Alternatives to rsync
The classic delta-transfer tool for copying and mirroring files. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
rsync
The classic delta-transfer tool for copying and mirroring files.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as rsync.
Rclone
A command line tool that syncs, copies and mounts files across more than seventy cloud storage services.
Rclone brings rsync-style commands to more than seventy cloud storage services with checksums, mounting and client-side encryption, under the MIT licence instead of GPL-3.0.
FreeFileSync
Compares two folders, shows exactly what differs, and copies only what changed.
FreeFileSync provides a graphical folder comparison with mirror, two-way and update modes plus versioning of replaced files, though its installer and website carry advertising.
Unison
Synchronize two file collections while preserving changes from both sides.
Unison, also GPL-3.0, handles changes made independently on both replicas, whereas rsync copies one way, but conflicting edits may need a decision before syncing.
GoodSync
Block-level file sync and backup with versioning and many back ends.
GoodSync offers block-level transfer with versioning, a graphical interface and mobile apps, but it is paid and closed source rather than free software.
osync
Two-way file synchronization script built on rsync with fault tolerance and near real-time sync.
osync builds two-way sync with fault tolerance, POSIX ACL support and a near real-time mode on top of rsync, configured through files on Unix-like systems.
Lsyncd
A live syncing daemon that watches local directories and mirrors changes to remote targets with rsync.
Lsyncd watches directories and runs rsync over SSH when files change, adding near real-time one-way mirroring with Lua configuration on Linux.
Syncovery
A file sync, backup and migration tool for local drives, network shares and cloud storage.
Syncovery replaces the command line with a paid, closed-source tool for sync and backup jobs across local, network and cloud storage on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Also worth comparing
These listings name rsync as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
ChronoSync
A Mac app for synchronizing and backing up folders to drives, other Macs, NAS and cloud services.
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.
Mutagen
Open-source tool for real-time file sync and network forwarding between local machines and remote containers.
rsync transfers only changed parts of files and preserves attributes, but runs as one-way copies you trigger yourself rather than continuous two-way sync.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Syncthing
Keeps folders identical across your own machines, directly between them, with no cloud account in the middle.
Resilio Sync
Peer-to-peer file sync with no cloud server in the middle.
Garage
Distributed S3-compatible object store built for unreliable hardware.
IDrive
Cloud backup service that protects multiple computers, phones and servers under one account.
git-annex
A command-line tool that manages and syncs large files with git without storing their contents in git.
