Another important factor that we can take into account is the types of synchronization that it offers us. We are not always going to have to copy the data as it is, from one directory to another, but it is possible that we are more interested in a two-way synchronization (that is, between the two directories at the same time) so that the changes of both are replicate in others.
We must also value the possibility of seeing a list with all the changes that are going to be made in each of the directories before making them, to verify that everything is correct. An explorer, filters and an easy interface should also help us when deciding between one program or another to carry out this task.
free programs
The fact of carrying out this type of synchronization tasks manually can take us an enormous amount of time, everything will depend on the number of files that the folders in question have. But the truth is that every time we work with a greater amount of information on our computers, so these tasks can become endless. That is precisely where the programs that we are going to talk about below come into play and that will be of enormous help to us. In addition, to all the functionality that they offer us, we must also add that they will not cost us a single euro, which will also be appreciated by the majority.
When choosing a program with which to synchronize folders, we can take advantage of some free proposals that will help us carry out the work efficiently.
FreeFileSync
It is a free and open source program that is used for the file synchronization. It’s multiplatform so it’s available on Windows, Linux and OS X. With FreeFileSync we can create and manage backup copies of our most important files. The application takes care of finishing the existing differences between the source folder and the destination folder in order to transfer only the necessary amount of data. Once we have compared the differences between files, we can decide if we want the synchronization to be carried out completely in both folders.
It is a very simple program to use since we only have to indicate the paths of the two folders that you want to compare. Later we choose between the two available methods, either by date and size or by file content. Finally, once we have compared the differences between the files we can easily decide if we want to synchronize them so that the content is the same in both folders. As a negative point, it should be noted that the software seems to “get confused” a bit when synchronizing folders over a network on different servers, and the existing manuals on its website can be difficult to understand.
We can download FreeFileSync for free.
Outstanding and to be improved
The solution that we propose here works with multiple platforms and operating systems to synchronize folders. We have at our disposal two methods for the task at hand at the moment. The user interface that we find ourselves at first can be somewhat confusing due to all the content presented, so it is not ideal for novice users.
syncthing
It is an application that will allow us sync files point by point between devices on a local network between remote devices connected to the Internet. With Syncthing we can synchronize files between two or more computers in real time and safely through TLS, so that no one can access our data. File synchronization is done through LAN and Internet, so we won’t need IP addresses or advanced configurations for its use.
We are talking about an easy-to-use and powerful program since it synchronizes as many folders as we need with different people or between different devices. Since it does not need an IP address or advanced configurations because it works through LAN and Internet, each machine is identified by an ID. We simply have to give the ID to our friends, share a folder. Despite everything, there are users who have found it difficult to configure it on various machines with problems for it to work on iOS.
We will be able to configure and monitor Syncthing through its interface that we can access through our browser. The open source application, being compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Solaris, Darwin and BSD. We can from their website.
I like and I don’t like
The program offers us a fairly clean and understandable interface to synchronize folders even if we don’t have experience. It efficiently catalogs the different teams with which we are going to work in the application and shows us information about the team’s workload. It is very simple, so some users who require more advanced parameters may miss them here.
SyncToy
It is an application created by Microsoft that will allow us to synchronize two folders within Windows 10 and Windows 11 quickly and comfortably, even if they are on different computers, sharing the use of it in real time.
It is considered one of Microsoft’s “PowerToys”, these small free utilities that are responsible for improving and speeding up work with Windows in various ways. This particular application is in charge of carrying out the work of synchronizing directories in a much faster and more comfortable way. It has several synchronization options that cover all possibilities. This tool has several synchronization options, allowing you to copy, move, overwrite, or move files between them.
As the main drawback, it should be noted that many customization options are missing in the application. SyncToy is a free program that we can download.
Good and bad
In this case we find software developed by Microsoft itself, so it works perfectly on Windows. It works quite quickly and effectively when it comes to synchronizing content, making it ideal for users who don’t want to complicate their lives when it comes to synchronizing files between different units or computers. It lacks advanced configuration parameters for this type of task, so more advanced users will miss being able to control this type of task more precisely.
Bart
We are before a software free and portable that will allow us to synchronize files and folders on Windows computers, so we can have access to them from other locations without having to duplicate the files, making a backup copy of them. It also allows us add exclusions for files or folders that we do not want to be included in the synchronization, such as hidden or system files.
The program is in charge of transferring the changes from various source directories to the destination ones. When run, it will copy any files that have changed since the last run, efficiently updating the destination with the source and copying only the necessary files. Bart is able to read from a list of source directories, so he can keep a backup copy of not only our Documents folder, but also any other data stored on our drive in other locations.
Bart is a free application that will help us synchronize and make backup copies of our files and folders. We can download it from your .
Pros and cons
It automatically makes a backup copy of our data in case we make a serious mistake. It is a portable program that we can use on any PC from a USB memory. It shows us a summary of the files that have been synchronized, those that have not been copied as they have not been modified, and the new files that have been added, as well as those that have been deleted. The user interface that we find at first is not as intuitive as those offered by some of the competition’s proposals, however, it is quite useful if we dedicate enough time to get used to it.
PureSync
It is a powerful and easy-to-use tool with which we can sync files and folders. In addition, it has functions of backup and copy photos from a camera. The application supports filters by extensions, as well as file deletion and change detection. It has an assistant that will guide us step by step so that we do not have problems executing it. It also has full integration with Windows File Explorer and keyboard shortcuts for each of its functions.
PureSync is a free program for personal use and we can. It also has a commercial version that is priced at 24.95 euros.
Top and less top
The application offers us a very intuitive and easy-to-use user interface. We have at our disposal a series of keyboard shortcuts that will allow us to use the synchronization program more quickly. In order to take advantage of all the functions that this software solution offers us, we will have to make use of the paid commercial version, although they are not necessary if we only want to synchronize the files without carrying out additional verification processes or carrying out previous tasks.
SyncFolders
SyncFolders is another complete program that we can use, completely free of charge, to synchronize two or more directories as a backup. This software is compatible both with individual files and with folders and subfolders, and supports both local copies and external devices and, of course, on the network.
Despite being quite unknown, and having a somewhat basic interface, it has a large number of options and settings to be able to customize every last aspect of data synchronization. It supports two-way synchronization and is capable of detecting any possible file conflict so that, under no circumstances, do we lose our data.
We can download this program for free.
Advantages and disadvantages
It offers wide compatibility with all types of drives and storage drives. It presents a good number of customizable parameters to control the data synchronization process as much as possible. Due to its somewhat outdated interface and number of functions, this is a somewhat more complicated program than other similar proposals. The application runs in a small window, which prevents us from seeing the full access paths of the directories we want to synchronize.
Resilio Sync
Here we find a software solution that we can download for free thanks to the version proposed by its developers, but with functional limitations. This is an application that focuses on the technology that we usually find in P2P networks and that will be extremely useful when it comes to sync large folders. It puts at our disposal a good number of functions focused on these tasks, such as being able to add folders to all synchronized devices at once.
We will also have the…