Sync.com Review

Sync.com Review

Features - 89%
Usability - 93%
Security - 97%
Support - 89%
Pricing - 92%

92%

Very Good

Sync.com is very much a security and privacy focused cloud storage service which, by combining a fairly simplistic and straightforward approach, is also very easy to use and gets all of the core features just right. A great choice!

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Sync.com

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    Sync.com is one of the leading privacy-focused cloud storage solutions available as of today, one with a strong emphasis on providing highly secure, zero-knowledge encrypted storage alongside an excellent set of secure sharing and team collaboration features which are built right into the service by default.

    Whilst this is undoubtedly a very secure and privacy orientated service from the beginning, Sync.com also offer many additional cloud storage features including secure file sharing, file version history, Microsoft Office 365 integration, desktop synchronisation software plus various team and file permission options for those actively collaborating with other Sync.com users.

    As one of the relatively few providers to offer advanced privacy options and full zero knowledge encryption of all files sent to and from their cloud storage service by default, Sync.com has continued to build upon the strong and secure cloud storage offering which I last reviewed back in 2020! Time to try out this latest version of the Sync.com cloud storage service for myself (as of this updated review in 2023) and see how well it continues to perform, vamos!

    Looking for Cloud Storage?

    Are you looking for practical help and advice in choosing cloud storage? If so, then be sure to check out our various guides including our Top 10 Free Cloud Storage guide, our guide to the Best Free Cloud Storage Services plus our guide to the Best Cloud Storage for Photographers amongst several others!

    Key Features

    • Well designed and easy to use cloud storage service
    • Highly secure with zero knowledge AES 256-bit encryption
    • Secure file sharing and device synchronisation functionality
    • Automatic file upload resumption and de-duplication technology
    • Cloud vault service (separate non-syncing cloud storage area)
    • Up to 365 days of historic file versioning available (30-days on free plan)
    • Apps available for Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android
    • Microsoft Office 365 integration (access cloud documents directly)
    • Multi-factor authentication (2FA) and lost device lockout
    • Connect and use up to 5 devices per account
    • Business / team plans with user administration console
    • Unlimited data transfers on all premium accounts!
    • Premium plans with 2TB+ storage from $8 / month
    • Business plans with unlimited storage available!
    • Get a Free 5GB cloud storage account direct from Sync.com!

    Sync.com Usability

    In this section of my review, I will be making use of the Sync.com cloud storage service for myself. This includes the process of signing up to the service for myself, making use of the web-based interface and then installing the Sync.com apps across both my Windows and Android devices to see how well everything actually performs.

    This all begins at the official Sync.com website where a free 5GB plan is available for all new subscribers alongside premium plans offering up to 6TB in cloud storage for individual users and up to unlimited cloud storage plans for businesses and teams!

    Signing-up to Sync.com

    Signing up to Sync begins via the official Sync.com website where the free-to-use Sync.com Starter plan with 5GB of free storage is available for all! In-keeping with Sync’s commitment to maintaining maximum privacy for their users at all times, it is nice to see that all is required for initial signup is an active email address and a secure password for making use of the service.

    sync.com review - sign-up page in use

    NB – When signing up to Sync.com via the main signup form (as can be seen above), we have the option to turn off email-based password reset functionality should we need to! Whilst this will help in providing an additional layer of security for the account itself, it will also mean that having one of the Sync.com apps installed and logged-in to the service would then become the only way to re-set a password should this service be required (so be very careful if opting to turn off this feature)!

