GoodSync

GoodSync is professional software for automated file synchronization and backup between local drives, mobile devices, NAS servers, and cloud services including Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Amazon S3, and SFTP. The software analyzes differences between source and destination folders, transferring only changed data blocks to save time and bandwidth. The trial version operates without restrictions for 30 days; after that it limits to 3 jobs and a maximum of 100 files per task. GoodSync provides bidirectional sync, one-way backup, and exact mirroring with automatic scheduling and real-time monitoring of file system changes.

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• Two-Way Synchronization. Detects changes made in both locations (source and destination) and reconciles them automatically. If one file is modified in the source folder and a different file is modified in the destination folder, GoodSync copies the newest versions in both directions without overwriting recent data. This function is essential for teams editing shared projects from different computers or for keeping an office laptop and a home PC updated.
• One-Way Backup. Transfers files from a source folder to a destination folder without removing items in the destination that do not exist in the source. GoodSync offers simple backup modes, exact mirror (deletes in destination what is absent in source), and backup with versioning of replaced files. This feature protects against accidental deletions and allows restoration of previous document versions for up to 30 days by default.
• Real-Time Synchronization. Continuously monitors selected folders using operating system notifications (kernel hooks). When a file is created, modified, or deleted, GoodSync automatically executes the sync job without manual intervention. Check intervals are configurable from 0.1 seconds to several minutes, suitable for server environments where changes must propagate instantly to backup copies or secondary nodes.
• File Locking and Encryption. During transfer, GoodSync applies SSL/TLS encryption for connections to cloud services and SFTP. Additionally, local encryption protects files at the destination using AES-256 with a user-defined password. File locking through VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) on Windows allows copying of documents actively used by other applications such as Outlook, Word, or SQLite databases without stopping active processes.
• Advanced Filtering by Mask and Size. The user can include or exclude files using wildcard patterns (*.tmp, ~$*.*) and regular expressions. Size filters (for example, ignore files larger than 1 GB) prevent transfer of unwanted items. Rules based on modification date (only files changed in the last 7 days) and system attributes (hidden, read-only) are also applied. This granularity reduces network traffic and speeds up periodic jobs.
• Direct Peer-to-Peer Sync Between Computers. Connects two computers via LAN or Internet without passing through intermediate servers, using proprietary GoodSync TCP/IP protocols. Direct connection avoids bandwidth limits imposed by cloud services and reduces latency. One machine must be configured as a server (listening on a port) and the other as a client. Traffic is compressed and encrypted automatically, reaching speeds limited only by the local network or ISP plan.
• Versioning and Deleted Files Management. When syncing or backing up, GoodSync can move replaced or deleted files to a separate versioning folder (for example, Archive_Deleted). The system retains up to 99 previous versions of each file, with automatic rotation options based on age or maximum number of revisions. This function recovers data overwritten by mistake or intentionally deleted without external recovery tools.
• Detailed Reports and Email Notifications. Each synchronization job generates a log in plain text and HTML format listing copied files, skipped items, conflicts, and errors. GoodSync can send these reports via SMTP to one or more email addresses upon completion of each scheduled or manual task. Administrators configure conditional alerts (only if errors occur) and receive daily summaries of all active job statuses.
• Integrated Task Scheduler. The scheduling engine executes jobs at specific intervals: every X minutes/hours, daily at a fixed time, weekly, or monthly. Triggers include user login, USB drive connection (detected by volume ID), or network change detection. Scheduling works even when the graphical interface is closed, running as a background service on Windows or a daemon on macOS and Linux.
• Cross-Platform and Mobile Support. GoodSync is available for Windows (7, 8, 10, 11), macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Linux (distributions with GTK, x64 and ARM64 architectures), Android (Google Play and direct APK), and iOS (App Store). The Android version syncs photos, contacts, and files with NAS devices or cloud accounts via Wi-Fi or mobile data. On iOS, file system access is sandboxed, but GoodSync can sync the application folder and the photo library using the PhotoKit framework.
• Pre and Post Execution Commands. Before starting a synchronization, GoodSync can execute system commands, batch scripts, PowerShell, Bash, or external applications. Use cases include stopping database services before copying files, mounting encrypted network drives, or running a script to check available disk space. After the job finishes, post-commands restart services, send push notifications via curl, or unmount drives.
• Content Comparison by Cryptographic Hash. To guarantee files are identical beyond date and size, GoodSync can calculate and compare SHA-256 or MD5 hashes of each file. This verification detects silent data corruption or modifications not recorded in timestamps. Deep hash mode is suitable for critical files such as forensic images, database backups, or code repositories, though it increases analysis time proportionally to data size.

Development of GoodSync began in 2005 by Siber Systems, the same company responsible for RoboForm (password manager). The founder and principal architect is Michael Fimin, who designed the core synchronization engine to solve the lack of reliable tools that correctly detected file moves and renames. The first public version was released in January 2006 exclusively for Windows, implementing a fingerprinting algorithm that prevented retransferring renamed or moved files. Cloud service support was added in 2008 and the macOS version in 2011. The primary programming language of GoodSync is C++ with the Qt framework for the cross-platform graphical interface. Low-level file monitoring components (FileSystemWatcher) are written in C and optimized assembly for Windows, while mobile clients use Kotlin (Android) and Swift (iOS). The sync core and rule engine share a common codebase written in C++17, compiled with LLVM/Clang and Microsoft Visual C++.

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