# FreeFileSync Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is FreeFileSync the right File Sync solution for you? Explore 47 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/171146/FreeFileSync/reviews --- FreeFileSync 4.7 (47) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/171146/FreeFileSync/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of FreeFileSync Ease of use 4.7 Customer Service 4.0 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews MW Michael W PresidentPublishing, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “For the price, it can't be beaten! And the free version is just as powerful, albeit a bit slower.“ February 23, 2021 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 47 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Karel R. Document Control Specialist Construction Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Best File Synchronization Program Bar None" October 31, 2018 5.0 For those who do not know what FreeFileSync can do for you, let me sum it up for you: it's a program that allows the user to manages folder synchronization jobs. RAID configurations and cloud storage solutions have their place, but they cannot solve many of the problems that this program can. - How do you make external hard drive backups efficiently? The external hard drive naturally exists outside of a RAID configuration and a cloud storage sync folder and it could be very difficult and time-consuming to do the backup manually. FreeFileSync can solve this problem - Suppose that you regularly receive a data dump via an FTP. How do you efficiently determine which files are new compared to the last data dump that you kept? You could manually compare file times between your files and the files of the new data dump, but you can lose a lot of time doing so. FreeFileSync can solve this problem - How do you synchronize folders of two or more cloud storage solutions in real time? I don't know of any cloud storage giving you that option and a RAID configuration is possible, I suppose, if you give each cloud storage a partition (i.e. Partition\_1 for OneDrive and Partition\_2 for Dropbox). The problem with the RAID configuration is that it would make your computer environment a little complicated and you won't have the option of synchronizing select folders. I use FreeFileSync to solve all the problems mentioned above. I've had a great experience with this program so far. Pros \- Open Source so it's open for independent audits - Regularly updated and incredibly well-developed - You have many options in terms of which comparison method you want to use to compare the files and which type of synchronization you prefer (mirroring, duplicate, update-only) - You can see when it was the last time you ran a particular sync job and you can customize the location of where the synchronization log files are kept at (can be useful for record keeping and audits) - You can choose to sync folders in real time and choose to have the real time sync program run at startup - It's never failed to deliver Cons \- Maybe if it had an option of encrypting on backup, I guess that would be cool - I did look to see if there was an option of verifying successful synchronization with checksums like SHA-256, but after reading their article on the CopyFile function, I saw that it was nearly pointless to do so. Instead, I put my trust in the program and I make sure that my computer hardware is running smoothly (i.e. no bad hard drive sectors) and that there is no malware present. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Professor Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "FreeFileSync one of the best synching tools." February 16, 2022 5.0 Pros It was easy to use from the moment i began to use it. I use it everyday with no difficulty. The copying direction can be changed with ease simply with right click on an individual file or a group of files. Cons I cannot find any con. The only issue I have: Donation is refused with PayPal and Credit Card from South Korea with this message: "Donations to this recipient aren't supported in this country". I am still using the 2021 Donation Edition. Switched from [GoodSync](https://www.capterra.com/p/10010689/GoodSync/) I bought several copies of GoodSync License Keys, but they often stopped functioning. I wrote mails on the issue several times only to get no response fom the GoodSync. I am happy that I switched to FreeFileSync, which shows the same level of satisfaction as the GoodSync. Review Source MB Martin B. IT Systems manager Chemicals Used the software for: 2+ years ### "only syncing tool you need" February 10, 2020 3.0 perfect for when you need to move files over or back it up to another location Pros i can schedule sync jobs how often i want and get data where i need it go go. really helpful when moving to another server and migrating the files over. this can definitely be done using a command prompt but I'm more of an interface kind of guy. Cons would be nice if there was a notification system where it could send an email if a job failed, apart from that it runs great Review Source