Choosing a software for our job is sometimes a matter of popularity, usually a quality assurance for the user. But take a look around once in a while, can yield benefits.

First Dropbox and then Google Drive, have become the most used services in cloud computing. I want to talk now about a less famous service, but extremely versatile. it can give the impression of a standard cloud tool, but at a better look it’s more an integration to the other two above.

I want to talk you about Sugarsync.

What is Sugarsync

Sugarsync lets you synchronize all files you want and access them from any Internet-connected workspace. It gives you apps for every device, including Pc computer, smartphone or iPad.

You can choose between free and pay plans increasing web space, but I won’t talk about that cause they’re constantly changing.

Ok, seems like a Drobpox wannabe. What’s new?

Best features

1. Share whatever you want

The biggest Dropbox limitation is that it’s a folder-centred service. We have to move everything we want to share inside a single folder. That’s the philosophy that lies at the bottom of Dropbox name.

Sugarsync offers a wider service. We’re able to choose wich folder we want to share, without moving anything. This is really helpful if you’re working with more than one device.

The single folder-container will seem to you an old prison.

2. Select what you want to synchronize

You can check all the synchronized stuff on every Internet-connected device. Then you could download every file on hardisk and choose the position you prefer.

This is a big innovation compared to Dropbox features. The downloaded files however storaged in different positions, will remain completely synchronized with the ones on the other devices.

3. Magic Briefcase

Sugarsync team didn’t discard the Dropbox fundamental idea. Indeed we’ll find a folder called “Magic Briefcase” on every platform the software resides, with the same properties of the “Dropbox” folder.

Everything we put inside it will take priority over the rest.

Weak points

1. Self-centred



The biggest difference between Sugarsync and Dropbox is that this last is an open system. We can allocate private files and shared ones in the cointainer-folder.

With Sugarsync instead we synchronize whatever we want, but for ourself. We can access anywhere but nobody else can check our files with other accounts.

The only way to share things outside is to send files by mail or create a link to download it.

It’s a one-way relation.

2. It is not Dropbox



Dropbox is the cloudsharing leader. For this reason it is connected with a lot of external apps.

For instance, we could easily find the “share with Dropbox” button in a photograph app but it’s very unusual to find the same service for Sugarsync.

Conclusion

At a first look, Dropbox and Sugarsync are rivals, competing in the same area. But it’s not completely true.

Dropbox is indeed a share for more users service. There are shared project with this team, shared files for other ones…

In Sugarsync there’s just us. Do we own more than one computer, tablet or smartphone? Let’s choose what we want to sync without moving anything.

I never get tired of saying that every user is a world apart. What is usefull for myself, could be for you just wasted time.

I’ve been using both services for a long time, and I think you will get their integration with daily practice.

5Gb basic plan is for free, so it’s worth to give it a chance.