Get help

General limits when using Sync

In this article:


How many files can I store in my Sync account?

The number of files you can store with Sync is limited by the amount of storage space in your Sync account. If you run out of space in your Sync account, you can upgrade to get more space.

You can store as many files as your storage space allows, however, you may not be able to synchronize all of your files to all of your computers, as the number of files you can sync is also limited by the size of your computer’s available hard drive space. If you do not have enough space on your computer, try using selective sync, Vault, or consider moving your Sync files to a larger, external USB hard drive.

The Sync desktop app and web panel: Sync performance can get slower with more than 300,000 files in Sync. This is not a hard limit, and depends on the hardware specifications of the computer running the app (or web browser), as well as network speed, nested folder structure, and frequency of syncing activity. Many customers successfully sync more files without issue.

Also to note, there is a hard limit of 10,000 files per folder (you can create an unlimited number of folders).

The Sync mobile app: The Sync apps for iOS and Android provide a file listing, but do not physically store file data on your phone or device by default. This ensures that the number of files you can store with Sync is not limited by the amount of available storage space on your device.

The mobile apps include a feature called sync offline, which allows you to selectively store file data on your phone or device. Offline folders support up to 10,000 files per folder and/or up to 100 GB of data per folder. The total of all offline files and folders synced to a mobile device cannot exceed 100,000 files and/or 500 GB.


How many computers or devices can I connect to my Sync account?

You can connect up to 5 active computers or mobile devices to your Sync account. If you are setting up Sync for use with multiple users / people, you should create a separate Sync account for each user. You can then setup team shared folders to control which folders and files each user can access.


Can I upload large files to Sync (what is the maximum file size)?

Sync.com desktop and mobile apps: You can upload files of any size using the Sync desktop or mobile apps, however, Sync desktop app performance may be slower when uploading files larger than 40 GB. This is not a hard limit, and depends on the hardware specifications of the computer running the app, as well as frequency of changes to the file. Many customers successfully upload much larger files without issue.

Sync.com web panel: For large file uploads we recommend using the Sync desktop app, which supports automatic resume on partial transfers and does not otherwise restrict file size. Because the Sync web panel is browser based, web panel performance can degrade when uploading individual files larger than 500 MB in size.


Does Sync support file de-duplication or block level syncing?

The Sync desktop and mobile apps support file level de-duplication, which means that the apps will not re-upload identical files that have been previously uploaded to your account, even when renamed or moved. This saves bandwidth and improves overall syncing performance. The Sync apps do not support block level de-duplication, which would otherwise give Sync access to your files (we do not have access to your files).


What types of files are supported?

You can upload virtually any type of file to Sync, including documents, videos, photos, compressed archives, RAW files, image files and more. Furthermore, Sync does not alter or compress your files in any way.

Sync should not be used to synchronize live databases or live application data across multiple computers, although you can use Vault to periodically backup this type of data.

Important note: To prevent syncing problems across different operating systems and platforms, a subset of incompatible characters are not supported by Sync. Files named with these characters may be skipped (not uploaded), and will be listed under the desktop app progress tab (regardless of syncing status).


What are the data transfer limits (bandwidth / traffic)?

Sync does not limit the amount of data you can upload or download, provided that you have not exceeded the total storage space in your account. You can increase your space by upgrading your account. You can also delete files from your account to free up space, to transfer more data.

Sharing: Sync Pro customers can transfer unlimited data and unlimited downloads when sharing. This means that there are no monthly transfer limits when sharing files, provided you are on a Pro plan. The free Sync Starter plan allows up to 20 downloads per day, per link. The limit resets every 24 hour period. You can upgrade to a Pro plan any time to get unlimited downloads immediately.


What is the maximum transfer speed?

Real world transfer speeds will vary, depending on the speed of your own Internet connection, network peering between your ISP and our upstream provider, the amount of data you are transferring, and the size of the files being transferred. The desktop app Network tab should be set to Automatic for maximum speed.

At 40 Mbps (40 megabits per second, or 5 megabytes per second), a 1 GB (1,000 MB) file should take less than 5 minutes to transfer. This estimate does not include encryption overhead, which is typically not noticeable on small files, but can add additional time when transferring very large files.


How many team shared folders can I create?

Sync Pro and Business customers can create unlimited team shared folders. Free Sync Starter customers can create up to three (3) team shared folders.

When sharing with more than 50 people, consider using links, which provides the fastest performance for an unlimited number share recipients.

Also to note: the people you share with may be limited by the amount of space available on their own computers or devices.


Sync Pro and Business customers can create unlimited links, with unlimited data transfer. Free Sync Starter customers can create up to three (3) links with limited data transfer.

When sharing folders with links, the people you share with may have an option to download all files in the folder at once. This feature will zip all of the files in the folder to make downloading quicker and easier, and is available on linked folders up to 5 GB in size.

Consider using team shared folders to share folders and files larger than 5 GB in size.

Also to note: the people you share with may be limited by the amount of space available on their own computers or devices.


Can I use network drives, mapped drives or network attached storage (NAS) with Sync?

You cannot use network drives, mapped drives or network attached storage as your Sync folder location. Also, Sync does not support third-party transfer protocols such as WebDAV or FTP.


What are the minimum system requirements?

Sync supports:

  1. Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 and 11
  2. macOS 10.6 and greater (macOS 10.11 or greater for enhanced Finder integration)
  3. iOS (iPhones and iPads)
  4. Android phones and tablets
  5. All modern web browsers including Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer and Firefox. Google Chrome typically provides the fastest performance.

You’ll need admin privileges on your computer to install and run Sync.

Sync does not support Windows Server operating systems or running as a service.


Can I install Sync on Linux?

A Linux app is on our long-term roadmap, however, not available at this time. In the mean time you can access the Sync.com web panel on Linux using a supported web browser.






Copyright © 2024 Sync.com, Inc.
Terms of service · Privacy policy · GDPR