DL David L. Missionary/Pastor Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Ministry Software for FreeFileSync" September 23, 2021 5.0 I have a backup of my sermons as well as my wife's work saved as an auto backup. Then I do a manual backup as we are always changing things. The most important is I use FreeFileSync for ALL of my Media, Pics, backups for 5 people. It has so far been very reliable. It does what it says in its name, FreeFileSync!!! Pros Ease of use. Easy learning curve. Very adjustable parametrs. Cons So far for my use there has been none. I am sure if I were an experienced IT guy maybe could comment. But for me its Great! Reason for choosing FreeFileSync It was the best. It worked much more fluid for backups. It was Free. Switched from [SyncBackPro](https://www.capterra.com/p/171153/SyncBackPro/)[Allway Sync](https://www.capterra.com/p/171147/Allway-Sync/) FreeFileSync was the easiest to use. Easiest to learn. Easiest to tell it what I wanted then it would do it. So for me it was a great software discovered. Review Source uI urva I. General Manager Computer Networking Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The easiest and best backup software" October 17, 2022 5.0 I use it daily, I sync files to external storage and clouds on a daily basis, the great thing is that I create a batch file for backup Pros An easy-to-use program that can be used by everyone, according to their needs Cons The upload speed is relatively low, Other than that there is no. Alternatives considered [GoodSync](https://www.capterra.com/p/10010689/GoodSync/) Reason for choosing FreeFileSync I tested the performance, nothing compares to the power and ease of FreeFileSync. Review Source YM Ye M. Operations Manager Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "FAST AND RELIABLE FILE SYNCH SOLUTION" December 8, 2025 4.0 Above all else, I love the reliability of the software. You can start synching and go and do other things, knowing not a single digit will be missing or misplaced... ever. Pros I've been using it daily on MacOS without any issues for almost four years now. It's quick and easy. It's free and accessible across multiple devices which makes it attractive for small businesses like mine. Cons Unsupported file characters/names can be a problem sometimes but you can easily resolve them by adding exceptions. I also check storage space nowadays but this is because I need to get more storage. Review Source Simon M. Creative Head Media Production Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Start for free! Donate for the time that you save! Best of the bunch for Synchronization!" June 29, 2021 5.0 FreeFileSync has helped save our data multiple times in the past. Setting up and scheduling sync between multiple locations both on site, off-site and to the cloud has never been easier - or this reliable. We've tried multiple vendors in the past. While backup was always easy, restoration used to be time consuming. FreeFileSync solves that issue while providing multiple options for syncing files, both non-destructively and securely. Pros While all other sync programs have helped a lot, variable drive letters is what has made the biggest difference for us. Since the team uses only cameras from the same brand, all we need to do it pop in the memory card, and voila, all the pictures are copied without us lifting a finger. RealTImeSync + Variable Drive letter support is where it's at. Light years ahead while still being simple. Cons Someone using it for the first time would find it a little confusing. Though things are straightforward, there are a plethora of options that can be used. Too many options sometimes can get very confusing, even though a detailed manual is available. Review Source Chris J. Member Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I love free software, and this is one of the better ones!" July 27, 2018 5.0 It is an absolutely vital part of my backup strategy on a daily & weekly basis. Pros FreeFileSync is a great app for performing file comparisons & backups. I use it daily to compare all of the company's ever-changing file additions & edits, then mirror them to a mobile backup drive that I move offsite weekly. It is very fast when performing the initial comparison of changed & new files and will display the before presenting the option of synching or mirroring to the new location. It also has a feature to do a constant sync/mirroring but I have yet to utilize that feature. Cons I have no cons to speak of. It's funny, but because it's open source and free I think it has a bit of a malware reputation but I have never seen any kind of issue with this at all. Review Source Carlos R. Head of Industrial Metrology Lab Used the software for: 2+ years ### "If you need automatic task of backup, in diferents modes (incremental, mirror, etc), use this!" March 10, 2018 5.0 Pros Easy configuration, multiples modes, high customization for each case, really easy to use. Ist a light program that not slow the PC Cons Really not to many cons: use this in LAN need administrator access, for this reason if no are administrators will