GoodSync is a file synchronization and backup program that keeps folders identical across computers, external drives, network shares, servers and cloud storage accounts. It runs on Windows, macOS, Windows Server and Linux/Unix servers, with apps for Android and iOS. A free edition handles small jobs, and the paid Personal edition removes its limits.
Jobs with a left and a right folder
GoodSync organizes all work into jobs. A job has a name, a Left folder and a Right folder, plus its own options, filters and automation settings. When creating a job, the user chooses between two types. Synchronize carries changes in both directions. Backup copies one way only, from source to destination. A one-way job can run Left to Right or Right to Left.
A job can sync several folders on one side to a common parent folder on the other. Groups let a set of jobs start or stop together, and templates store partial job settings for reuse.
Analyze before copying
The Analyze step compares the current state of each side with the state recorded after the last run and proposes what should happen to each file. The proposals appear in the Sync Tree, where the center columns show an action icon per item and a Status column explains it. Only after the Sync command does GoodSync copy or delete anything.
The user can override any proposed direction by clicking the arrows in the center column, or set an item to Do Not Copy.
By default, files with matching size and modification time count as identical. A job can instead compare MD5 checksums or the full file contents. GoodSync also recognizes renamed files and folders and performs them as moves rather than recopying. When two files differ only in modification time, it can copy just the timestamp instead of the file.
Deletions and conflicts
GoodSync carries a file deletion on one side over to the other, including through chains of synced folders. A conflict arises when the same file has changed on both sides since the last run. Such items default to no copy, and the user picks which side wins. Automatic resolution can instead let the left side, the right side or the newer file win, and the losing file can be kept as a renamed copy.
Saved files and version history
Each side of a job holds a _gsdata_ folder with GoodSync’s state files and logs. GoodSync moves files that a sync deletes or replaces into its _saved_ subfolder. Earlier versions of changed files go to _history_, so a job can keep one or several versions of a file’s history. A cleanup setting removes these copies after a chosen number of days, one month by default.
Filters
Include and exclude rules decide which items a job processes. Rules can match names, paths, sizes, modification times and file attributes, and exclusions take priority over inclusions. GoodSync excludes hidden, system and temporary files by default, and preset filters cover common cases.
Real-time and scheduled runs
Users can start jobs by hand or use the Auto section of each job’s options to schedule runs or trigger them in real time when files change. The GoodSync Runner service handles jobs set to run unattended and works in the background. A global AutoRun switch temporarily stops all automatically started jobs.
For larger transfers, GoodSync can send only the blocks of a file that changed since the last analysis. It can also run several copy threads in parallel. It reconnects remote folders that drop during a run and logs every operation with a change report.
Storage, servers and clouds
Either side of a job can be a local or network folder, a Windows or AFP share, or a phone connected over MTP on Windows. Supported protocols include FTP, SFTP and WebDAV. GoodSync works with NAS devices from Synology, QNAP, Western Digital, ASUSTOR and other Linux-based models.
Cloud targets include Google Drive, Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive, SharePoint, Office 365, Box, Amazon S3 and S3-compatible servers, Azure, Backblaze, Wasabi, MEGA, Google Cloud Storage, iCloud Drive and the vendor’s own GoodSync Storage. Portable paths let a job find a removable drive whatever drive letter it receives.
GoodSync applies AES-256 encryption to data in transit and at rest. It can also carry file security attributes and Mac extended attributes across locations.
GoodSync Connect and Explorer
GoodSync Connect links a user’s own devices directly. Each device is registered to one GoodSync account. The program then transfers files peer to peer between them over its GSTP protocol, while a mediator service handles addressing. Any paid GoodSync product includes Connect.
GoodSync Explorer is a file browser for the same locations: LAN and WAN folders, FTP and SFTP servers, WebDAV, NAS devices and cloud accounts. Users can browse and move files with it without setting up a job.
Free and Personal editions
| Limit | Free | Personal |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs | 3 | Unlimited |
| Files backed up or synced | 100 | Unlimited |
| Simultaneous connections | None | 4 |
For automation outside the interface, GoodSync includes the GSYNC command-line tool for running jobs. Business editions are available separately.
