FolderSync vs Rclone (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FolderSync and Rclone share a 2.8 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about ease of use and platforms, where FolderSync grades higher, or the free plan, where Rclone does.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FolderSync
Folder sync and backup between devices, cloud services and servers
Which one is for you
Pick FolderSync if
- Fits if you want to pay once for folder sync on Android and a desktop
- Works for people syncing to Nextcloud, S3 or an SFTP server
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 2 accounts, 2 folder pairs and manual sync only
- Watch out: Android and Desktop licences are separate, so a Play purchase does not unlock desktop
- Watch out: the Single user and Personal licences are for private individuals, and companies need the $79.95 Business one
- Skip it if you want one subscription, as it is sold per platform
- Watch out: desktop licences are sold through Paddle, which doesn't sell to every country
Pick Rclone if
- Fits if you are comfortable in a terminal and want to move files between many providers
- Works for people who want to mount cloud storage as a drive
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a point-and-click app, as it is a command-line program
- Not for you if you need hosting, because it does not store files itself
- Too light for people wanting a polished GUI, since the web interface is labelled experimental
- Watch out: Android is only available as separate builds
- Tight if you want vendor support: it is a free open-source project
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFolderSyncGood | 2.8GPARcloneGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ADesktop lifetime licence is $29.95 for 1 device, under a year of the category's $7 middle subscription. Personal covers 5 devices at $49.95; Android Pro is $6.99. | AFree under the MIT licence, with no paid plans. Anyone can download and run it, and you pay only the storage providers you connect. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe desktop free version never expires but allows only 2 accounts, 2 folder pairs and manual sync. The Android free version has ads. | AThe whole program is free with no caps. You do need an account with a provider, as it hosts nothing. |
| Features | BFolder pairs, one or two-way sync, filters, conflict rules, scheduling, webhooks and 20+ services. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. | BCopy, sync, bisync, mount as a drive, encryption, compression, hash checks and serving files, across 70+ providers. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You pick services, folder pairs and rules for each. | DIt is run from the command line and set up with configuration files. The web GUI is labelled experimental. |
| Platforms and integrations | BAndroid plus desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux, with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, S3 and more. No web app. | CA program for computers: Mac, Windows and Linux, with Android only as separate builds. Many storage backends but no phone or web app of its own. |
| Best for | folder sync between devices, cloud services and servers | syncing and mounting cloud storage from the command line |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FolderSync and Rclone. How we grade
Where they differ
- FolderSync can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Rclone is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| FolderSync | Rclone | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $29.95 one-time, Desktop Single user lifetime license (free version available) | Free |
| Free plan | Desktop free version: 2 accounts, 2 folder pairs and manual sync, with no time limit. Android has a free version with ads. | Free and open source under the MIT license; no paid plans. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Tacit Dynamics ApS | Nick Craig-Wood and contributors |
| Price read from | foldersync.io | rclone.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FolderSync
- The free Desktop version is limited to 2 accounts, 2 folder pairs and manual sync.
- Android and Desktop licenses are not shared; a Google Play purchase does not unlock Desktop.
- The vendor sells Desktop licenses through Paddle and notes that Paddle does not sell to every country.
Rclone
- It is a command-line program; the web GUI is labeled experimental.
- Android is mentioned only as separate builds, not as a main download.
- It does not host storage itself: you need an account with a supported provider.
- The site points third-party developers to the command line and API for GUI and backup front ends.
Key features
FolderSync
- Folder pairs
- Pair a local folder with a cloud folder, or two remote services, and choose one-way or two-way sync per pair.
- Filters and conflict handling
- Include and exclude filters, conflict rules and detailed sync logs are set per folder pair.
- Scheduling and automation
- Sync on a schedule or when files change. Android can limit syncing to chosen Wi-Fi networks or to while charging; Desktop adds webhooks and a command-line tool.
- 20+ storage services
- Connects to cloud services and to FTP, SFTP, SMB, WebDAV and S3-compatible servers.
- Separate Android and Desktop apps
- The two apps share providers and sync engine but are separate products with separate licenses.
Rclone
- Copy, sync and bisync
- One-way sync makes a destination match a source; bisync keeps two directories matching in both directions.
- Wide provider support
- The site says over 70 cloud storage products support it, including S3 object stores, plus SFTP, WebDAV, FTP and HTTP.
- Mount as a disk
- Mounts local, cloud or virtual filesystems as a drive on Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD.
- Crypt, compress and chunk backends
- Virtual backends wrap another remote to encrypt, compress, chunk or merge it.
- Integrity checks
- Checks MD5 or SHA1 hashes and preserves timestamps, and interrupted transfers can be restarted.
- Serve and remote control
- Can serve files over HTTP, WebDAV, FTP, SFTP and DLNA; an experimental web GUI and a remote-control API are listed.
Plans
FolderSync
Desktop Free$0
2 accounts, 2 folder pairs and manual sync only. The vendor says it never expires.
Desktop Single user$29.95
one-time, lifetime license for 1 device
Unlimited accounts and folder pairs, scheduling, automation and webhooks. For private individuals paying with their own funds.
Desktop Personal$49.95
one-time, lifetime license for up to 5 devices
Same features as Single user on up to 5 devices, for private individuals.
Desktop Business$79.95
one-time, lifetime license for up to 5 devices
Same sync features on up to 5 devices, licensed for companies and organizations.
Android Pro$6.99
one-time purchase on Google Play
Paid Android app listed on Google Play at $6.99; the free Android version contains ads and in-app purchases.
Rclone
Rclone$0
Free MIT-licensed software; you pay only the storage providers you connect it to.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FolderSync or Rclone?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FolderSync starts at $29.95 one-time, Desktop Single user lifetime license (free version available), and Rclone is free.
Which has a free plan, FolderSync or Rclone?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both FolderSync and Rclone have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.