FreeFileSync is a free/open source folder and file synchronization program that features a beautiful, two pane user interface and a host of powerful options. It can do the following: compare files by their content or by file size and date, synchronize files and subfolders, process multiple pairs of folders at once, load/save folder comparison sessions, create batch jobs that can be run from the command line, and can can handle cloned files (i.e. symbolic links or junctures). It also offers UniCode and Network support. There is also a portable (no-install) version.
Do you need a directory comparison and synchronization program with a lot of features and options? If so then you’ve just found one of the best free programs in its class. Before I continue I will point out that for this review I will use a mock question-and-answer format where I pretend I am being interviewed by someone else 
Q: You’ve said that this is one of the best directory comparison apps. Why do you like it so much?
A: I like that it supports so many advanced options. But there are three real reasons:
- The interface: this program’s Graphical User Interface is just tremendous. It looks good and delivers a great user experience in the way the items are compared are presented visually, and each entry has a little button that can be used for individual on-the-fly syncing.
- Supports multiple folder comparisons simultaneously: which means you can perform all your folder comparisons and synchronizations at once and be done with it. You can also save your sessions (which the program calls "configurations"), to quickly re-do the comparisons at a future point in time.
Can create automated "batch files" for folder syncing: these can be run from the command line, and will allow you to specify folder(s) to compare, rules for syncing, file extension filters, and other details (see image to the right).
Q: How does this program determine which files are different and which files are the same?
A: It lets the user decide whether it should compare the actual content of the files or whether to simply compare the size and date of files.
Q: Does it support 2-way synchronization?
A: Yes. It supports "Mirror syncs" (right folder will exactly match the left, no matter what’s in it), "Update syncs" (new/updated files will be copied to the right folder), and "Two-way syncs" (both sides will be changed to reflect the new or updated files that are found on either side). Deletions ca an be performed via the Recycle Bin, which gives the user recourse to go and salvage them if need be, and copy errors can be ignored if necessary as well.
There is a also a so called custom sync option where users can create their own syncing rules, but it does not seem to be active as of the version I tested.
Q: Is it possible to only compare certain file extensions, or specify extensions that should NOT be compared?
A: Yes. You can do either one of the above, i.e. specify what to include or specify what to exclude (see image to the right for an example where I am excluding ZIP, RAR and JPG files from processing). You can also use the context menu for some quick, on-the fly file extension filtering. It is also very easy to hide or show filtered items from the main display interface.
Q: You mentioned other "advanced options" that this program supports. Can you list some of these?
A: Supports filesizes larger that 4GB, no limitations on number of files, "delete before copy" to avoid disc space shortages with large sync operations, handling of cloned files (i.e. symbolic links or junctures), UniCode and Network support.
Q: So what’s the verdict? Any last remarks.
A: Excellent Program. I was looking for a program that can compare two folders (and subfolders) when I found this and it was so much more that I expected. I highly recommend it.
I also would like to mention that there is a portable version available. Simply download the zipped version and extract it where you want it, even on a USB drive.
Version Tested: 2.1 build July 3 2009 Unicode
Compatibility: WinAll.
Go to the program page to download the latest version (approx 1.3 megs).
I used Microsoft’s SyncToy until now, but this thing looks better and filters are easier to set.
The Batch-Jobs are very handy for planning.
If there aren’t any serious issues, this tool will replace SyncToy for me.
Just what I needed!
)
As a writer I constantly have multiple versions of work in progress on different computers and USB-stick, (yes I am a chaotic kind of person
Thanks for finding a good piece of software, once again.
So which would be considered the best: FreeFileSync or Karen’s Replicator or Syncexp?
SyncToy doesn’t mirror very well, and PathSync hangs for 5min with a large amount of files (+10000).
If you need something more powerful and are willing to shell out a few bucks, here are a couple I use and am very satisfied with:
For Win my 1st choice is by far Beyond Compare. If you are a programmer or a hobby hacker who ventures into modding files a lot, it’s a real time saver.
For other platforms, DeltaWalker also is quite awesome, especially if you already use the Eclipse platform.
Sounds like Total Commander sync except UTF8 support and batch lists.
I have been using Microsoft SyncToy for a long time now, but I like the idea of a portable application.
This sounds great, so like Hedge, if I don’t find any serious issues, this will be replacing SyncToy for me also.
In what could not be described as a thorough testing I got a little chilly when sync toy found 16 additional files to sync after I had run this program_Chilly_.
Just wanted to note that Dropbox is also a great solution for solving synchronization problems like Toni’s. You can install the software on a computer and link it up to a synchronized folder that behaves exactly like any other folder.
Also has a web interface if you can’t/don’t want to install and supports Mac and Linux.
Doesn’t have folder comparison though, and you need to be connected to the internet for stuff to sync up. And you can only get 2GB of space (unless you want to pay for more).
