5/7/2023 0 Comments Dropbox linuxGreat UI, but the flow of the application can bring an older computer to a screeching halt. The software for Linux feels a bit bloated. Unfortunately, there are still some aspects of SpiderOak that are not fully open source. What I didn’t like: SpiderOak uses some open source components. You can get upto 1 TB of data storage for $12 USD per month. I’ve also found that their storage (like Dropbox) is cheap. This means your privacy is fully respected as your data is encrpted at all times except when you decrypt it on your own PC. What I liked: SpiderOak provides a zero-knowledge storage platform. I’ve found it’s also useful for syncing between PCs running SpiderOak. Most people use SpiderOak as a secure means of backing up their files. I decided to include SpiderOak with these Dropbox alternatives as it provides device syncing in addition to data backup. Like BitTorrent Sync, there is no cloud storage in the equation. Summary: If you’re able to iron out or avoid the issues with UpnP, Syncthing is a very strong contender to replace Dropbox. I did eventually have it working with UpnP after changing out the router with another one. I’ve read that this could be the result of a timeout issue or perhaps the router doesn’t know what to do with the discovery service. What I didn’t like: Despite Syncthing providing options for UpnP, I’ve never had much success with it. I also love the ssh support in case you’re needing to avoid the web UI when away from home. What I liked: Syncthing is open source, has packages for every sort of platform you can imagine and is relatively easy to setup…usually. For some, switching to Syncthing was the natural course of action. Instead, the free version lost features to the paid version. When BitTorrent Sync first mentioned their new premium version some users felt betrayed they felt it should have remained completely free. Sync your files between computers over your LAN or across the web, using strong encryption and open source software. Summary: If you’re a heavy Dropbox user and are willing to pay the one time fee, you could save yourself some cash overall. The strong encryption is also nice, although we’re talking about a proprietary application. Not having the ability to sync to the “cloud” also means any backup of your files is on you. It also doesn’t allow me to change my folder access permissions. What I didn’t like: BitTorrent Sync doesn’t offer selective sync with their free version. The UpnP port mapping worked flawlessly with my router. What I liked: BitTorrent Sync is simple to use, doesn’t sync to the “cloud” and has no folder size limits. WAN syncing also works well, for those needing to sync over the Internet. I loved the fact that syncing to a third party service (a cloud) was never part of the equation. I found it was faster than competing technologies and I could sync huge files on my LAN very quickly. When BitTorrent Sync first became popular, I loved it. In this article I’ll explore alternatives to Dropbox for Linux users. It’s cross platform, simple to setup and provides a cloud storage option for those who might otherwise be less inclined to store files off-site. Like many of you, I too have found myself wooed by the convenience of using Dropbox.
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