Rclone review (2026): is it any good?
Command-line tool for syncing and mounting cloud storage
Rclone report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for syncing and mounting cloud storage from the command line
Rclone is a free MIT-licensed command-line program that copies, syncs and mounts files across 70+ storage products. You pay only your storage providers. It is a command-line tool, and its web interface is labelled experimental.
Who Rclone is for
- 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
Who Rclone is not for
- 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
Why Rclone gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree under the MIT licence, with no paid plans. Anyone can download and run it, and you pay only the storage providers you connect.
- AFree plan and trialThe whole program is free with no caps. You do need an account with a provider, as it hosts nothing.
- BFeaturesCopy, 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.
- DEase of useIt is run from the command line and set up with configuration files. The web GUI is labelled experimental.
- CPlatforms and integrationsA 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Rclone's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/rclone#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/rclone.svg" alt="Rclone: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Rclone stands among file storage and sync services
Rclone's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 73 of the 91 other file storage and sync services we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 86 of 91) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Rclone has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 92 file storage and sync services we grade, cut by the letter each got. Rclone’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 74 of 91, level with 17
- AFree plan and trialAbove 86 of 91, level with 5
- BFeaturesAbove 70 of 91, level with 21
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 91, level with 21
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 91, level with 29
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 66 file storage and sync services. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Rclone, or make your own?
Keep it
Rclone is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 73 of the 91 other file storage and sync services we grade.
What you could not
- Files kept in step across devices without losing one.
- A file manager working directly on your disk.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Amazon S3, Google Drive and Dropbox among them, and has an API.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Rclone’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Rclone?
Rclone is an open-source command-line program for copying, syncing, mounting and checking files on local disks and cloud storage. It supports more than 70 storage products, from S3-style object stores to consumer file services, and standard protocols such as SFTP and WebDAV. It is used from the terminal, in scripts, or through its remote-control API.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Rclone pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Rclone is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Free and open source under the MIT license; no paid plans.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Rclone | $0 | Free MIT-licensed software; you pay only the storage providers you connect it to. |
Read from rclone.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Rclone before you buy.
Works with
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Common questions
Does Rclone have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Rclone is listed for macOS, Windows, Linux and Android.
Is Rclone open source?
Yes. Rclone is open source, according to its own site.
Is Rclone end-to-end encrypted?
Rclone describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Does Rclone have an API?
Yes. Rclone offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.