SugarSync Review
- Features
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- Likes
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- Dislikes
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- User Reviews
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- Where to Buy
Editor’s Rating:
Avg. User Rating:
| Overall |   |
| Ease of Use |  |
| Features | |
| Value for Money | |
| Customer Service | No Ratings |
SugarSync Review Summary
Pros
- Sync files across all your PCs, Macs, laptops and mobile devices
- Select which files to sync to which devices
- One price for ALL computers
- Edit files directly via the web
- Support for mobile devices
- 5GB Free Version
Cons
- No scheduled backups – not unusual for online storage providers
- No backup for Microsoft Outlook Files
BUT- SugarSync/Outlook Backup Work-around
Best For
Those who access files from multiple computers and/or devices who need to keep those files in sync. SugarSync will do this for you effortlessly.
SugarSync Features/Benefits
SugarSync, is a service created by Sharpcast that was launched in 2008 by a team of wireless and consumer internet industry veterans with a proven track record for building large-scale wireless data systems and successful internet businesses. It is a feature-rich product that securely backs up your computers online and synchronizes them across multiple platforms. SugarSync, allows access to your data anywhere you have access to the web – including your mobile devices.
| Pricing Home: | 5GB: FREE 30GB: $4.99/month ($49.99 annually) 60GB: $9.99/month ($99.99 annually) 100GB: $14.99/month ($149.99 annually) 250GB: $24.99/month ($249.99 annually) Unlimited Computers on any plan |
| Pricing Business: | 100GB: $29.99/month – 3 users $9.99/person/month to add a user $29.99/month to add 100GB |
| Storage Space: | based on plan |
| Free Trial: |
Get a 30 Day SugarSync Free Trial |
| Type of Backup: | There is no manual uploading or scheduling required. It works quietly in the background without interfering with your productivity. (no scheduled backup ability available at this time) |
| File Sharing: | Yes – you can one file, hundreds of files or entire folders and you can choose to share them privately or via their new public links option. This new feature allows you to share files via Facebook, Twitter, etc. and the users don’t have to register to view the files. You can disable the links at any time. |
| File Version History: | Yes – SugarSync will keep up to 5 versions of your files. |
| Support for Mapped Drives: | No – you can manually add them to the webarchive but they are not automatically synced at this time. |
| Support for External Drives: | No – you can manually add them to the webarchive but they are not automatically synced at this time. |
| Individual File Size Limits: | None |
| How Long are Deleted Files Kept: | Until you manually delete them or sync them |
| Customer Service: | Email/Chat/Phone |
| Refund Policy: | No Refunds |
| More Info: | Make Sure to Compare Online Backup Services for Additional Plan Statistics |
Likes
Redefines remote access: You can automatically organize your files into a secure personal website that you can access from any web browser or mobile phone even when your computer is offline. You can still sync files to it from any other device and the next time your home computer is online, any file edits you make will sync automatically. You can also upload files remotely to your personal website and they will automatically sync back to your desired computer. View and share files located on any of your computers right on your phone’s browser with no phone software required. It also creates an archive of these files on a special, password-protected Web page. That way, you can access the latest version of any file even when you are at a public or borrowed computer that lacks the SugarSync software.
Strong mobile component: Not only can you view your synced files on your mobile phone, but there’s a mobile application that hooks into your phone’s camera and will automatically upload new pictures to a directory on your PCs.
SugarSync’s Magic Briefcase: The Magic Briefcase is a folder that SugarSync automatically creates in your Documents folder when you install the SugarSync Manager on your computer. This feature allows you to quickly drag-and-drop any files that you want to synchronize across all your devices. Simply drop a file from your desktop in to Magic Briefcase and access that file from your any computer, or mobile phones. No need to install the SugarSync client on every single machine. Any file or folder you put into your Magic Briefcase on one computer will be automatically be synced to the Magic Briefcase folder on all your other computers. Any changes you make to a file in this folder will sync across all your devices. You can also view and modify the files in your Magic Briefcase on your personal website when you are away from your computer.
Automatic File Versioning: When you update a file, the previous versions (maximum of 5) are archived for you automatically. This makes viewing and restoring older versions of your files a whole lot easier.
Music and Photos: Not only are your files backed up by SugarSync, they also automatically sync your music and photos and arrange them into an organized and secure website for you to use and enjoy your media.