    After completing this simple sign-up form, the Sync.com sign-up process will then take users to a welcome page where the desktop software can easily be downloaded as well as making available a link for retrieving information on downloading the smartphone apps (both of which will be covered in more depth later on in this review).

    sync.com review - welcome and download page

    After optionally downloading any of the Sync.com apps form this welcome screen and confirming the email address which has been used for sign-up, the registration process will be complete and we will be redirected to the main web-based file management console straight afterwards. Some of the many other configuration options available for the Sync.com account can at this point also be accessed via the user account menu found at the top right of the page as access to both the support pages plus pages for downloading the Sync.com applications as well.

    sync.com review - initial web view with account management menu open

    NB – Despite being free-to-use, the Sync.com Starter plan still provides access to many of the premium features on offer from Sync.com and can make for a great way of testing out the service before committing to a premium plan. Despite this good degree of functionality which is available, there are understandably still some restrictions in place on this free-to-use plan including a maximum of 3 active sharing links being active at any one time and a maximum of 20 file downloads per 24hrs also being in place.

    With the sign-up process now complete, I will be looking at downloading and making use of the Sync.com desktop software in the next section of this review before then going on to look at various other parts of the service later on.

    Installing the Desktop Software

    With the registration process for Sync.com now complete, I will in this section be looking at the Windows desktop software which is available for use across all plans including the 5GB free account. This process begins by visiting the Sync.com downloads page where either the Windows or MacOS desktop synchronisation software can be downloaded.

    sync.com review - apps download page

    At just under 60MB in my own instance, the Windows desktop software was a quick and easy download and I had the installer running on my own PC just a few moments later. Installation itself was also simple and required just a few clicks and the Sync.com login details being entered during the installation process to get things up and running.

    sync.com review - app installer login

    Once installation is complete, the Sync.com desktop software will automatically configure a dedicated folder which will be kept automatically in-sync with the cloud storage service as well providing access to an app launcher in the Windows sys tray for configuring the service and managing the Sync.com user account.

    sync.com review - windows sys tray app menu

    Whilst the desktop app can simply be used in its default configuration from this point onwards, it is good to see that Sync.com do provide a good set of further options for fine-tuning how the service works via the preferences page (as can be seen above). This begins with various options being available including those to specify if the desktop synchronisation process should start automatically or not when Windows does, the ability to specify bandwidth imitations plus the ability to see the progress of any active transfers amongst various other settings.

    sync.com review - sync folder configuration

    Also available within the settings page are options for resetting the password for the main Sync.com user account (which is useful if the option to disable password email resets has been turned off) as well as the synchronisation control page where specific subfolders within the main sync folder can be included or excluded from the synchronisation process.

    NB – Whilst the Sync.com desktop software does allow for a high degree of configuration in that we can specify which subfolders are included or excluded from the synchronisation process, it does not allow specifying if synchronised folders are stored locally or kept on the cloud and cached to the local device as some other cloud storage providers do!

    Shortcut links to both the Sync.com web console and the specified Windows synchronisation folder round off the sys tray app’s functionality as does an initial view which shows recent activity on the account (useful, for example, for quickly checking that everything is in sync before powering down the machine).

    And with this, the desktop software is installed, configured and ready for use. Overall, this was a quick and easy installation process which brings with it a great set of device synchronisation features alongside some other useful tools such as those for resetting passwords and specifying which files, if any, should be excluded from the synchronisation process.

    NB – Remember, if you would like to try the Sync.com desktop software out for yourself, then there is a 5GB free account which is available to all new users via the official Sync.com website!

    File Synchronisation & Sharing

    As was briefly mentioned in the previous section, where I set up the Sync.com desktop software for myself, the secure and reliable synchronisation of files between devices and the main cloud storage drive is a key offering of the Sync.com service. We have also seen, so far, that device synchronisation is configured automatically upon this same desktop software being installed, this means that Sync is also a very easy to use service and one which is ideal for anyone wanting to get multiple devices synchronised to the cloud with ease.

    sync.com review - sync configuration options

    Whilst this synchronisation of files between the cloud drive service and the device with the desktop software installed upon is set-up automatically, we do still have various configuration options to fine-tune how this aspect of the service works. This begins in the preferences page (as can be seen above) where specified folders and subfolders found within the synchronisation folder can easily be added or removed and extends to also being able to turn on bandwidth limits and setting of the locally stored file cache amongst various other options.

    sync.com review - web vault page

    Moving across to the Sync.com web interface and we see the main access portal for the entire Sync.com cloud storage account. In addition to being the source storage destination for any file synchronisation jobs taking place between connected devices, the web interface is also the place where we see the Sync.com Vault service which can be used for storing files in the cloud which won’t be automatically synchronised to any other devices (unlike files kept in the main section of the cloud drive which are synchronised by default).

