BitTorrent, Inc. recently released a new version of its Sync application, Sync 2.2.1. This latest build introduces a new paid pricing model that is much more favorable towards personal users (more akin to the original alpha and beta versions), implements several bugfixes, and contains performance improvements over previous builds.
According to the developers, the pricing model changes in Sync 2.2+ are the result of user feedback on their forums, user surveys, and suggestions made via email and other channels. Sync will maintain the free and Pro tiers, but personal users will be getting more value. The biggest change for free users is the removal of the 10 folder limit – free licenses can create and access as many folders as they need. Sync Pro can be purchased for personal or business use. Personal use Pro licenses will no longer have access to Priority Support however it is a one time charge and there is no longer an annual subscription required. Business licenses for Sync Pro will continue to be based on an annual subscription and will retain access to Priority Support.
Only minor UI changes in the new build. Sync All has been renamed to Selective Sync and there are more buttons along the top bar, but otherwise it appears very similar to what you'd expect.
Of course, existing users can choose to keep their existing subscription(s) or switch to the new pricing model. More information on how to do that can be found in this FAQ. A detailed list of bugfixes and changes can be found here. Free users will notice that you can now see all of your connected devices. Users will also be able to see a list of locked files on a per-user basis now as well.
Sync Pro is now available for personal use for $39.99 and for business use at $39.99 per year per seat (up to 50 users). BitTorrent is offering a 25% discount until September 22, 2015 using the promo code 2.2launch.
I have been using Sync since the alpha builds, and it has been dutifully backing up all of my photos from my smartphone as well as periodically being used to sync files between my desktop and laptop. The free version has gotten a fair number of feature improvements along the way. So far, I have not felt the need to pay for the Pro version, but the removal of the yearly subscription requirement makes me much more inclined to check it out. The removal of the 10 folder limit for free users is huge though, as that artificial restriction likely turned off many users from trying out Sync. I am happy to see BitTorrent responding to user feedback.
See more BitTorrent Sync coverage at PC Perspective.
I found managing many folders
I found managing many folders in BTSync is not really that convenient. I’d rather keep everything under one folder. However, with BTSync 2 there is a default folder to dump everything to, so I guess it’s fine.
The biggest issue is still file corruption. I sync an encrypted container and I know BTSync relies on modification time to behave correctly (confirmed with support). However, even with modification time update each time I change its content, I’ve seen wrong hash for big files, as late as on 2.1.4. It usually happens like this:
Host A updates a big file.
Host B and C start to receive the update.
Host B finishes first.
Somehow magically BTSync thinks Host B updates the file after finishing the sync and then propagates update to A and C.
Most of time, everyone gets same file but an updated modification time. However, I have caught it once that hashes of all copies went wrong compared to the offline file that I updated BTSync folders from. Copying to BTSync folder again fixed the problem, but this experience led me to doubt its reliability. Imagine what if I didn’t have another copy!