Echosync is freeware from Sylvain Rougeaux for synchronizing a destination folder with a source folder. Its graphical application runs on Windows, while the included Echocli handles command-line work on Windows and Linux. Synchronization changes only the destination; the source can remain read-only.
Profiles keep the folder pair
A profile records the source, destination and synchronization actions. Users give it a name, description and labels, then reuse those settings for later runs. Duplicating a profile copies its settings into another job. Labels also filter the profile list and select groups for command-line operations.
Echosync does not merge edits from both sides or retain previous file versions. Its deletion action removes destination items that no longer exist in the source. Those deletions skip the Recycle Bin.
Choosing which differences to apply
Each profile independently controls five kinds of action:
| Action | Effect on the destination |
|---|---|
| New items | Copy missing files and create folders |
| Deleted items | Remove items that exist only in the destination |
| Newer source files | Replace existing copies with newer source files |
| Older source files | Replace existing copies with older source files |
| Moves and renames | Repeat the source’s folder or file reorganization |
Move detection reuses existing destination files instead of deleting and copying their contents again. Enabling only new items leaves existing destination files untouched, even after a source edit. Echosync identifies updates through modification dates rather than byte-by-byte content verification. Different timestamp precision between file systems can make unchanged files appear different.
The comparison shows the destination ahead
Compare displays the proposed destination tree without applying the changes. Its report lists the copy, replacement, deletion and move operations. It also shows source totals, destination free space and the space the operations require.
Sync applies the profile’s actions. Pause temporarily stops a run; Cancel ends it without undoing changes that already happened. When users select several profiles, Echosync processes them sequentially.
The Last sync flag reports success or errors. A blue flag means no previous run or an unknown outcome. The report’s Status column explains individual failures, and the synchronization log preserves details after the application closes.
Filtering the source tree
Echosync uses glob patterns to include or exclude files and folders. A single asterisk matches characters within one path segment; a double asterisk reaches across folder levels. An exclamation mark introduces an exclusion, and a trailing slash identifies a folder rule. Exclusions override inclusions.
Filters ignore letter case on Windows and distinguish it on Linux. Their scope also affects deletion handling in the destination. On Windows, Echosync can copy files that another process locks for reading through Volume Shadow Copy, with administrator rights. It also supports long paths and symbolic links.
Echocli runs saved jobs
Echocli creates, lists and edits profiles, then compares or synchronizes them by name or label. Wildcards select several profile names. Console output shows proposed actions or errors, while exit codes communicate the outcome to a script.
An operating-system scheduler can launch these commands; Echosync has no internal scheduler. The graphical application also offers shutdown, hibernation or closing after synchronization. Its close-on-success option leaves the application open when a run reports an error.