    Moving on and it is also in the Sync.com web interface where we can first see the secure file sharing abilities which are built into the service in action. Sharing files form the web portal begins by hovering over the file or folder to be shared and then clicking on the share button which appears to start sharing or collaborating on said items.

    sync.com review - web sharing menu

    As can be seen above, Sync.com allow their users to share files both via a standard sharing link, as might be common with many other cloud providers, in addition to a collaboration option for sharing between other Sync.com users. Starting off by looking at the link sharing option and we see that we have the ability to not only share a file as it is, but also turn on password protection, commenting (for other Sync.com users) and set enhanced privacy options for helping keep the Sync.com user account itself private.

    sync.com review - web sharing link configuration

    NB – Remember, Sync.com will automatically encrypt all files on the end user’s device before they are sent to the cloud storage drive, this means when sharing links are created, they also contain the ability to decrypt any shared files upon request!

    We also have the option to send this sharing link directly to another person by simply entering their email address onto this same sharing screen and, if said user also has a Sync.com account, then we can allow direct collaboration on the document as well.

    sync.com review - shared file collaboration options

    As can be seen above, collaborative sharing of documents with other Sync.com users is as simple to set up as entering their email address into the sharing box and then specifying if read only or full editing access is to be granted (with the read-only access option only available to users on a premium Sync.com plan). The final way to share documents via Sync.com comes via the desktop or mobile apps form which the same sharing system (a sharing link or collaborative share set-up) can be configured with ease (after any such documents have already been synchronised to the device).

    sync.com review - windows context menu sharing options

    As can be seen above, when making use of the built-in Windows desktop software, we have access to the Sync.com sharing options on the file context menu, a feature which makes both setting up of new shares quick and simple as it does also the managing of any existing shares on a given item in the account.

    NB – Remember that Sync.com have a free to use 5GB account available for all new users to the service, a great way to try out Sync.com and this excellent piece of desktop synchronisation software for yourself!

    Using the Web Interface

    A good web interface is often seen as a key feature when making the most out of any cloud storage service, this extends not only to the management of the user account itself, but also to making use of the cloud storage features alongside any secure sharing and collaboration options which are also available.

    sync.com review - web dashboard view with files

    NB – The right-side menu seen in the image above is also where we can gain access to the recycle bin area, Sync.com keeps al deleted files for at least 30 days (for those on the free plan) making this service very useful for recovering any files potentially deleted by mistake!

    As can be seen above, Sync.com features a simplistic yet well laid out web interface which makes accessing any stored files and folders easy (simply drag and drop files over the webpage to upload them or select files and click on download in the right-side menu to download them again). It also makes accessing the various other different parts of the service easy including the main sharing menu, the user account management page and the Vault service amongst various other features built into Sync.com.

    sync.com review - web sharing management page

    As can be seen above, as well as being able to easily create secure sharing links for any files via the Sync.com web interface (which was seen earlier on in this review), we can also easily manage any active sharing links via the main sharing management page. From this page we can see an overview of any sharing links already in-use as well as an overview of any team and collaborative sharing which is also in use (and, of course, manage and remove such entities when required).

    File Upload and Bandwidth Limits

    One important feature of Sync.com which needs to be pointed out is that they do not impose any hard size limits on files being uploaded or downloaded from the cloud storage service. This is in contrast to many other cloud storage services which do have some kind of limits in place for very large files making them potentially unsuitable in some very specific circumstances compared to Sync.com.

    sync.com review - app bandwidth settings

    Also worthy of mention is that Sync.com do not impose any bandwidth limits on using the service (providing the account is within its allocated storage quota) and this extends to sharing links also allowing unlimited bandwidth and an unlimited number of downloads to be performed as well.