get problems to access directories. Review Source Arun K. Structural Engineer Design Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "The only solution you will need to keep your files in Sync" July 10, 2018 4.0 It enables me to automate part of my workflow. Now, I no longer have to keep track of when and what files have been synced to the server. The single click, takes care of it all for me. Pros It allows drag-and-drop interface to facilitate the sync folders along with options to "mirror", "copy" or simply "add the changes". It also allows multiple sync modules to be run at the same time. So all it takes is one time set up and any number of folders can be set up to sync in very specific way. Its ability to integrate into any given batch script is in short, amazing! After the initial set up it allows you to simply copy the batch script, which can be added to any other batch file or even the windows task scheduler to automate the process even further! Cons Its in-built memory feature only remembers the latest set of sync files. So if you want to run any sync module that was created before that, you will need to navigate to the saved file location or the batch script. Review Source AG Alan G. COO Plastics Used the software for: 2+ years ### "This makes perfect and easy backups; to Dropbox, in my case. Doing it automatically is tricky." February 14, 2018 5.0 Safe, easy backups. Pros It is extremely easy to set up for manual use. (As in "back up now.") It only copies changed files, which is the secret of the fast backups. You ban back up as large a set of files as you wish. If your office burns to the ground, you still have your data safely tucked away. Cons The learning curve in general is not bad. Setting up backups as a "task" is more difficult, although there are helps online, here and there. I back up once a day, but, it could be every hour. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer self employed Information Technology and Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Sincronizació real instantánea" February 9, 2021 5.0 Pros Posibilidad de ersonalizar que deseas sincronizar, poder hacer que arranque al inicio de forma silenciosa, casi no requiere de recursos, gratis (donas la voluntad) Cons Pese a los buenos tutoriales que incluye la página web, para alguien que no entienda mucho de informática puede constarle un poco entender el funcionamiento y configirarlo a su gusto, aún así seguro que la amyoría de gente que busca un recurso así puede conseguir configurarlo sin un exceso de trabajo. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Content Producer Insurance Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Intrinsic system for syncing and partial organizing of files and data" August 26, 2018 5.0 Pros FreeFileSync is as basic as syncing files can get. Setup is easy and fast. It is available in most commonly used operating systems. File backup is an additional feature of FreeFileSync. Another advantage of it is the fact that it’s free yet it offers a lot. FreeFileSync is one of the best file syncing software. Cons For a cheap price, everything works as it should be. There are no major complaints on my end. Review Source DB Dean B. Tecnician Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Freefilesync is fast and easy. " September 12, 2018 5.0 Helped me easily backup/mirror my pictures and videos. Pros Easy to use, great help examples. Has always worked for me. Cons It was working so fast I wasn’t sure if was working properly. Review Source Ines F. Jubilado Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Easiest way to synchronized my files in my computer and devices" June 8, 2018 5.0 Pros This app bring me the easiest way to transfer the data from my devices to the computer and vice versa, everything is very easy, you only need to plug your device in the computer and immediately the data is updated for you. Cons It can take very time with heavy files, so you need a good computer for transfer the files fast or it will take so much time to transfer the data Review Source JP Judy P. Owner Transportation/Trucking/Railroad Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Excellent product, saves so much time!" October 15, 2018 5.0 Pros I love the ability to backup only files that have changed. You can update or mirror one way (either from or to) or mirror two ways (sync both from and to). I used to spend 4 hours every weekend backing up my documents, now it takes less than 10 minutes. Cons So far, I haven't found anything I don't like. Review Source BM Bruno M. Technical Director Libraries Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Secured solution but be careful if you have errors on external disk" March 13, 2025 4.0 I use it from many year and I have no problem. I use it for saving all my personnals datas and professionals datas. I have never lost any files, and I think it's a secured solution for synchroning and saving files. But you have to be careful if an error occure on external disk. Pros It's free and easy to use, with XML File witch can be modified with an editor Cons I discover big