 | 2.9/5 ★★★✩✩ |
| PRICING & PLANS ★★✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩ | 2.0/10 |
| EASE OF USE ★★★★★✩✩✩✩✩ | 5.0/10 |
| FILE SYNCING ★★★★★★★★✩✩ | 8.0/10 |
| FILE SHARING ★★★★★✩✩✩✩✩ | 5.0/10 |
| RETRIEVING FILES ★★★★★★★✩✩✩ | 6.5/10 |
| SECURITY ★★★★★★✩✩✩✩ | 6.0/10 |
| SUPPORT ★★★★★★★★★✩ | 8.5/10 |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES ★★★★★★✩✩✩✩ | 6.0/10 |
PROS
- Great syncing solution
- Fast down/upload speeds
- Good mobile applications
- Generous link bandwidth
- Live chat support
CONS
- Expensive upgrade plans
- No permanent free plan
- Slow browser interface
- No file previews/edits in the browser
- No Linux client
- Limited sharing options
- No client-side encryption
SugarSync Review
SugarSync is a cloud service that focuses on making sure your files are synced across all your devices. It offers a decent syncing solution but fails to deliver in all the other areas. It’s far too expensive, provides limited sharing capabilities, doesn’t offer client-side encryption and just has an outdated slow interface. They also offer no permanent free program which means you’ll have to pay for it eventually. They might have been the cloud storage sync solution but I have come to the conclusion that they are that no-more during the course of this SugarSync review. That’s why I recommend you take a look at our Best Cloud Storage Providers list and pick a better solution.
Read the full SugarSync review down below.
SugarSync Alternatives
 | pCloud 4.6/5 ★★★★★ | 5-10 000 GB 10 GB Free | ❌Sync Folder | Read Review |
 | Sync.com 4.6/5 ★★★★★ | 5-6000 GB 5 GB Free | ✔️Sync Folder | Read Review |
 | Icedrive 4.5/5 ★★★★★ | 10-10 000 GB 10 GB Free | ✔️Sync Folder | Read Review |
 | Cubbit 4.5/5 ★★★★★ | 1-8000 GB 1 GB Free | ✔️Sync Folder | Read Review |
 | Mega 4.2/5 ★★★★✩ | 15-16000 GB 15 GB Free | ✔️Sync Folder | Read Review |
Jump to:
Pricing & Plans
Who is it for?
Ease of use
File syncing
File sharing
Retrieving files
Security
Online support
Additional features
Conclusion
SugarSync Features
| Pricing & Plans | |
| Free storage |  |
| Free trial |  |
| Lifetime plans | |
| Payment methods | Credit card, PayPal |
| Ease of use | |
| Open in-browser | |
| Edit in-browser | |
| Mobile apps | |
| WebDAV | |
| File syncing | |
| Supported systems | |
Imaginary drive  | |
| Sync folder | |
| Block-level file sync | |
| Selective sync | |
| Sync any folder | |
| File sharing | |
| Share download links | |
| Link password protection | |
| Link expiration dates | |
| Link branding | |
| Link download limits | |
| Link stats | |
| Share upload links | |
| Share folders | |
| Set folder permissions | |
| Retrieving files | |
| File versioning system | |
| Trash bin | |
| Rewind feature | |
| Security | |
| Server location | |
| HIPAA Compliance | |
| Encryption protocol | |
| At-rest encryption | |
| In-transit encryption | |
| Client-side encryption | |
| Zero-knowledge privacy | |
| Two-factor authentication | |
| Online support | |
| FAQ base | |
| Forums | |
| E-mail support | |
| Live chat support | |
| Phone support | |
Pricing & Plans
SugarSync has some different plans that you can pick from. They are no different from each other apart from the amount of storage you get. When you start off, you can go for the free 30-day trial where you’ll receive 5 GB of storage. You can also go for any Pro plan without paying for it straight away since they all include a 30-day trial period.