    NB – The only exception to Sync.com’s no limit approach to downloads and bandwidth applies to the 5GB free account. When making use of this free account, users are allowed a maximum of 20 downloads per link, per day (with a maximum of 3 active sharing links allowed in operation)!

    If you are working with large files and cloud storage then it is also potentially very useful to know that Sync.com supports both file deduplication technologies throughout the service as well as the ability to resume partially uploaded files if the original upload was interrupted. Deduplication technology will, of course, help to ensure the most efficient use of any cloud storage and bandwidth capacity which is in use and the ability to automatically resume large, partially upload files could also make using the service much quicker and easier for those who require large file transfers (or for those who are tuck with slow internet connections).

    NB – Sync.com does not support block-level deduplication or file synchronisation due to the secure nature of how files are kept encrypted throughout the entire time they reside on Sync.com cloud storage. Instead, a whole file level approach is made use of which does not give Sync.com any ability to access the contents of any files (see the Sync.com general limits page for more information on this security-focused approach and their synchronisation process in general).

    Smartphone Apps

    Whilst the web interface and desktop software will for many be the primary methods for interacting with Sync.com cloud storage, dedicated smartphone apps for iOS and Android also available.

    sync.com review - sync.com app store page

    Whilst it is a given that the cloud storage is available via the smartphone app, we also see Sync.com integrating several other useful tools into the apps including the ability to share and collaborate directly from a smartphone, automatically upload any photos and videos taken on the device plus the ability to open and save files from other apps directly from Sync.com cloud storage for enhanced ease of use!

    NB – When talking about the Sync.com smartphone app, it is also a good time to point out, again, that this app continues to ensure complete end-to-end encryption of all files which are uploaded to and downloaded from the Sync.com cloud service!

    Security & Privacy

    In my opinion at least, security and privacy are two key areas when it comes to effective and safe use of cloud storage and two areas in which it is clear that Sync.com seem to be doing a very good job with. This starts with Sync.com deploying zero-knowledge (end-to-end) encryption for all data which is stored upon their cloud storage service by default, plus the use of strong AES 256-bit encryption technology to ensure said data is kept as safely as is realistically possible!

    sync.com review - app security settings

    NB – The use of strong, zero-knowledge encryption (as deployed by Sync.com) is often one of the safest and most reliable methods for ensuring any data stored upon the cloud remains safe and private! Be sure to check out my guide to The Best backup Software with AES 256-bit Encryption for more information on how strong encryption can help to secure your valuable data in the cloud!

    Whilst strong encryption being applied to all data stored upon the Sync.com cloud by default is clearly a very strong privacy and security tool within its own right, Sync.com also extends these privacy and security options by providing full UK / EU GDPR compliance making the service an ideal choice for both individual and business users alike.

    Other notable security and privacy additions to the service include Sync.com as an organisation acknowledging that they do not track, share nor sell any of their customer usage data as well as offering a minimum of 30-days of historic file version history which can be very helpful in both mitigating potential ransomware attacks as well as recovering older versions of a file when required!

    NB – Whilst 30-days of version history is very useful and generous for a free to use cloud storage account, Sync.com upgrade this version history all the way up to either 180-days or 365-days across their various range of premium account offerings!

    Support

    Sync.com provide a good help and support portal which provides the ability to contact the Sync.com support team via an online ticketing / email system as well as the option to make use of a detailed knowledge base and FAQ section for information on making use of the service. Customers of the premium business / team plans can also take advantage of on-demand phone-based support to help ensure fast response times as and when required.

    Sync.com Pricing

    Sync.com offer several different pricing plans which target the needs of both individual and business users alike. Alongside these premium plans we also see Sync.com offering a very generous 5GB free account which provides a good set of features from the premium account offerings and continues to take advantage of key Sync.com features such as always-on end-to-end encryption amongst other things.

