Talk:Comparison of file synchronization software: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:07, 9 December 2015

Revision as of 21:35, 19 February 2016

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Thanks for considering this.

== Missing some vital info -- Method and Scenario ==

When choosing a file sync software, some of the most important things to know are what method the software uses for achieving file sync (hashing vs attributes) and what scenarios its designed for (network vs local) or (always-on vs on-demand) or perhaps (peer-to-peer vs client-server). Very little of this info is detailed in the "Other" column, though often is missing altogether. There needs to be one or more columns that detail this info.

For example:

* Syncthing uses file hashing, which is very CPU and disk intensive, but allows the app to compare file contents, and this is useful when you want to minimize network traffic, which is great for syncing network connected devices. However, this app is not designed for syncing local disks and folders on a single PC. It can't copy locked files (no Shadow Copy ability) and its only really designed for authenticated and wire-encrypted folder syncing which is too cumbersome to configure for local file syncing. This app is designed for always-on live syncing.

* FreeFileSync compares file attributes (dates and sizes), which is very fast to do, and is perfect for syncing local disks and folders on a single PC. It can copy locked files, and offers batch configurations for common tasks like syncing multiple folders, filtering by various file attributes, and providing detailed sync stats. This app is not designed for syncing between multiple devices, and doesn't have any network awareness or wire-encryption or authentication features. This app is designed for on-demand or event-driven syncing.