SugarSync is very expensive and is not competitive when compared to other best cloud storages. Take a look at our cheapest cloud storage list to find a suitable replacement.
| Plan | Pricing | Storage |
| SugarSync 30-day trial | Free | 5 GB |
| SugarSync Pro | $7.49/month $74.99/year | 100 GB |
| SugarSync Pro | $9.99/month $99.99/year | 250 GB |
| SugarSync Pro | $18.95/month $189.50/year | 500 GB |
| SugarSync Business | $55.00/month $550.00/year | 1000 GB |
You can also receive free additional storage by referring friends. Well, it’s free for you but not for your friend. Whenever somebody you referred upgrades to a Pro plan you and him will receive 10 GB of storage for free. That can be done up to a maximum of 40 GB additional free storage.
SugarSync offers no lifetime cloud storage plans.
Who is it for?
SugarSync is suitable for anyone who wants some working files synced across all of his platforms. The upgrade plans are quite expensive which you have to keep in mind as well. If you’re truly looking for a reliable syncing cloud service and you don’t mind paying a bit more for it, then sure go for it. However, there are cheaper and better alternatives on the market.
Ease of use
If you register for a free 30-day trial of any of their Pro plans, you will have to enter your bank or PayPal details. You won’t be charged immediately, that will happen 30 days after your sign-up. In that period you can cancel your trial at any time and that way cancel your subscription to them.
After a few minutes on their interface you’ll figure out where everything is, it’s rather straightforward and modern looking. It does take a while to open folders and switch between them though. It could be much more responsive.
File previews & edits
You are not able to preview or edit PDF and Office documents directly in the browser with SugarSync. The same goes for listening to music, watching movies or previewing images. It all has to be done via the desktop client which is not very practical.
File syncing
SugarSync is available for you to install on Windows and macOS.
Unlike with other cloud storages, they focus on syncing your files across all devices. The desktop client your install on your computer doesn’t create an imaginary drive, instead, you have a program where you do all the necessary things. You can still manually assign the sync folder to quick access, essentially creating that “sync folder” yourself.
The big advantage you have with SugarSync is that you can select which folders you want to have synced across all your devices (sync any folder). The syncing speeds are incredibly fast, and you’ll have no issue with that. You can do pretty much everything in the desktop app that you can do in your browser and more. Transfer speeds are unlimited (you can limit transfer speeds in the desktop client -> preferences).
The files synced to your device are physically transferred to it which means that they will take up your hard drive space. There are no file size limits when uploading through the desktop app however there’s a 300 MB file size limit when uploading through the browser.
The “Protected Folders” feature basically allows you to backup specific folders additionally. You can choose the number of copies to be made and at what frequency they should be made (Once, Daily, 3-14 days, Monthly).
SugarSync does not support block-level sync that would otherwise shorten upload times of files that are already present in the cloud (file updates). SugarSync also doesn’t support selective sync in the true meaning of the word which would enable you to stop certain folders from synchronisation across all your devices and instead just keep them in the cloud. You can, however, stop a certain device from syncing to the cloud.
SugarSync isn’t meant for backing up your files though, take a look at our best cloud backup list for that.
File sharing
You can decide between two options on how you want to share your files and folders in SugarSync. As public or private links. The person you’re sending the link to doesn’t need a SugarSync account.
Everyone will be able to download from the public link, while only the people you invite will be able to see and download from a private link.
Public Links shared by free customers can use up to 10GB of bandwidth daily, while links sent by paid users can use up to 250GB of bandwidth, which is quite a satisfying number, to be honest. There are also no file size limitations.
I am definitely missing a few advanced options like password-protected links or time-limited links.
Retrieving files
SugarSync keeps the last 5 versions of your files, no matter what pricing plan you’re at. You just right-click the file -> Show versions, and voilà, there they are.
You also have the deleted files folder, where you can find all your removed files. It is accessible only in the desktop client (not available in the browser). Files that you deleted will stay there for 30 days, after which they’ll be eliminated permanently. Keep in mind that deleted files still take up your space so you might want to permanently delete them yourself if you’re sure you won’t be needing them anymore.
Security
SugarSync has its servers located in the US.
When you sync files to SugarSync’s servers, your files are sent over the Internet using TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption. When your files reach their servers they are encrypted with 256-bit AES, which is the same level of hacker-proof protection used by major banks. They also back up your synced files on another server. When downloading your files they undergo the same procedure as when you upload them.
Customer data is accessed only when necessary, solely for troubleshooting purposes. Access is limited to only a few individuals in their team who work in conjunction with developers to solve difficult support cases.
