FreeFileSync
 | |
 FreeFileSync 6.7 running on Windows 8.1 | |
| Initial release | August 2008 |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 11.2
/ October 2, 2020[1] |
| Operating system | Windows, Linux, macOS |
| Platform | IA-32, x86-64 |
| Type | File synchronization utility |
| License | GNU GPLv3 |
| Website | www |
FreeFileSync is a free and open-source program used for file synchronization. It is available on Windows, Linux and OS X. The project is backed by donations. Donors get a few additional features such as an auto-updater, parallel sync, portable version, and silent installation.[2]
FreeFileSync works by comparing one or multiple folders on their content, date or file size and subsequently synchronizing the content according to user-defined settings. In addition to supporting local file systems and network shares, FreeFileSync is able to sync to FTP, FTPS, SFTP and MTP devices.
Adware/Malware
Earlier versions were packaged with OpenCandy,[3][4] an adware module which many antivirus software vendors classify as malware.[5][6][7][8]
Since the release of version 10.0 in April 2018, the software is ad-free.[9] In November 2018 Norton wrongly considered FreeFileSync installer as a malware and blocked its installation.[10]
Supported OS
FreeFileSync is available for 32bit and 64bit operating systems. As of May 2020 the then current version 10.23 of FreeFileSync supported the following operating systems and versions[11]:
- Windows 10 down to Windows 7.
- MacOS 10.15 "Catalina" down to Mac OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion"
- On Linux many well-known distributions are supported. The web site cites CentOS, Debian, Fedora, Mint, SUSE and Ubuntu.
Older operating systems
Support for Windows Vista and XP ended with FreeFileSync_v10.11. The latest release compatible with Mac OS X 10.7.5 is FreeFileSync_8.4_Mac_OS_X. Older versions are still available on the project website [12].
See also
- Comparison of file hosting services
- Comparison of file synchronization software
- Comparison of online backup services
References
- ^ https://www.freefilesync.org/archive.php
- ^ "FAQ: Donation Edition". freefilesync.org.
- ^ Akerlund, Geoff (10 March 2014), FreeFileSync comes bundled with the OpenCandy malware, and there’s no option to not install it., Backup Review, retrieved 2 February 2018
- ^ Richards, Gizmo (16 April 2017), Controversial Advertising Program Now Being Embedded in More Software, Tech Support Alert, retrieved 2 February 2018
- ^ PUP.Optional.OpenCandy, Malwarebytes, retrieved 3 February 2018
- ^ OpenCandy, Sophos, retrieved 3 February 2018
- ^ ADW_OPENCANDY, Trend Micro, retrieved 3 February 2018
- ^ Virustotal analyses of OpenCandy, Virus Total, retrieved 3 February 2018
- ^ Brinkmann, Martin (3 May 2018). "FreeFileSync 10.0 updates removes ads from installer". ghacks.net. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
- ^ "My virus scanner/firewall shows a scary warning. Is there a virus, malware, or trojan?". freefilesync.org.
- ^ List of supported operating systems https://freefilesync.org/faq.php#operating-systems
- ^ Archive of old versions of the software https://freefilesync.org/archive.php