    The full Sync.com pricing is as follows:

    • Free Starter (5GB) – 100% Free to use!
    • Solo Basic (2TB) – $8 / month (billed annually)
    • Solo Professional (6TB) – $24 / month or $20 / month (when billed annually)
    • Teams Standard (2+ users / 1TB) – $6 / month per user (when billed annually)
    • Teams Unlimited (2+ users / unlimited storage) – $18 month per user or $15 / month per user when paid annually

    NB – If you are on the Sync.com free plan then it is also worth noting that you can earn up to an additional 20GB of free storage by simply referring friends to the service (using the special referral link found in the main Sync.com settings section). Each friend signing-up using your link within 30-days of clicking will result in an additional 1GB of storage being added to your account (taking the free account up to a potential 25GB of free storage)!

    Click Here to visit the official Sync.com pricing page for more information on pricing plans as well as to sign-up for the free 5GB account!

    Sync.com FAQs

    Sync.com is a privacy focused and highly secure cloud storage solution, a service which offers their users various functions including secure file sharing, smartphone apps, team collaboration features plus desktop synchronisation software amongst various other cloud storage functionality by default.

    Sync.com make use of full end-to-end AES 256-bit encryption alongside TLS/SSL secure data transfer channels for all data sent to, retrieved from and stored upon the Sync.com cloud storage service.

    No, Sync.com does not provide support for neither the FTP or WebDAV protocols!

    Yes, Sync.com make effective use of zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption (using AES 256-bit encryption technology) alongside secure TLS/SSL data transfer channels to ensure user data is always stored in a secure state.

    Yes, Sync.com do offer unlimited storage when making use of their business-orientated Teams Unlimited plan. This plan starts at just $18 / month per user or the equivalent of just $15 / month per user when billed annually.

    NB – There is a minimum of 2+ users required to make use of a Sync.com Teams Unlimited plan!

    With zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption and a 2TB plan priced at a very competitive $8 / month (which is billed annually), Sync.com offers great value to anyone seeking out highly private and secure cloud storage at a very reasonable price. Business offerings from just $6 /month per user also make this service a great choice for both individual users and business users alike!

    No, Sync.com do not impose any upload nor download bandwidth restrictions on their service (providing the storage allocation for the account has not been exceeded). There are also no bandwidth limits when making use of sharing links on Sync.com premium plans, the Sync.com free account does, however, limit sharing link downloads to just 20 per link in each 24Hr period.

    Sync.com as a company are themselves located in Canada with all servers also hosted within Canada as well (locations are both in Toronto and Scarborough).

    Yes, Sync.com provide 30-days of historic file version history for any users on their free account, this figure rises to either 180-days or 365-days of file version history being kept across their various premium plan offerings.

    Sync.com Alternatives

    In this section I will be looking at some good alternatives to Sync.com. This will be focused upon cloud storage services providing strong support for user privacy and data security, a good set of core cloud storage features plus good apps for desktop and smartphones amongst various other features and functions.

    Remember, any ratings and opinions given below reflect my own personal views and should be treated only as a guide! When purchasing any form of cloud storage service, always be sure to carefully check the details of the offering out for yourself first and try and to make use of any free trials or free accounts, whenever possible, to help ensure the solution is right before committing to a purchase.

    1) Internxt (internxt.com)

    Founded as recently as 2017, Internxt is a relatively new cloud storage service, but one with a clear and committed focus on providing both decentralised and highly secure end-to-end encrypted cloud storage to all of their users by default!

    sync.com review - internxt alternative

    It is this highly secure approach which will make Internxt a solid alternative to Sync.com for many security conscious cloud storage users. This approach means (just like with Sync.com) all data is secured at the end user’s device before been transferred to the cloud storage service and then kept in its encrypted state until retrieved by an authenticated device at a later time (making for one of the most secure and private methods for storing data on the cloud).

