Alternatives to ChronoSync
A Mac app for synchronizing and backing up folders to drives, other Macs, NAS and cloud services. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
ChronoSync
A Mac app for synchronizing and backing up folders to drives, other Macs, NAS and cloud services.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as ChronoSync.
Get Backup Pro
A Mac app for incremental backups, encrypted archives, bootable disk clones and folder syncing.
Get Backup Pro is also a paid Mac app, adding encrypted archives and incremental backups via hard links alongside bootable clones and folder sync, but without Mac-to-Mac agent connections.
FreeFileSync
Compares two folders, shows exactly what differs, and copies only what changed.
FreeFileSync is free and open source across Windows, macOS and Linux with mirror and two-way modes, but cannot create bootable backups.
GoodSync
Block-level file sync and backup with versioning and many back ends.
GoodSync runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and mobile with block-level transfer and versioning, whereas ChronoSync is macOS only, though GoodSync is licensed per user.
Syncovery
A file sync, backup and migration tool for local drives, network shares and cloud storage.
Syncovery covers Windows, Mac, Linux and several NAS brands with local, network and cloud destinations, but is paid and has many options to learn.
rsync
The classic delta-transfer tool for copying and mirroring files.
rsync is free under GPL-3.0 and transfers only changed parts of files, but is command-line only and has no versioning or scheduling of its own.
Beyond Compare
A tool for comparing, merging and synchronizing files and folders on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Beyond Compare runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and adds detailed file comparison and merging, but is oriented toward manual rather than scheduled syncing.
Unison
Synchronize two file collections while preserving changes from both sides.
Unison is free and open source under GPL-3.0 and preserves changes on both sides, but lacks ChronoSync's bootable backups and cloud destinations.
Also worth comparing
These listings name ChronoSync as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Apple Time Machine
Built-in macOS backup tool that takes hourly snapshots automatically.
ChronoSync is a paid Mac app for scheduled sync and backup to drives, NAS, other Macs and selected cloud services, and it can create bootable backups.
Carbon Copy Cloner
A macOS backup app that makes scheduled copies, snapshots and bootable backups of your drives.
ChronoSync adds sync to NAS, other Macs and cloud services and can create bootable backups, with ChronoAgent sold separately for Mac-to-Mac links.
SuperDuper!
Mac utility that makes fully bootable copies of a startup disk on an external drive.
ChronoSync is a paid macOS app that can also create bootable backups and adds sync to NAS, other Macs and selected cloud services, with ChronoAgent sold separately.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Bvckup 2
A Windows backup utility that keeps one folder an exact, quickly updated copy of another.
SyncBack
Windows backup and folder synchronization software with cloud storage, versioning and scripting support.
Rclone
A command line tool that syncs, copies and mounts files across more than seventy cloud storage services.
Syncthing
Keeps folders identical across your own machines, directly between them, with no cloud account in the middle.
IDrive
Cloud backup service that protects multiple computers, phones and servers under one account.
