Sync.com Review

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"Everything in Sync"
Pricing

Start at $5/month

Type of Pricing Plan

Annual

Devices Supported
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
iPhone
Web-based
Integrations
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Founded in 2011 by Thomas Savundra, Suhan Shan, and Darius Antia, the people that created Netfirms, Sync.com is one of the world's most popular cloud services, boasting over 750,000 registered users in 180+ countries. Built with the sole purpose of protecting user privacy with end-to-end encryption, Sync.com has evolved into the perfect solution to store and share sensitive data. Read our comprehensive Sync.com review if you want to learn all about this cloud service.

Key Features
Strong security features
30-day money-back guarantee
HIPAA, GDPR, PIPEDA compliant
End-to-end encryption
Seamless synchronization
Unlimited file versioning
Unlimited file sizes
Comprehensive apps
Strengths
  • Easy to use, modern platform
  • Strong security features
  • HIPAA, GDPR, PIPEDA-compliant
  • Highly affordable
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
Weaknesses
  • The Sync.com app is not open-source
  • No Linux support
  • No monthly or lifetime plans

Cross-Platform Solution for Seamless Real-Time Synchronization and Backup

Used to share over 2.9 million files daily, Canada-based Sync.com prides itself on its cross-platform functionality. Our Sync.com review shows that unlike some of its alternatives, the software has fully functional and comprehensive apps for all major platforms, including Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS. It also provides a web client that works with almost all browsers, on any device, including Linux-based. The only downside is that it doesn't offer a Linux desktop client. Compared to some of its biggest competitors, such as pCloud and MEGA, which both have Linux support, Sync.com lacks in this area. That said, it compensates with its beautifully designed web client apps, contributing to its seamless synchronization and backup functionality.

The software further offers real-time sync for all your data. The synchronization speeds are lightning-fast and always on point – a feature that puts Sync.com among the most reliable cloud services in the world. The software’s selective sync ability meanwhile lets you select only the folders you want to be synced on your computer.

Lastly, Sync.com offers automated backups that will keep all your files and folders safe. Many Sync.com reviews cite this as a reason why the platform is quickly rising to the top of its field.

 

A Plethora of Collaboration Features for Businesses of All Sizes

Sync.com is one of the most comprehensive cloud services currently available on the market. For example, if you compare Sync.com vs Google Drive, you will quickly realize that even though Google is more popular, it has fewer features, especially for business use. Let's take a look at some of Sync.com’s most useful features and how they compare to the vendor’s biggest rivals.

 

File and Folder Sharing

In terms of sharing, real-time collaboration is what the software excels at, according to many Sync.com user reviews. For example, the platform gives you the ability to set up multiple devices for editing files. Then, all files that are being edited can be seen in real-time by anyone viewing the document at that moment – a feature that not all Sync.com alternatives can offer. You can also share folders by granting access to the chosen people. The best part? They don't have to be Sync.com users to see the folders – you only need their email.

 

Sync Vault

The Sync Vault is one of the software’s most exclusive features. The Vault is a cloud-only storage space that is most commonly used to back up files and folders outside of the standard Sync folder. The Vaults are not automatically synced to any devices or computers, making them a real goldmine of safe and secure sensitive data. They are also perfect for freeing up space.

 

File Versioning

Depending on your plan, you can restore previous versions of files from 30 days to a whole year. This can be a great asset when it comes to the safety of your data in case of mistakenly deleted files or accidental changes. While file versioning is not a unique capability in the cloud services industry, what makes Sync.com stand out, according to plenty of Sync.com customer reviews, is that it allows its Pro users to save specific versions of their files for as long as they need them.

 

Granular Permissions

This feature is particularly crucial for efficient collaboration. Sync.com excels at managing permissions for users, which also brings it ahead of the competition. 

 

Remote Control

Sync.com offers remote share wipe and remote device lockout. You can delete files remotely when you revoke access to shared links to maintain compliance. It also gives you the ability to remotely disable lost or stolen devices to keep your data safe. These features are easy to use and available at lower rates than most of Sync.com's competitors.

 

Offline Access

Setting offline access for your files and folders can be very convenient, primarily if you work remotely, on-the-go, or in an airplane mode. Sync users can choose which files and folders can be available offline without needing the Internet to work on them and revoke this access at any time. This feature is available in all Sync.com plans, even the free version.

 

User Support: Quality FAQ Bases and Priority

Sync.com has one of the best FAQ bases in the entire cloud service industry. Regardless of the question, you can quickly find your answer in their Help Desk. If you need additional help, Sync.com has online support through a mailing service and live chat that's available Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 8 PM, with extended hours for Pro and Enterprise users who are entitled to priority support.

According to most Sync.com user reviews, the support team has lightning-fast response times and can quickly deal with any software-related problem you might have. Depending on the issue and your plan (Pro and Enterprise users come ahead of everyone else), support should be able to respond by the next working day at the latest.

 

Sync.com Security

Sync.com has powerful security features. The software offers AES-256 end-to-end encryption with TLS, also known as zero-knowledge encryption. This means that only you can see your files by using your unique encryption key. That said, since not even Sync.com can access your files, if you happen to lose your key, they won't be able to help you retrieve your data.