directory files with extension "\*.ffs\_tmp" after an error witch occured synchronous errors. The enormous gost directory files witch has been created on external HDD, when a synchronous occure errors. Review Source ML Min L. Senior Lecturer Higher Education Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "FreeFileSync - It syncs your documents and it is free." August 10, 2021 5.0 FreeFileSync does what it claims to do and so far I have been able to sync my documents without any problem. I also like it that the software is open-source. Pros Pros: It does two-way synchronization. It is free and is relatively easy to use. I used Microsoft's SyncToy for a few years until Microsoft stopped supporting it, so I searched around and found FreeFilesync. FreeFileSync does what it claims to do and so far I have been able to sync my documents without any problem. I also like it that the software is open-source. Neutral: The free version of course comes with limitations. For instance, it does not have the "parallel file copy" option." I assume one can do this manually anyways. \* The "donation version" has more belts and whistles. The software will regularly remind you to auto-update or download the donation version. The good news is that you can decide the donation amount. If you feel like you want to support this open-source software, you can decide how much you are willing to spare as compared to paying a fixed price. Cons Cons: The interface looks a bit antiquated. You can use the "Browse" tab to select the two folders which you want to sync; the file paths will then show up in the tiny windows. I personally would like to see the complete paths displayed fully so that I can ensure that I have selected the right folders to sync. Overall assessment: Worth trying. Review Source ME Matthew E. Founder Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "FreeFileSync makes syncing data simple" August 31, 2022 5.0 FreeFileSync quickly and reliably copies data between locations that I use regularly and is the perfect complement to a fully featured backup solution (for example, Acronis). Pros FreeFileSync is an easy, free way to keep your data up-to-date in multiple locations. You only need to specify the target and source directories, and the sync option that you require (such as mirroring or two-way sync). I use FreeFileSync in a couple of ways. First, it archives the majority of a network attached storage device to a large disk installed in a PC once per week. An exception to this is that on the NAS and PC there are some business folders which require a two way sync. This two way sync is helpful as I can add business data to my PC or the NAS directly and know that once FreeFileSync is run the data on both devices will be the same. To help with the two way requirement and prevent conflicts I have used the create batch functionality in FreeFileSync, and use external triggers like Windows Tasks to run this batch automatically at regular intervals. The ease in creating a batch file and the ability to easily edit it in FreeFileSync if target or source destinations change saves a lot of time compared to trying to create an adhoc solution such as using Windows command line/batch files. Cons A minor inconvenience, but sometimes when files are synced it does so successfully, but still displays a warning symbol by the job. If you run the job again no further files are changed, and this symbol changes to a green tick. Review Source LW Lawrence W. Entrepreneur Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Superb value-for-money file synchronization software for small businesses!" January 10, 2018 4.0 It automates a lot of mundane effort to keep a perfect backup of my important files. Without it, I would have to open up a file manager with dual windows, and manually inspect files on both sides to determine which files to backup/delete in order to keep a mirror image. FreeFileSync helps me to perform this task in seconds! Now, I am able to keep a mirror image of my important files inside an external hard drive which I keep with me at all times. In the event of an emergency which incapitates my main computer system, I would be able to continue my business using another computer with literally no downtime because I have a perfectly sync mirror image of all my important files. Pros We all know it is important to keep multiple backups of our computer systems but for many small businesses, the owner may not know how due to lack of knowledge and/or cost consideration. Ever since I discovered about this software, I am full of praises for it. Being free (donations welcomed), you cannot complain about the price. It supports Windows, Mac and Linux systems so another big plus there for any business. What I like most about it is that it has advanced features which will meet most if not all of the needs of even the most demanding user. You can set it to sync files meeting certain criteria (e.g. only those with .DOC extensions); you can then specify whether to do a mirror sync (one-way) or a full-time sync (two-way); you can set it to perform the task at a preset time or in real-time (though I haven't tried this yet). Now, you really have no excuse not to make a backup of your system! Cons Being open-source software, there is no dedicated telephone support. And for the novice, setting it up right at the beginning can be intimidating. But trust me, once set up, file sync becomes a breeze and no-brainer. Other than this, I really have no complaints about the software. It is also regularly updated approximately once a month. Review Source JLF José Luis F. Directo Professional Training & Coaching Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Usando FreeFileSync a diario" June 3, 2021 5.0 Mi experiencia es muy buena. Uso este software hace años y se actualiza muy a menudo, así que de alguna manera soy testigo de su evolución, y ésta ha sido siempre para mejor. Pros Es muy sencillo de instalar y de usar. Funciona prácticamente en cualquier pc y utiliza muy pocos recursos. Está traducido a muchos idiomas. Es un software gratuito que no muestra publicidad ni mensajes invasivos. Tiene diferentes opciones de sincronización, con muchos ajustes de configuración. Funciona muy bien a través de la red y distintos almacenamiento en la nube. Yo lo utilizo para mantener sincronizadas dos computadoras (una pc y una notebook) y lo hace perfectamente. Ofrece una Donation Edition para colaborar voluntariamente con los desarrolladores con la cantidad de dinero que uno elija. La diferencia entre la versión free y la donation es muy poca (actualización automática) y se puede usar perfectamente cualquiera de ellas sin ninguna limitación. Cons En realidad no le encuentro ninguna desventaja. Con versiones anteriores a veces me ocurría que se interrumpía la transferencia de datos por la red, con archivos relativamente grandes, pero se solucionó en versiones posteriores. Como detalle a mejorar, es un poco incómodo cambiar la ubicación de las ventanas, arrastrándolas. Tienden a reacomodarse muy rápido y a veces no se logra lo que uno deseaba. Para minimizzar este efecto tiene una opción "Restablecer diseño" que devuelve las ventanas a su posición original. Review Source MW Michael W. President Publishing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I depend on this software daily!" February 23, 2021 5.0 This software runs on a scheduled task probably 20 times per day, backing up network drives to other storage, and multiple forms of cloud storage. With the exception of an occasional file name error when going from Mac to Windows file shares, the program works flawlessly. I use the donation version which allows more simultaneous threads for speedier transfers and it works really, really well. For the price, it can't be beaten! And the free version is just as powerful, albeit a bit slower. Pros I'm really up tight about file retention and backups. I run a combination of backup schemes to multiple destinations. Box.com, Google Drive, and local hard drives. FreeFileSync seamlessly allows me to move updated files through scheduled tasks without thinking twice. It's great. Cons The interface is intuitive, but rather amateurish looking. Aesthetics aside, the program does exactly what it's supposed to do. I can't complain about its functionality - only its amateur UI. Review Source MV Massimo V. Fotografo Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Una ottima utility per sincronizzare cartelle e/o dischi" May 13, 2023 5.0 Pros E' un programma gratuito ma molto funzionale. Offre differenti opzioni di comparazione e successiva sincronizzazione tra cartella o addirittura interi dischi. Cons L'interfaccia è forse un pò troppo semplice e qualche volta il programma sembra non rispondere immediatamente, piccole imperfezioni non realmente importanti. Review Source Xiomara Elena B. General Manager Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Syncronized data between your computer and your devices" June 19, 2018 5.0 Pros It is very easy to manage I only need to plug my tablet or smartphone on the computer, start the app and in few minutes my files can be updated and I can continue my work with my ready for another actualization, just like that. Cons I will not recommend this app for people who works with heavy files, because it can be very difficult to update the files because it takes so much time to do the job. Review Source EW Elan W. Managing Member Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "FreeFileSync - Backup on Steroids" September 24, 2019 5.0 FreeFileSync provides me with a simple and effective backup solution that also works in part as a defense against Ransomware when off-site disks are used for backup. Pros The ease-of-use of FreeFileSync is remarkable. There are essentially four operational modes, and once you understand the GUI, learning all four takes about thirty seconds. Cons This is one of the few products that I really do not have anything negative to comment upon, except for the rare software crash (and I mean VERY rare - it happens maybe once every six months). Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [File Sync](https://www.capterra.com/file-sync-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.