FreeFileSync: File Synchronization Software

File synchronization utilities come in handy if you work on different computers and you want to make backup of the changed files to an external device. Cloud storage programs like Dropbox and SkyDrive are great for backup and sharing they are not ideal for copying files between devices.

File syncing utilities serve as simple backup tools to transfer files or folders from once location to another like USB drives, external hard disks etc. FreeFileSync is an open source Windows application for visual folder comparison and synchronization. The interface of the FreeFileSync is easy to use and gets the job done efficiently.

Select the folders you want to compare by browsing or drag and drop to compare. It will show you folder comparison and what files need to be moved in which direction. By default it will compare the files by file time and size, you can select to compare files by File content, this operation might take time but it is more accurate.

You can exclude files manually, or use filters for large number of files, by default the program excludes files like “System Volume Information”, “Recycler”etc. You can see the statistics of the transfer including how many files need to be transferred on either side, total amount of data transfer etc.

There is not limit for the number of files you can transfer, some programs limit the number of files, like AllWaySync another free utility for file syncing but limits the number of files that can be transferred over a period of 30 days to 40,000.

Another useful feature of FreeFileSybc is that you can copy locked files, some programs won’t allow to do that, but this program copies them.

If you want to sync several folders at once, no problem you can use the batch mode and select folder pars to sync.

It offers you a plugin for iTunes, you may not want to install that program as it is not required for this program to work, so pay attention while installing.

FreeFileSync is available as a free download for both Windows and Linux. (Download)