Needless to say, that is clearly not a sign of zero-knowledge privacy. Client-side encryption is likewise not available (unlike with pCloud and Sync.com). The fact that they can access your data means that the same goes for the US government which can use the Patriot Act and the CLOUD act in order to investigate your online activities, including all the files you’ve uploaded to SugarSync. You should look for more secure cloud storage if privacy is important to you.
SugarSync also provides no information in regards to compliance with various regulations such as GDPR,… Signing a BAA with companies that deal with patient sensitive data to conclude HIPAA compliance is also off the table.
Two-step verification is not available.
Online support
SugarSync offers an extensive FAQ base which will most probably answer most of the questions you might have. You can also try looking through their community forums.
If you don’t find your answer here you can always contact them through an email/their integrated inquiry system. They also have live chat which works Monday through Friday from 6 am to 5 pm PST. Phone calls aren’t on the table.
Additional features
Mobile Application
You can download SugarSync on iOS and Android systems.
The application itself is well developed and design with no flaws. You can do everything that you can do on your PC. They also give you the option to backup all of your photos and videos. There’s also an option to make certain files available to you offline, which is always a nice feature to have. All in all a very useful and nice-looking app.
Conclusion
When you draw the line SugarSync still remains one of the more expansive cloud storages. Having said that, it’s not one of those badly developed cloud services with crazy prices. You get what you pay for and that’s at least something. It goes without saying that they lack in many areas and fail to provide the cloud storage features one would expect nowadays. It is for that reason I recommend you keep searching and find a better cloud storage.
Hopefully, we’ve gone through everything that you wanted to know about SugarSync within this SugarSync review. If you have any unanswered questions feel free to ask them in the comments section down below and I’ll answer them shortly!
Been using SugarSync since the time it was free (I think 2009?).
When it became a completely paid service, I stayed with them.
However, over the years my feelings towards SugarSync has changed:
1. Sugarsync is still relatively expensive ($10/month for 250 GB)
2. Multiple of computers have stopped syncing over time. I had to reset the sync every time.
3. I have had issues with syncing to new devices. Sugarsync started duplicating every file.
4. Sugarsync is ALWAYS syncing files, even files that have not been changed in years.
(See File Transfer within the app, it always has folders in it to sync)
5. I have checked the property of MySugarSync folder on several computers and the file size and file count differs. Although the computers are almost 24/7 on.
Ditching old computers, I have copied and backupped my Sugarsync folder several times because I am afraid to lose data because the folders are not equal over several computers.
6. My used spaced (outside the Protected Folder) is about 75 GB. Synching on a new computer/laptop will take about a week (24/7) on a 50Mb/s connection. At work, it takes several weeks.
7. Starting around September 2019, Sugarsync started saying I exceeded my storage limit. And kept asking me to upgrade to get more storage. After I about six weeks, my storage went back to showing my real usage. However till date almost every time I restart my computers, Sugarsync will again show excessive use (several time my subscripted amount) until “all” syncing is done.
Strange thing though, is that during these messages, the online version of Sugarsync shows my storage use correctly!!!
8. Sugarsync is a CPU hog. You notice this especially on laptops for the CPU-fan kicks in hard and because Sugarsync is always syncing (according to “File Transfer”, I some times just quit Sugarsync to get some quality silence.
Positive points about Sugarsync:
You can start syncing any folder on your computer. You don’t have to move the folder to a sync folder you had to choose during installation.
You can share folders with people without a Sugarsync account. If people (are allowed) to edit these files, the files are synced backed with my Sugarsync files.
This is great for sharing e.g. a TODO-list with my colleagues.
Other things missing:
There is no extra secured vault for special data. So people working on your computer while you are not around could just look at your private/personal data.
The number one issue I have with Sugarsync is: I do not trust their sync algorithm across multiple computers.
Therefore I would not recommend them at this moment (2019/2020).
I am looking to replace Sugarsync, the moment I found a good replacement, but it’s time consuming checking all the different features of so many cloud storage services.
Thank God, cloudstorageinfo.org is helping me with the initial selection 😉
Hello Joshua,
Thank you for providing useful feedback about SugarSync. Thank you for the kind words at the end as well. Let us know if you need any assistance and we’ll be happy to help.
Kind regards,
Dejan