    Moving on past the core security features relating to how Internxt works and we see various other useful features which are built-in to the service by default. These additional features include a good piece of desktop software with bult-in backup and file synchronisation options, good smartphone apps for both iOS and Android and even online password strength checkers and an antivirus scanner to help ensure the security of any data!

    Internxt is priced from just $0.89 / month for a 20GB account with a 2TB account coming in at a competitive $8.99 / month. More information on the Internxt service plus details of the 10GB free to use plan can be found via the official Internxt website!

    2) pCloud

    pCloud continues to impress with a great set of cloud features on offer, a competitive pricing structure, featureful desktop software plus the ability to make use of full end-to-end encryption thanks to the pCloud Crypto vault service!

    sync.com review - pcloud alternative

    Whilst the competitive pricing and end-to-end encryption solution does help put pCloud and Sync.com side-by-side for the most part, additions to pCloud including a built-in backup utility, built-in multimedia playback tools plus public folders (which even support static website hosting) all help to make this a slightly more featureful option overall. One area in which pCloud does differ slightly is that the full end-to-end encryption is only available when storing items in the pCloud Crypto Vault, this is in contrast to Sync.com which enables full end-to-end encryption on all files stored upon the service by default!

    Another notable benefit of pCloud is that they also offer lifetime cloud storage plans, plans which see only a single payment necessary to gain between 500GB and 10TB of cloud storage with no further monthly fees payable to maintain the service!

    pCloud is priced from just $3.99 / month for the 500GB plan with 2TB plans coming in at just $99 / year and lifetime plans starting at just $199! Also available are Business focused plans featuring up to unlimited storage as is a very generous 10GB free account, more information on all pCloud plans can be found via the official pCloud website.

    3) MEGA.IO

    MEGA has for a long time being a top cloud storage choice for anyone valuing the privacy and security of any data stored in the cloud whilst still providing access to a great set of cloud storage and collaboration features built into the service by default.

    sync.com review - mega alternative

    Thanks to their use of zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption, secure link sharing, multi-factor authentication (2FA) options plus the ability to keep historic file versions up to 365-days, MEGA is certainly on par with Sync.com when it comes to applying a high level of data security to any user accounts and data! MEGA also brings many additional cloud tools to the table including good desktop software with built-in backup capabilities, smartphone apps for iOS and Android, browser extensions and CMD (command line) tools plus secure collaboration tools including a secure chat tool allowing for encrypted video and voice calls.

    MEGA is priced form just €4.99 / month for 400GB of secure cloud storage with a 2TB plan priced at a very reasonable €9.99 / month or €99.99 / year when paying annually. Business plans featuring customisable storage and bandwidth allocations are also available as is a very generous 20GB free account, more information on which can be found at the official MEGA.IO website.

    Sync.com Review Summary

    Sync.com is very much a security and privacy focused cloud storage service which, by combining a fairly simplistic and straightforward approach, is also very easy to use and gets all of the core features just right!

    One of the biggest selling points of Sync.com is, of course, their excellent approach to providing high levels of privacy and security to cloud users and their data. This is an approach which sees all data subject to AES 256-bit end-to-end encryption and Sync.com themselves obeying strict GDPR regulations and an industry standard approach to providing a secure and reliable service. Security aside and the core cloud storage service is backed-up with access to good desktop and smartphone apps, a great set of secure file sharing and team collaboration tools plus lots of other useful features including up to 365-days of historic versioning, offline file access and support for Microsoft Office integration amongst many others.

    Overall, Sync.com is a solid and reliable cloud storage service which is ideal for anyone looking to make serious use of the cloud and, with premium pricing starting at just $8 / month for 2TB of storage, it is also very reasonably priced as well – great work Sync.com!

    Looking for Cloud Storage?

    Are you looking for practical help and advice in choosing cloud storage? If so, then be sure to check out our various guides including our Top 10 Free Cloud Storage guide, our guide to the Best Free Cloud Storage Services plus our guide to the Best Cloud Storage for Photographers amongst several others!

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