SugarSync

File synchronization is a service that every modern computer user needs, and SugarSync, a longtime PCMag.com Editors' Choice, is one of the best and simplest freemium services you'll find for personal use. A recent update to SugarSync's desktop client, version 2.0 (beta) , adds some new functionalityand creates a more seamless syncing experience by echoing the interfaces of the service mobile apps.

In a nutshell, file-syncing services enable you to access the most recent copy of all your files without emailing them to yourself or sticking them on a USB drive and carrying it around with you. SugarSync and similar services synchronize your files as you work on them on which ever computers and mobile devices you choose. A Web account serves as a backup method for getting at your files when you're using a shared or borrowed device, like a computer at an Internet caf?.

Major competitors in the personal file-syncing space, such as Dropbox (also an Editors' Choice) and Box all tend to be very good, if not excellent, with only a handful of differentiating factors, and many of those differences are more a matter of personal preference than "good, better, best." SugarSync remains one of my favorites because of its reliability, control over choosing just what to sync, support for all major platforms, and now its improved look. I can't imagine recommending any other service as a first option. SugarSync is not, however, the only service I use (I have a system for using different providers for different purposes). There's no reason to just choose one.

As simple as SugarSync is, anyone new to file synchronization needs to heed a few warnings. First, take two minutes to learn what file synchronization is and what it means. Synchronization is not the same as backup (although you do get some of the same perks), so you should not use it to free up space on your hard drive. When you "sync" something from your computer, don't then delete it!

SugarSync Accounts and Prices
To use SugarSync, you'll need an account. Sign up for a free account to get 5GB of space, or opt to pay for more. You can get 30GB of cloud storage for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year; 60GB for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year; 100GB for $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year; and 250GB for $24.99 per month or $249.99 per year.

See the chart below for more details on how SugarSync's price for storage space compares with other plans. Click the image to enlarge it.

You can sign up for a SugarSync account either before or after downloading and installing the client software. Launch SugarSync locally, and it will prompt you to login (or create an account) and name your PC or Mac, such as "Home laptop." And that's it. You're in.

What's New in Version 2?
If you haven't used SugarSync before, you'll first need to mark which files and folders you want to sync before SugarSync starts to look like much of anything.

Existing users will see a list of all the data they already have synced in the main window of the new interface. Its design closely resembles that of a mobile app, especially in its default dimensions (you can resize it). A top-line menu offers three choices?SugarSync, Tools, and Help?where you can access basic tools and operations. Below the top-line menu are three app-like buttons for Cloud, Sharing, and Activity, and to the far right, there's a search icon. Cloud, the default, shows the list of folders currently being synced, rather than of devices. That's the first major and noticeable difference from the old SugarSync. The message is, "Don't worry about where the data originated. All that matters is that it's here."

Drag-and-drop. SugarSync reserves a noticeable aqua-colored area at the top of the app for drag-and-drop functionality. Want to sync a folder? Just drag it into this new space. You can still right-click on folders or files anywhere on your computer to sync them, too, a feature I've always appreciated in SugarSync. When you sync a file or folder to SugarSync, you don't need to physically move the items anywhere, like you do with Dropbox. Just mark it to sync and it does. You'll see a small green circle with white checkmark that indicates the data is synced and up to date. When it's in the process of syncing, you'll see a curved white arrow in place of the checkmark. If you lose your Internet connection while working and your data changes state (like if you edit a file), the green icon will disappear completely until the next time you reconnect and SugarSync can once again sync the changes you've made in your files.

Cloud. Hover over any folder in the Cloud view, and you'll see whether it's synced to the machine that you're currently using. Click an information icon to see additional details about the original source of the data, where else it's synced, whether it's shared, and how much space it consumes. Click "Advanced" in this information pane, and you can add or edit the folder's label and remove the folder from SugarSync altogether.

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