GoodSync Review

Comprehensive Synchronization and Data Backup Solution

GoodSync is one of the flagship products of Siber Systems — a company founded in 1998 with the purpose of applying scientific findings in commercial technologies. They first launched the GoodSync software in 2006 and have since expanded its offerings to include versions for servers and workstations, as well as a private cloud solution.  

Our GoodSync review shows that what makes the platform stand apart from the crowd is its ability to synchronize files between two directories, regardless of whether the process is based on a single computer, between a computer and another storage device, or between computers and remote servers.

GoodSync’s backup process is also noteworthy. The software allows users to perform daily backups in almost no time and automate the entire process, ensuring all files are backed up regularly.

A Bundle of Features for Team-Orientated Businesses

Most GoodSync reviews focus only on the synchronization and backup features since they make the software so unique. GoodSync, however, is so much more than that. It can offer a plethora of comprehensive collaboration tools that can help teams be more productive and efficient. That’s why we decided to take a look at some of the platform’s most useful features that are rarely mentioned.

Real-Time Data Transfer

Automating, scheduling, or updating data in real-time can be a game-changer for a lot of businesses. Unlike some of its alternatives, GoodSync offers this feature to its users. Once you initially set it up, it runs as a background service. You can completely forget about these mundane tasks and let the software do its job without any additional user interaction.

Block-Level Data Transfer

Another rarely mentioned feature in GoodSync reviews is the block-level data transfer. The software only updates the data blocks that were changed since the last analysis, instead of transferring the entire file where the changes occurred. In the long-run, this particular ability significantly reduces backup time, storage requirements, and network consumption. There are many cloud storage software available on the market, but not many offer this particular feature.

P2P Technology

This technology allows you to sync files directly between two computers without using a cloud. This is another feature rarely seen among well-known GoodSync alternatives. It lets you sync faster and adds another layer of security by keeping all sensitive data away from the cloud. But that’s not all. GoodSync also gives you the ability for cloud-to-cloud synchronization—another feature that most rivals don’t offer.

Version History Control

Accessing a previous, unchanged version of the file will ensure the safety of all your data. Even though most of GoodSync’s competitors offer it as well, what makes this software stand apart is the ability to control whether it saves single or multiple versions of your data change history.

Copy Locked Files

GoodSync can automatically backup and synchronize files that are simultaneously opened on users’ devices. Most of GoodSync alternatives require the document to be closed to be backed up, but GoodSync manages to capture all changes made at the same moment they appear and synchronize while its users are still working on the files.

Bandwidth Throttling

Another great thing that makes GoodSync stand apart among the competition is the ability to control the maximum allowed bandwidth speed per job. This process eliminates unwanted disruptions to other essential services and ensures a more productive workflow.

Logs of Actions and Changes Report

Whenever a change occurs, it’s instantly reported with file modifications on the tree. All file operations performed by GoodSync are further recorded in the log file and on screen. The platform also provides a change report that’s available for tracking and analysis. While this is a useful feature, many GoodSync alternatives offer more advanced reporting tools.

Automated Conflict Resolution

One of GoodSync’s most unique and useful features is the automated conflict resolution ability. The software can automatically resolve conflicts between data versions, securing the winning side while also saving the overwritten version.

Multiplatform Support

GoodSync further supports all major operating systems, including Windows, Android, Mac OS, and iOS. It also supports Linux and NAS, unlike some of its biggest competitors. The free mobile applications come with two capabilities: Server, which makes your device discoverable by other GoodSync devices, and Explorer, which gives you the ability to access your connected computers.

GoodSync Support: Reliable, But Slow-to-Respond

Support-wise, GoodSync is somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. The company offers a GoodSync tutorial, knowledge database with a lot of resources, and FAQ, as well as manual, ticket-based support accessible 24/7, and phone support for its paying customers from 8 AM to 9 PM EST, Monday through Friday.

Our GoodSync review shows that this is one step further from some of its more passive competitors such as Sync.com that offer only email-based support, but a bit behind its more active rivals such as Dropbox that provide live chat support. Customers say that GoodSync is doing its best, but you should be prepared to wait for a response if you come upon an issue with the software outside of phone support hours.

