows, macOS, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is FreeFileSync?
FreeFileSync is a free, open-source tool that compares folders and synchronises the differences, which makes it ideal for backups to external drives, network shares or cloud folders. It shows exactly what will change before you sync, and an optional donation edition adds extras such as parallel copying.
Pros: what FreeFileSync does well
- Clear preview before syncing
- Handles very large folders
- Real-time sync option
Cons: where it falls short
- Interface looks dated
- Some extras are in the donation edition
Who FreeFileSync is for
Anyone who keeps manual backups of work files, photos or projects.
Who can skip it
People who already rely fully on automatic cloud backup.
FreeFileSync alternatives
Not sold on FreeFileSync? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
BorgBackup
Focus: encryption, deduplication and command line. Shares backup and open source with FreeFileSync. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Syncthing
Focus: peer to peer and dropbox alternative. Shares file sync and open source with FreeFileSync. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Duplicati
Focus: encryption, cloud storage and scheduler. Shares backup and open source with FreeFileSync. Rated 4.5 (FreeFileSync: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Vorta
Focus: encryption, borg and privacy. Shares backup and open source with FreeFileSync. Rated 4.5 (FreeFileSync: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.5Visit
PhotoPrism
Focus: photo library, self-hosted and face recognition. Shares backup and open source with FreeFileSync. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Same 4.6 rating.
Web AppFreeWeb
4.6Visit
Free alternatives to FreeFileSync
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
calibre
Focus: ebooks, ebook converter and library. Shares open source with FreeFileSync. Rated 4.7 (FreeFileSync: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
fd
Focus: file search, command line and developer tool. Shares open source with FreeFileSync. Rated 4.7 (FreeFileSync: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
Yazi
Focus: file manager, terminal ui and developer tool. Shares open source with FreeFileSync. Rated 4.7 (FreeFileSync: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
Czkawka
Focus: duplicate finder, disk cleanup and similar images. Shares open source with FreeFileSync. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
dua-cli
Focus: disk usage, storage cleanup and terminal. Shares open source with FreeFileSync. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Etcher
Focus: usb, sd card and disk image. Shares open source with FreeFileSync. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
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