One of the ways to back up is by synchronizing files or directories. Thanks to this configuration, when a change is made in one of them, this change is applied to the rest of the directories automatically, without having to check again and again that the data is the same. Unfortunately, the operating systems do not have as standard tools or programs that help us to synchronize files and folders, so it is necessary to resort to third-party software for this purpose, as is the case with FreeFileSync .
FreeFileSync is a free and open source program whose main purpose is to compare and synchronize files and directories between two sources. This program is responsible for comparing the content, date or size of two or more directories and, if they do not match, synchronize the information between them. This program allows us to synchronize local directories on the same hard disk, on secondary disks or partitions, on external hard disks and even on network drives through SMB or FTP. It is even compatible with some cloud storage servers like Google Drive.
The controversy with adware
Although FreeFileSync is a free and open source program, this software has been quite controversial in the past. Older versions of the program used an OpenCandy installer , which installs adware on computers without permission. This caused FreeFileSync to be detected by many antivirus as a threat, blocking its installation.
Since version 10, released in April 2018, this program has turned its back on OpenCandy, offering users 100% free, open source, and ad-free software . Despite this, some antivirus have still incorrectly detected it as a threat.
However, the developers do not display any type of advertising on the program. Nor in the installation, where instead of an advertisement they show us an image of nature.
FreeFileSync main features
The most striking thing about this program is that it is free and open source software. We can find the latest version of it published for Windows, Linux and macOS, so we can use this program regardless of what our main OS is.
In addition to this, the main features that we can highlight about this software are:
- Support local and remote synchronization, both on LAN and in the cloud.
- Compare the directories before starting the synchronization.
- Multiple sync options.
- It allows to synchronize from origin to destination or bidirectional.
- Synchronization function in real time.
However, developers do trust the user community. And for this reason, FreeFileSync has a “donation” edition in which each user can pay what they want for some extra functions.
Donation version to unleash your potential
Instead of setting a specific amount of money, these developers offer users to pay what they want for the “Donation” edition with which to unlock the full potential of this program. The donation edition offers users the same functionalities as the normal edition, in addition to the following:
- Parallel file copy function.
- Automatic updates to the latest version.
- Portable program to run without installing.
- Email notifications.
- Silent and automatic installation.
Automatic updates vary based on the amount of money we pay. And we can also buy additional “donation” licenses for more users.
Synchronize folders with FreeFileSync
This program has an interface that, while being complete and offering all its functions within our reach, is very simple to configure.
The first thing we will have to do is create a synchronization task. To do this, from the right side, we will open the two directories that we want to synchronize using the “Browse” buttons . Once the two directories are loaded we will click on “Compare” so that the program compares them and shows us the differences.
When we see the differences between the two directories, the next step will be to choose the type of synchronization that we want. We can choose “bidirectional” so that the changes of the two are replicated in the respective folders, “mirror” so that only the changes from the first to the second are sent (but the changes from the second are not reflected in the first), ” update “, to copy new files to destination but not delete deleted files, or customize our sync mode.
We can also apply filters to further refine the files we want or don’t want to sync. When everything is ready, we will click on the “Synchronize” button and the program will carry out this task.
Finally, to have these synchronization options at hand, we can save the profile using the panel on the left. In this way we can open the task faster and save time, and even automate the task of keeping the directories synchronized.
Download FreeFileSync
This program is completely free for all users, both for personal and professional use. We can download it from its main website and install it on our PC. From here we can also make the donation in case you want to unlock its additional features.
This program is available for Windows, macOS and Linux users . And it supports both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. As for the system requirements, in the case of Windows we must have XP or higher, on Mac an OS X 10.8 version or higher and on Linux any distro.
Alternatives to synchronize directories
In addition to FreeFileSync, there are also other programs, both free and paid, that allow us to easily synchronize directories to always have the same files in both.
One of the most popular is Syncthing , another free and open source software (although without restrictions this time) that allows us to synchronize our data between two or more computers over the network with data encryption and authentication.
On the other hand, for those looking for a commercial alternative, we have GoodSync . This software allows us to synchronize our data locally or with the cloud in a simple, fast and, above all, secure way. For companies it is one of the best programs to synchronize directories with a central server and take control of company backups. Its price is by subscription, having to pay between two or three dollars per PC.