Is GoodSync Secure?

GoodSync is one of the most secure cloud storage providers currently available. It supports end-to-end, also known as zero-knowledge encryption. In other words, all your files and folders will be encrypted before they’re uploaded to the cloud, and you will be the only one able to access them, with a previously generated key. This is one of the best security features a cloud software can offer, but it’s also one of the trickiest ones because not even GoodSync can help you retrieve your files if you lose your key since they are also unable to see them.

GoodSync Pricing: Annual and Lifetime Deals for All Users 

Compared to its biggest competitors, GoodSync’s paid plans are pretty expensive. This can be justified with some of the unique features. Still, unless you need those particular capabilities, most of its alternatives can offer additional advanced features for a lower price. That said, the vendor offers multi-year subscription discounts and lifetime deals, which are good value for money since you buy them once and can use them as long as you want. 

GoodSync Personal comes with two tiers – free and paid.

Our GoodSync Free review showed us that although this version is limited, it is also very functional and ideal for testing. After the initial trial which lasts 30 days, you will be transferred to the free version where you can do up to three backup or synchronization tasks, and have a limit of 100 files per day. You will also have access to cloud services support, FTP/SFTP/WebDAV, Explorer, and the most popular feature – end-to-end encryption which is rarely seen in GoodSync’s competitors.

The GoodSync cost for the Personal plan is $29.99/year. It can be used on up to five devices on Windows, Mac, and Linux/NAS. The plan offers everything that the free version has with addition to GoodSync Connect, mobile device support, job service, job automation, premium technical support, an unlimited number of jobs, and an unlimited number of files.

As an individual user, you can also buy additional GoodSync storage if needed. 10GB is priced at $9.99, 100GB costs $19.99, 1,000GB is $99.99, 2000 GB is priced at $199.99, 4,000GB costs $349.99, and 8,000GB is $699.99. All prices come in the form of a one-year subscription. 

As you can see, the pricing is fairly expensive. One more affordable GoodSync alternative is pCloud that has a starting price of $3.99/month. Apple iCloud meanwhile has a starting price of $0.99/month.

GoodSync Business and GoodSync Enterprise plans are also available.

The GoodSync Workstation is priced at $39.95/year. It offers backup and synchronization services for one end-point workstation machine (Windows PC or Mac OS), physical or virtual. Some of the most useful features are real-time data transfer, unattended service, block-level data transfer, version control, multi-threading ACL transfer, and many more.

The GoodSync Server is priced at $499.95/year. It offers backup and synchronization services for one Windows or Linux Server (physical or virtual). The Server has more or less the same features as the Workstation, with addition to an unlimited number of allowed connections and unlimited users.

Many GoodSync reviews suggest that all features of the Workstation and the Server can be useful for startups and businesses working with smaller teams. Still, if you need more advanced features, you might be better off looking elsewhere — this is one of the areas where GoodSync lacks compared to competitors in the same price range.

GoodSync Control Center is also available for free for all paid annual subscriptions. The Control Center is a web-based administrative tool designed to control and monitor individual instances of GoodSync Server and Workstation runners. This is an exciting and unique feature that’s usually lacking in the competition or comes with an additional price.

A GoodSync discount is also available for multi-year subscriptions. If you choose a 3-year subscription, you will get a 15% discount, while for a 5-year subscription, a 25% discount is applied.

Lastly, GoodSync offers a great perpetual licence as a one-time payment for its most loyal users. The GoodSync Server is priced at $1,995, while the GoodSync Workstation is priced at $199.95. The perpetual license includes five years of support and product updates.

Final Verdict

Our extensive research confirms that GoodSync is one of the leading cloud storage providers, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the veterans in the industry.

Our GoodSync review shows that the solution is second to none for synchronization and backup. It also has top-notch security and offers a bundle of collaboration features that can be very useful to smaller business teams.

That said, if you work on more complex projects or run an enterprise with large teams, GoodSync might not be able to cater to all your needs. While safe and reliable, it lacks some crucial advanced features that can be found in some of the more popular cloud storage solutions such as Google Drive or Box for Business for a lower price.