Send files of any size and share folders: This release includes a new feature that lets you send any file from the SugarSync Manager, your personal website, or your phone. You can use this to send files that are too large to attach to an email and to send files from your phone while you are on the go. Users can also share SugarSync folders to groups of friends but can be read-only or read-write. Recipients access the shared folder via the web interface. Owner can access the shared folder via the Web or directly on the desktop. An access code is available to provide enhanced security.
5GB Free Version: Sugarsync now provides up to 5GB of free storage without having to purchase a plan of any type. You can try it out and see for yourself how it works before commiting to a long-term plan. But we think once you do try SugarSync out, you will want more!
File Sharing: Share files both privately and now with new public links. With SugarSync, you can directly share your public links on Facebook and Twitter, or through email, IM, your blog, where-ever you’d like. You can share any file type up to 5 GB in size. When recipients click on the public link, they get a direct download of the file. They won’t have to register in any way, won’t get prompted to view any marketing pages, and there’s no limit to the number of downloads.
Dislikes
No backup for Microsoft Outlook files: If you use Microsoft Outlook, your e-mail will not get backed up, because SugarSync doesn’t back up Outlook .pst files. (Check out the work-around we found for How to Get SugarSync to Backup Outlook Files) Also, if you have a data program that runs all the time, such as a contact management program like ACT, your important data won’t be backed up, because SugarSync doesn’t back up open files. The company says it is working on adding this feature in the near future, as they see it as a limitation to their current functionality.
Deleting files online: When you synchronize files between multiple computers using SugarSync, you have to realize that this can be dangerous. If a document folder or file is deleted online, it syncs this to all of your computers including your main computer. This is one of the dangers of online syncing. If something goes wrong and the syncing program interprets this as a file delete, it will delete the files everywhere. On the plus side, if you are deleting a file on the website from a folder that is not syncing to your computer, such as the Web Archive, this will not delete any files on your computer and will be protected from future changes. It will disappear from the corresponding folders on other machines, but a copy is preserved in your Deleted Files folder. You also selectively control which folders you ‘sync’ on which computers and devices, but it is something to be aware of.
No scheduled backups: Since SugarSync is an "online storage" provider versus a true "online backup" provider it performs backups automatically in the background, you have no option to schedule or manually upload backups. This is again, typical for online storage providers versus a true online backup provider.
No back up service for network or mapped drives: This is a feature that relatively everyone would like to see. According to SugarSync, external drive support will be coming soon and then network drives will be a little later.
Where to Buy
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Save 15% on SugarSync LABOR DAY WEEKEND ONLY!
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Get SugarSync for Business
Summary
If you are looking for a true “online storage provider” that will not only provide a backup solution to the cloud, but true selective file syncing across multiple platforms, as well as private and public file sharing, then SugarSync is leading the way with an easy to use solution. It remains as one of the leading sync tools in the market today, with forward looking, top notch technical leadership who are always on the look-out for ways to enhance and improve the product.
SugarSync is a tool that is as sweet as it’s name because it syncs, it backs up, it shares, and it’s mobile, all in one tool!
Looking for the best online backup website? SugarSync is NOT it!!
Here’s the REAL scoop and why NOT to choose them from a company that learned the hard way.
1.Support is HORRENDOUS. They rarely get back to you, and if they do, they hardly read your question. Instead you start getting sales emails.
2. Once you start your sync, you can’t add new folders or files that have been/are being created during the forever-sync.
3. Support is greeted with autoresponders “Your question has been received. We are currently experiencing a higher than normal volume of requests and will respond to you as soon as possible.”
4. If you lost a file, and you want to search and restore just that, you can’t. You have to know exactly which folder it was. Good luck on few thousand or a few million files, right?!
5. SugarSync does not support scheduled backup.
6. As soon as you locate and call attention to all their problems and errors, they ban you from free chat, not because you’ve done anything wrong but because they want to sell their chat support. Total scam.
7. During pre-sales, you ask focused questions and they respond with canned replies or one link to their general knowledge base or manual. It’s a joke.
8. Support is completely passive-aggressive. They look down on customers and answer you “if and when” they want.
9. And GOOD LUCK CANCELLING!! Once you cancel, they ignore all your emails (they receive them, they just pretend they don’t)…AND CONTINUE CHARGING YOU EVERY MONTH !!!!!!