There is a way to bypass this by enabling password recovery in the settings before losing your key, or by changing your password in the desktop application. This, however, goes against the whole purpose of end-to-end encryption, and your data will not be as safe as when this option is disabled.

Sync.com also offers two-factor authentication. Combined with a strong password, it becomes almost impossible for anyone to reach your data. Our Sync.com security review has concluded that this is as safe as any documents can be on a cloud. You can also enable password hints and automatic logout.

All the vendor’s servers are in Canada. This is a big bonus compared to some of its alternatives that have servers in the US because Canada has better privacy laws. That said, keep in mind that Canada is still a member of the Five Eyes alliance, meaning that the multilateral UKUSA Agreement bounds it for cooperation in signals intelligence, human intelligence, and military intelligence, so your data may still be at risk.

Lastly, Sync.com is HIPAA compliant (which is ideal for businesses working with sensitive patient information), as well as EU GDPR and PIPEDA-compliant.

 

Affordable Annual Plans for All Users

The Sync.com pricing is among the most affordable on the market currently if you don't mind paying annually. Starting at $5 per month, it's a better option than some of its biggest competitors, such as Dropbox (starting price of $12.50/month) and Tresorit ($8.33/month). 

 

Personal Plans

Sync.com offers three personal plans – Free, Mini, and Basic – recommended for home and family use.

The best way to start using Sync.com and learn the basics is with the Free Plan that comes with 5GB Sync.com free storage and never expires. It also includes 5GB of share transfer limit, basic sharing, and collaboration features, real-time backup and sync, basic productivity features, activity logs, 30-day history, password protected sharing, remote device lockout, 2FA, transfer account ownership, and access from anywhere. Unlike most of its alternatives, the free account comes with included end-to-end encryption, no third-party tracking, as well as GDPR compliance and PIPEDA compliance.

If you require more storage and additional features, the Mini Plan may be a better fit for you. According to many Sync.com customer reviews, this plan is the most popular for personal use. It's priced at $60 per year and offers everything that the free version has plus 200GB storage, 200GB share transfer limits, 60-day history, account rewind, advanced share controls, restrict downloads, granular permissions, remote share wipe, file request, notifications, document preview, and priority email support among the rest.

The last tier in the personal plan category is the Basic Plan, priced at $96/year. It comes with all features previously mentioned and adds 2TB storage, unlimited share transfer limit, 180-day history, unlimited links, unlimited team shared folders, and, most importantly, HIPAA compliance, which comes in at a meager price compared to the alternatives. For example, a Sync.com vs Dropbox comparison shows that Dropbox offers this feature in its pricier ($12.50/month) business plan. 

 

Individual Plans

There are three Individual Plans available – Basic, Standard, and Plus. Those are recommended for both individuals and businesses, as well as sole practitioners.

The Basic Plan is the same as the Basic Plan offered in the Personal Plans category. 

The Standard Plan, priced at $10 per month, billed annually, builds on the Basic Plan with 3TB storage and 365-day history.  

The Plus Plan, priced at $15 per month, billed annually, adds 4TB storage to the mix.

As you can see, the main difference between these three plans is the amount of Sync.com storage and the file versioning time limit. According to most Sync.com reviews, they are much more affordable and feature-rich than the alternatives, with only one negative side – annual payments. Many users are bothered by this pricing method because they have to commit to at least a year in advance. Other users meanwhile appreciate that they don't have to think about this for a whole year.

 

Team Plans

Three Team Plans are also available from Sync.com – Standard, Plus, and Advanced. They are recommended for secure sync, backup, sharing, and collaboration for your entire team.

All of Sync.com’s features are available with all three plans. This includes a multi-user admin console, administrator account, centralized billing, managing user passwords, and transfer in accounts. The only difference between them is the amount of storage and the limit on the number of users. This is a great deal that can only be countered by one other software, as indicated in our pCloud review.

Our Sync.com review meanwhile shows that the platform’s Standard Plan is priced at $5/user/month (billed annually) and offers 1TB per user with support for 2-100 users.

The Plus Plan is priced at $8/user/month (billed annually) and offers 4TB per user with support for 2-100 users.

The Advanced Plan is priced at $15/user/month (billed annually) and comes with 10TB per user with support for 2-1,000 users.

 

Enterprise Plan

Lastly, Sync.com offers custom-tailored pricing for its Enterprise Plan based on the needs of your business. Depending on how many users you have, there might be a Sync.com discount. For more information, contact the vendor directly.

 

Final Verdict

Sync.com is a feature-rich cloud service with affordable plans for both personal and business use. If you don't mind paying annually, you will gain reliable software that will help you manage your teams more efficiently. 

Our comprehensive Sync.com review, however, also showed that the software lacks in specific areas compared to its alternatives. Besides not offering monthly plans, the vendor also doesn't have a lifetime deal, which many users would love to see. If we compare Sync.com vs pCloud, Sync.com might not seem as attractive even though it offers more diverse functionality.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to weighing the pros and cons based on your needs. Still, if you decide to work with Sync.com, chances are you won’t regret it.