I use mine to sync up some old school games I like (Dwarf Fortress, X-COM, Decker) as well as my Eclipse environment and all my programming projects.
I’ve been using SyncBack for some time now and I think it’s a much better application. See http://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/freeware-hub.html
I had been using AllwaySync, but this app is far superior. Thanks for finding it.
To those who consider switching from SyncToy, you should be aware that this synchronizes by comparing the current status of folders, while SyncToy tracks changes in a database. The important difference is that this tool and other folder comparison tools (SyncBack, FreeCommander’s sync tool, Abakt, Cobian, DirSync Pro, etc.), don’t recognize deletions – a deleted file on one side looks exactly the same as a new file on the other side, so the file will be copied again.
@Strungoutonfreeware: What I described above is the same reason that you found extra files with SyncToy after using this tool – SyncToy compared the directories with its database of previous changes. If you had copied some files with FreeFileSync since the last sync with SyncToy, the folders would no longer match the database.
@Joe
If SyncBack is running with FastBackUp option, it’s using database too. I’m using SyncBack at work – it’s a great backup program.
Although FreeFileSync reminds me Total Commander more than SyncBack.
Thanks very much for this review, Samer. I haven’t tried FreeFileSync yet, but it looks great. According to the features you have described, it seems to avoid the drawbacks of most other sync utilities.
I have tried out many such utilities, including most of those mentioned in earlier comments here. You can read about my syncing travails and my brief reviews and comparisons in posts #27, #28, and #58 of my utilities blog, before finally settling on Web-hosted syncing with Dropbox (see post #76).
If I ever get time to revive my now-dormant blog, FreeFileSync will be one of the first utilities I’ll test.
I hope this is helpful.
Joe
Thanx for the heads up I will give it another spin !
Hi,
Thanks for pointing to this utility.
Few questions though:
1) where is the link to the portable version – that is not very clear;
2) MS “Toy” isn’t bad but it is not portable therefore it would be interesting trying it at the same time Joe’s explanation about deleted files kinda renders this Tool useless, or I am missing somthing?
Thank you in advance
I cannot find history of every job I do in this software…
PureSync is better…. It has a lots of configuration. You must try it. http://www.jumpingbytes.com/en/puresync.html
Great review on the software. I will download it now.
This is a really magnificent sync-like software. Nearly two years ago, I stopped using the AllwaySync whose version 3.1 was the last free version, and started to find an alternative software. Fortunately, I found the FreeFileSync v1.0. It was simple but sufficent to meet all my needs, which including the base function what I needed – mirror – that would be save lots and lots of time to backup a over 20GB folder to another folder in a different disk. This software can pick those discrepant files and synchronize them. Without this function, I have to spend at least 30 minites or more to copy a 20GB folder to another place. Now, except the first copy, subsequent backuping operation time have been rapidly reduced to under 10 minites because of in the most time, the total size of the changed files are more or less 4GB.
To Sync:
I have sent the email to the author for the question 1 and, he replied me that for the reason of Windows had different versions, he preferred to build up a packet to user that it would automatically detect users’ computer environment and provided a recommend option ( users also can change it ) to install, thus, he stopped the portable release from version 3.3.
It seems that the author is not willing to release portable version at all. But I thing if we show our enthusiastic on it, perhaps he will consider to release different portable version to satisfy his users’ need.
I have been using DirSync Pro (http://www.dirsyncpro.org) for a while now and I thought I give program above a shot. I tried it and I’m going back to DirSync Pro. It could be a matter of personal preference but I think DirSync Pro has a better interface and does the synchronization more logically to my upinion.
What are your experiences with DirSync Pro guys? Can anybody mention a link to a review of DirSync Pro?
What are your experiences with DirSync Pro? Can anybody mention a link to a review of DirSync Pro?
Create Synchronicity is my sync tool of choice. Far more reliable than Sync Toy and most others mentioned here: http://synchronicity.sourceforge.net/
This is a great program. I’ve been testing a lot of sync softwares, and was using SyncToy for quite a while now, but I am definitely going to switch to free-file-sync…
I couldn’t find a way to setup multiple synchronization pairs to run with one click in SyncToy, and free-file-sync makes it so easy to accomplish. It offers a very handy way of saving and retrieving the configurations.
It has everything I needed and is relatively easy to setup.
The portable version may be accessed by choosing this option at the installer.
The handling of daylight saving time does not work at all for me (I try to mix NTFS, FAT32, and Samba). They should implement the ***ONLY*** working way of handling this: just treat files exactly 1 or two hours apart as unchanged. Everything more fancy is doomed to fail, since the involved file systems are badly designed from the beginning, and a sync software will not be able to make up for that.
its good tool to be used
Free File Sync seems OK but the user interface is far from easy. It looks as if it is designed by some technical guy for other technical guys. Why people do not pay some attention to design a usr friendly interface???