Livedrive vs Sync.com (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Sync.com grades higher than Livedrive: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Livedrive grades higher on ease of use. Sync.com grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Livedrive
Unlimited PC and Mac backup with an online Briefcase folder
Sync.com
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage and file sharing for teams
Which one is for you
Pick Livedrive if
- Fits if you have a single PC or Mac and want it backed up with no limits
- Works for someone who wants Briefcase for access from other devices
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have several computers: Backup covers one PC or Mac user
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is none and the trial's length isn't stated
- Watch out: Briefcase is a separate product, 2 TB alone and 5 TB in the Pro Suite
- Watch out: prices are in pounds by default and VAT is added on top
Pick Sync.com if
- Fits if your team needs encrypted storage that lists HIPAA, GDPR and PIPEDA compliance
- Works for people who send client files and want passwords, expiry dates and download limits on the links
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, because the account stops at 5 GB
- Pricey if it's just you, at $12 a month billed annually for 1 TB
- Skip it if you're on Linux, as no Linux app is mentioned
- Watch out: the advertised 50% off covers the first year only, then plans renew at the regular price
- Watch out: team plans need at least 3 users, Enterprise starts at 100, and Office 365 is the only integration listed
How we grade them
| 2.2GPALivedriveFair | 2.4GPASync.comFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBackup is GBP 7.69 a month, near $9.70, in the dearer quarter of the category ($9.99 and up) but not its dearest tenth. | CTeams 1TB is $6 a user a month billed annually, which is ordinary money for this category, middle $5, but it needs 3 users, so $18 a month minimum. On your own, Personal 1TB is $12, past the $9.99 where the dearest tenth starts. And the 50% off covers year one only. |
| Free plan and trial | DA free trial is offered on each plan with no length stated, and no free plan. | CA free account with 5 GB, which is a few phone videos and then you're done. The better look is the 30-day free trial of a paid plan, with a 30-day money-back guarantee behind it. |
| Features | CBackup for one computer and a Briefcase folder, but a second computer or NAS is extra and Briefcase has its own 2 TB limit. | BIt covers the job: end-to-end encryption on every plan, old and deleted versions kept for 90 to 365 days, links with passwords, expiry dates and download limits, file requests, team folders and an admin console, with CloudFiles putting files on demand in Explorer or Finder. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but you install it and it starts backing up. | C4.15 from about 820 App Store ratings, well behind the 4.6 and up that the big names in this category manage, and enough ratings for that to mean something. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, with no integrations listed. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, which covers most people, but no Linux app is mentioned. The other end is nearly bare: Microsoft Office 365 is the only integration listed and there's no API on record. |
| Best for | backing up one PC or Mac with unlimited space | encrypted file sharing for small teams |
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: Livedrive and Sync.com. How we grade
Price against what you get
Livedrive starts at about $8.59 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sync.com starts at $6 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Sync.com starts $2.59 a month lower. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, 11 score higher than Livedrive for less, and 10 score higher than Sync.com for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Sync.com is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Livedrive | Sync.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | £7.69 per month (Backup), £76.90 billed annually | $6 per user / month, billed annually (3-user minimum) |
| Free plan | None | Free account with 5 GB of storage. |
| Free trial | Free trial offered on each plan; length not stated on the page | 30-day free trial, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Livedrive Internet Ltd. | Sync.com, Inc. |
| Price read from | livedrive.com | sync.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Livedrive
- Prices are shown in pounds by default; the page offers a currency switch whose US dollar figures could not be read here.
- Backup covers one PC or Mac user account; a second computer or a NAS drive is an extra purchase.
- Briefcase is a separate product with its own storage limit: 2 TB alone, 5 TB in the Pro Suite.
- Pricing notes say the VAT rate of your jurisdiction applies on top of the displayed amounts.
Sync.com
- The free account is limited to 5 GB.
- Advertised prices are 50% off for the first year only; plans then renew at the regular prices listed here.
- Team plans require at least 3 users. Teams 10TB costs $15 per user / month billed annually, and Enterprise starts at 100 users.
- Access is listed for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and web browsers; no Linux app is mentioned.
Key features
Livedrive
- Automatic computer backup
- Installed on a Windows or Mac computer, the software copies files such as photos, documents and videos to UK data centres.
- Version history
- The backup page says up to 30 previous versions of files are kept so an unwanted edit can be restored.
- Briefcase folder
- Files placed in the online Briefcase can be viewed or edited from computers, phones and tablets.
- Private and public sharing
- Briefcase files can be shared by a link with a username and password, or by a public link.
- Two-factor sign-in
- Accounts support two-factor authentication, and the data centres are described as ISO 27001 certified.
Sync.com
- End-to-end encryption
- Files are stored end-to-end encrypted on every plan. Sync states that only the account holder has access to them and that the company cannot see them.
- File history and recovery
- Previous and deleted versions of a file can be previewed and restored for 90, 180 or 365 days, depending on the plan.
- Advanced share controls
- Shared links can be read-only or preview-only and can carry passwords, expiry dates and download limits, with notifications when a file is viewed.
- CloudFiles and Vault
- CloudFiles provides files-on-demand inside Windows File Explorer and Mac Finder, and Vault archives files in the cloud only to free up local space.
- File requests and team folders
- Request files from several people without showing them what others sent, and collaborate with internal and external users in shared team folders.
- Team administration
- Team plans add a multi-user admin console and centralized billing. Teams 2TB and Teams 10TB add role-based access control and admin delegation.
Plans
Livedrive
Backup£7.69
per month, 1 PC or Mac user (£76.90 billed annually)
Unlimited cloud backup storage for one computer user account. Amounts exclude VAT where it applies.
Briefcase£11.99
per month (£119.90 billed annually)
2 TB of online folder storage to access, edit and share from any device, with tablet and mobile backup.
Pro Suite£17.59
per month (£175.90 billed annually)
Backup plus Briefcase: backup for 5 PC or Mac users and 5 TB of Briefcase storage.
Sync.com
Free$0
5 GB of secure storage on a free account.
Personal 1TB$12
per month, billed annually ($16 billed monthly)
1 TB of storage for one user, with advanced sharing and 90-day file history.
Solo 5TB$28
per month, billed annually ($32 billed monthly)
5 TB of storage for one user, with custom branding and 180-day file history.
Personal Unlimited$45
per month, billed annually ($54 billed monthly)
Unlimited storage for one user with 365-day file recovery. Upload speed management may apply beyond 10 TB.
Teams 1TB$6
per user / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly)
1 TB per user with an administrator account and 180-day file history. 3-user minimum.
Teams 2TB$9
per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)
2 TB per user with custom branding, role-based access control and admin delegation. 3-user minimum.
Ways to pay less
Livedrive
- Annual discount
Save 16% with annual billing
Choosing annual instead of monthly billing is advertised on the pricing page as saving 16%.
Sync.com
- Annual discount
Save up to 25% with annual billing
The pricing pages state a saving of up to 25% for annual billing. Personal 1TB is $12 a month billed annually against $16 billed monthly.
- Other savings
50% off the first year
Both pricing pages advertise 50% off for one year on individual and team plans. The promotional price applies to the first year, after which plans renew at the regular price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Livedrive or Sync.com?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Livedrive starts at £7.69 per month (Backup), £76.90 billed annually, and Sync.com starts at $6 per user / month, billed annually (3-user minimum). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Livedrive or Sync.com?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Sync.com has a free plan. Livedrive does not, though it has a free trial.
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.