Peter Staack Product Testimonials & Reviews

For about a year, I've been using 2BrightSparks' SyncBack Freeware, and have grown quite fond of it. I've employed quite a few different freeware and paid synchronization apps over the last few decades, and none have ever really thrilled me. Most were bloated with useless features, unstable, or lacked features I needed for automated or manual synchronization and backups. But SyncBack Freeware has the perfect balance of simplicity and features for my needs.

The installer is under 2MB, and the program folder (with all of my profiles and months of log files) is under 10MB. Idle, it's only using 3MB of RAM. Even when it's running, it doesn't drag your system down too much, other than the HDD is working. Since it's pretty lightweight, it runs fine on some of my older Windows 2000 workstations, and even a 9 year old NT4 workstation.

It's easy to set up various synchronization and backup profiles for folders, files and so-on. You can set rules for overwrites, copies, and incremental copies. My particular favorite features is using Boolean operators to create filters, based on file names, dates and even some meta info. It has options for safe-writing, verifications, saving to FTP or network devices, ZIP compression with password protection & encryption, scheduling & automation, hot-key activation, system priority, can auto-close an application before running a profile, can run applications or scripts before running a profile, and a whole host of features. There's a button the quickly switches between simple mode, and advanced mode, and the help files are pretty good. I have several profiles configured to incrementally backup vital data on a local disk and FTP, using compression & encryption, generate PAR2 parity files, and email errors to several address. But, for simple jobs, often it just takes a few clicks to set up a basic profile, and get going.

2BrightSparks has earned industry recognition for the quality of their SyncBack programs, which include a $30 advanced version and a $50 professional version. I for one am a big fan of SyncBack Freeware for my own uses, and will likely be switching clients over to their professional edition, once our current solution (below) has changes version (unless they have free upgrades). To-date, it's my favorite synchronization and backup solution, and recommend it to anyone IT-minded, who requires a competent app with a clean spartan interface.

A fairly-close second place, for favorite sync/backup app, would be GFI Backup, which is also packed with features - compression, encryption, FTP/network, filters, etc. - but just doesn't run as well on some of the older sub-1GHz CPU workstations I manage. It's a bit heftier than the very lightweight SyncBack, but will run fine on any PC built within the last few years. I've been using their Business Edition, for several of my clients, but they also have a free Home Edition which works very well. The interface for both, are beginner-friendly; which actually makes it a little bit cumbersome for advanced users, who don't require having their hands held at every step. GFI Backup is the program I recommend for people who need a backup solution, who aren't super tech-savvy.

Cross-posted to my LiveJournal - 2BrightSparks SyncBack Freeware File & Folder Synchronization Software