The Best File Sync Program for MacOS for sale, not for rent

[Huntn]

The Semi-Official War Against Software Developers Who Want to Rent Their Goods. Maybe it's just my war.
Today, I'd like to know what good file sync program you use for MacOS? My ProSync died, is crashing on start. I can't find a new copy to download and I think I got it off the App Store, but it is no longer carried there.
So I reverted to an older product I still have on my computer, GoodSync, but then discovered it has converted to a subscription model. $39 per year, nope, not going to do that yet.
So now I'm researching. I am going to check out FreeFileSync and open source program, but I have low expectations.
Any other non-subscription software you like for file sync?

FreeFileSync Pricing, Alternatives & More 2023 - Capterra

With the help of Capterra, learn about FreeFileSync, its features, pricing information, popular comparisons to other File Sync products and more. Still not sure about FreeFileSync? Check out alternatives and read real reviews from real users.

www.capterra.com

Thanks!

 

[sgtaylor5]

FreeFileSync is a good program, and it works well. The UI is a little difficult, but it can be learned. It comes with a program called RealTimeSync, and it can be deselected on install. I'm using the Donation Edition, so no ads, just a small animal displayed where the ad would be.

I don't think Scrat is displayed and with his ROTFL antics, don't know if I'd WANT it to be displayed (what did you do with my files now, you silly beast?!?).

 

[Huntn]

FreeFileSync is a good program, and it works well. The UI is a little difficult, but it can be learned. It comes with a program called RealTimeSync, and it can be deselected on install. I'm using the Donation Edition, so no ads, just a small animal displayed where the ad would be.

I don't think Scrat is displayed and with his ROTFL antics, don't know if I'd WANT it to be displayed (what did you do with my files now, you silly beast?!?).

Is RealTimeSync a seperate program? This function is a must as far as I am concerned. Does FreeFileSync show a list of what it is changing, or does it notify you when it syncs?

I started it up yesterday and the UI seemed convoluted to get RealTime Sync to work. And once it is set up, I assumed after a computer restart it must be turned on (not an issue), but I usually have 3 primary syncs I perform, and I want to know if FFS, RealTimeSync can handle them all together or do each of these folder syncs have to be run separately from one another using RTS?
Thanks!!

 

[sgtaylor5]

Is RealTimeSync a seperate program? This function is a must as far as I am concerned. Does FreeFileSync show a list of what it is changing, or does it notify you when it syncs?

I started it up yesterday and the UI seemed convoluted to get RealTime Sync to work. And once it is set up, I assumed after a computer restart it must be turned on (not an issue), but I usually have 3 primary syncs I perform, and I want to know if FFS, RealTimeSync can handle them all together or do each of these folder syncs have to be run separately from one another using RTS?
Thanks!!

RealTimeSync is a separate program, installed with FreeFileSync. Can't help you on RealTimeSync because I never needed that feature. I use FreeFileSync to sync user files with a secondary backup on microSD card.

 

[Huntn]

RealTimeSync is a separate program, installed with FreeFileSync. Can't help you on RealTimeSync because I never needed that feature. I use FreeFileSync to sync user files with a secondary backup on microSD card.

I want real-time sync, I consider it a must. I’m using a MBP with a relatively small internal hard drive. I have dual external hard drives drives where I store all of my important records. As I add documents to one, I want them to immediately backup to the other.

 

[sgtaylor5]

That makes a lot of sense. Guess I'll have to reinstall RealTimeSync and play with it. I'll get back to you later today. I've got to work on a budget spreadsheet for church I said I'd get out in the morning, right now.

 

[Roller]

@Huntn: I've been using ChronoSync Express for years, with excellent results. $24.99 on the Mac App Store, but I don't know if it will do real-time syncing. However, for your use case, have you considered setting up two external drives in a RAID 1 configuration, so you always have two copies of your data? Another option would be a cloud service, although there is obviously a continuing charge for that.

 

[sgtaylor5]

I'm done with that other project.

I looked at RealTimeSync and it looks like the documentation is really for Windows: https://freefilesync.org/manual.php?topic=realtimesync The program wants an ffs_batch file to populate the command line, and the Mac version won't make that file (I didn't see a way). You'd have to experiment on a scratch destination disk first, meaning don't use your real external disks when you're testing.

 

[Huntn]

@Huntn: I've been using ChronoSync Express for years, with excellent results. $24.99 on the Mac App Store, but I don't know if it will do real-time syncing. However, for your use case, have you considered setting up two external drives in a RAID 1 configuration, so you always have two copies of your data? Another option would be a cloud service, although there is obviously a continuing charge for that.

I saw the full Chrono for $50 and the Express version for half. Real time sync is a feature I want, I’ll look closer and see if the express version has that.

 

[Huntn]

I'm done with that other project.

I looked at RealTimeSync and it looks like the documentation is really for Windows: https://freefilesync.org/manual.php?topic=realtimesync The program wants an ffs_batch file to populate the command line, and the Mac version won't make that file (I didn't see a way). You'd have to experiment on a scratch destination disk first, meaning don't use your real external disks when you're testing.

I saw the tutorial was for windows…

 

[ciabc]

I tried SyncThing and it was ok but seemed like a lot of upkeep for my modest needs. I now use Resilio Sync and it's been very reliable. Took a bit of figuring out since I'm using a Thunderbolt bridge between my two Mac's but getting 1gb/s+ transfers is rather neat.

 

[leman]

What’s wrong with old good rsync?

 

[Huntn]

I recently downloaded a trial version of Carbon Copy Cloner and trying to get it to work with the limits the program places on you, such as the default limit for a sync task is a 1GB data change to trigger a sync? To me this seems a bit ridiculous. I want any change in file status to be mirrored on the destination drive. I was told I can set the trigger to .01GB, so I will try this and see if it is enough. Previously I tried 0GB, but that did not seem to work.

What’s wrong with old good rsync?

I want real-time syncing.

 

[Huntn]

Of interest, what broke ProSync (my current file sync program) initially was when I migrated an old photo library into my current library. It was just too much for the sync program to handle on the fly. It would have been better to do that with it turned off and then turned it back on. I fixed it by removing all of the sync tasks and creating new fresh ones. It is back to working for now…

 

[Eric]

Can I ask what sort of files you're looking to sync? I pretty much use OneDrive for everything and it's all done in real time, plus it allows for all of the collaboration features, coauthoring, editing directly from the cloud, etc.

 

[Yoused]

Years ago, I wrote a PathFinder plug-in called FolderMerge that let you copy files from one folder to another, replacing files with the same name, or not, based on mod date. It also had a sync function that made both folders match, based on mod date. I never tried it with tens of thousands of files, but it probably could have handled it. It was in the oughts that I last touched it, the coding technique was all kinds of weird, and I later discovered an operational flaw that would not really affect a basic sync, even a large one. You would have had to do it kind of manualistically, though.

 

[SuperMatt]

I used to have a folder on a Mac at work that had a folder action that I created with Automator. If you put an image in the folder, it would automatically convert it to a specific size (not file size, but image size such as 640x480). I wonder if you could use an Automator folder action to create your own sync solution.