10. They’re obviously doing this to so many customers, we emailed them about 10-15 times that we’d already cancelled (over a period of months) and they kept sending bogus canned replies like “enjoying our service” type nonsense.
11. Ultimately, they owed us hundreds of dollars, which (I guess they figure) “no one will really notice” a charge of $25-35 per month. How many companies do this nowadays to scam everyone cancelling…even if they can get 10-20% of the suckers who miss it on their bill.
12. Of course, they make sure to keep sending you emails “if you decide to cancel, please do so before your trial has ended.” before the trial is up BUT THEN THEY IGNORE YOUR CANCELLATION REQUESTS SINCE THEY HAVE YOUR CREDIT CARD ALREADY.
SugarSync wasn’t just bad technically, it was bad customer service, bad all the way to its core. I can overlook a few technical errors etc, but this went wayyyy beyond that to big-time fraud, in my experience.
I’ve seen a LOT of other reviews elsewhere complaining of the same thing.
13. Oh yeah, and I forgot the big one: CONSTANT CRASHES on a brand new system. PLEASE avoid these scam artists.
Each time you send a CANCELLATION notice, they THINK that they’re “FUNNY”(??) to IGNORE your requests & , instead, email you back a MARKETING / SALES reply. Zero regard for customers, I think they actually look down on their customers as idiots.
It’s a money trap. Sooooooo many headaches. Spare yourself.
It took a whole week to backup my files (I was on the 60GB plan). No good reason for that to take so long.
I then asked for details about their cancellation policy. Without warning, they canceled my subscription and refused to offer me a refund. I understand their policy does not allow typically allow for refunds, but I did not ask them to cancel- I asked for information about the cancellation process. Horrible custormer service once I tried to take up the issue with them.
Overall an excellent product to keep your files synced over multiple platforms – and good value for money esp. when you’re happy with 5GB (you can gain extra space by winning new customers).
In addition to the ones mentioned before, some more “downsides” I found during testing SugarSync:
no native Linux support
the Windows client does work in Linux with Wine though (tested on ubuntu 10.10 and 11.04), haven’t found any problems syncing files between Linux and Windows (XP and 7) so far.
no sync with Windows Mobile
despite the announcments on the website, the WinMo client is merely a frontend for the Web platform – there is no two-way syncing available. All you can do is download to WinMo, edit and upload again.
Consequently, the PhotoSync feature is not available in Windows Mobile.
A Good review – there are a few recent changes though:
You get 5GB of space with the FREE version, but now there is no restriction to the number of computers you can sync/backup (from 2).
It gives you the ability to upload and sync any folder on your computer.
It is the only service that offers such a broad device and OS support with apps for iPhone/iPad, Android, Blackberry, Symbian and WinMo.
On the Free version the upload/download is faster than when reviewed
Hope it helps someone.
I’ve been using SugarSync for about a year now and I’m really satisfied. Very little system load compared to other similar products I’ve tried and has never once crashed.
(links removed from comments)
Pros:
Many features, very stable, easy on system resources
Cons:
Sometimes if you choose manually to move the files to all synchronizing computers (instead of just moving them to the shared folder of ONE computer and then letting SugarSync sync the others via the internet) Sugarsync creates duplicates even though we’re dealing with completely identical files (same checksums). Sugarsync renames the duplicates according to where they we’re found again so you’ll get to versions of the same file (but with different names) on your computers.
Sometimes you can circumvent this by pressing CTRL-SHIFT-R thereby ordering SugarSync to do a clean restart. But how it really works I don’t know….
I received a renewal notice for an account that was free with my Kaspersky Internet Security service. I could not find the cost of the renewal on the site without giving my credit card info. Oversight or intentional? What do you think? I like the service, but not this.
I’ve been using Sugarsync for a while now. It’s easy to setup and use. It all looks impressive and works well if all you are backing up is small files on a standalone PC. On larger files using syncing software I would not recommend. Also it will NOT sync outlook (.pst files)! and if you copy files from another PC to the sync folder it doe’s sense the folder has changed
To me the most important things about online backup is:
1. To backup all files (at scheduled time so not to effect performance)
2. Notification that all files have been backed successfully up by an email
3. A speedy recovery process
Sugarync with all its features only delivers on item 3
If Sugarsync was to address these issues it would be perfect.