GoodSync Complete Guide Backup and Sync Software Explained
One program that keeps two folders identical — on the same PC, across the office network, or in the cloud. This guide explains how GoodSync really works, in plain words, before you trust it with your files.
✍️ Technical Anshu💻 Windows / Mac⏱️ First job in 10 minutes
🎥 Watch the full GoodSync video first — every job type and option is shown live, then use this guide as your written reference
GoodSync (by Siber Systems) is a file backup and synchronization program built around one idea — the Job. A job connects a Left folder and a Right folder, compares them, and copies only what has changed. The two folders can sit on the same disk, on another PC over the network, on an FTP/SFTP server, or in cloud storage like Google Drive and OneDrive. Get the job type right and GoodSync is a set-and-forget safety net. Get it wrong and it will faithfully delete files for you — which is why this guide starts with the one decision that matters most.
GoodSync — job list on a typical office PC
Accounts Backup (1-way, to external disk)IN SYNC
Office Docs Two-Way (PC ↔ NAS)IN SYNC
Photos to Google Drive (1-way)NOT RUN YET
Old Laptop Sync (2-way)3 CONFLICTS
👆 The GoodSync main window. Every line is one job — its direction, its two folders, and its last result. The conflicts line is the one that needs your eyes, not the green ones.
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Step 1 — Understand the Three Job Types Before Creating Anything
Every GoodSync job is one of these three types, and the type decides what happens to deletions:
Backup Left to Right (1-way) — changes flow only from Left to Right. This is a backup. The Right side is a copy of the Left side
Backup Right to Left (1-way) — the same thing, opposite direction
Synchronize (2-way) — changes flow both ways until both sides are identical. A file edited on either side wins its way across — and a file deleted on either side is deleted on both
Rule of thumb: protecting files = 1-way backup job. Keeping two working PCs equal = 2-way sync job. Never use 2-way when one side is just a dumping ground.
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Step 2 — Create Your First Job
Open GoodSync and click Job → New (or the + New Job button). Give it a clear name like Documents Backup to Disk
Choose the job type — Backup or Synchronize — based on Step 1
Click the Left folder bar at the top and select your source folder, for example D:\Office Data
Click the Right folder bar and select the destination — a local folder, a network share, a cloud account, or an FTP/SFTP server from the same browser window
Do not press Sync yet. First comes the step most people skip — Analyze
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Step 3 — Always Analyze Before the First Sync
Analyze is GoodSync comparing both folders and showing you a preview — which files will copy Left to Right, which Right to Left, and which will be deleted, all before anything actually moves.
Click Analyze and read the tree. Green arrows are copies; red items are deletions — question every deletion on a first run
If the preview deletes files you expected to keep, your job type or direction is wrong. Fix it now, not after
Only when the preview looks boring and correct, click Sync
On later runs GoodSync copies only the changes — for changed blocks of large files it can send just the changed parts, which is why repeat jobs finish in seconds.
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Step 4 — What GoodSync Can Connect To
The Right (or Left) side of a job does not have to be a folder on this PC. From the same folder browser, GoodSync connects to:
Local and network folders — external disks, NAS boxes, and shares like \\OFFICE-PC\Data
Servers — FTP, SFTP and WebDAV, plus cloud storage such as Amazon S3 and Backblaze B2
Cloud drives — Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box and SharePoint with a normal sign-in
GoodSync Connect — another computer running GoodSync, reached directly PC-to-PC over the internet without port forwarding
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Step 5 — Make It Automatic With Auto Options
A backup you must remember to run is a backup that will not happen. Open Job → Options → Auto for each job and choose when it runs:
Periodically — every few hours, or on a fixed daily or weekly schedule
On file changes — real-time watching, so edits propagate within moments (use carefully on 2-way jobs)
When folders connect — perfect for a laptop that meets its backup disk only sometimes
For servers and office PCs that must run jobs while nobody is logged in, GoodSync can run its jobs as a background service — that is the unattended mode the business editions are built around
🔴 The honest limits, upfront: GoodSync is a file-level tool — it does not make a bootable image of your whole Windows disk, and it is not a permanent free product. It starts with a trial and then needs a paid license for each computer it runs on. And no sync tool replaces a real backup strategy — one 2-way job between two folders is a mirror, not protection against deletion or ransomware. The video shows the full picture before you decide.
🎥 Watch the Complete Video
The complete GoodSync walkthrough — creating jobs, choosing types, and setting Auto — is demonstrated live in the video.
GoodSync starts with a free trial so you can test your jobs properly. After the trial it needs a paid license, and the license is per computer — one license for each machine GoodSync is installed and running on. Always check the current plans on the official goodsync.com pricing page before buying, because editions and prices do change.
What is the difference between a GoodSync job and normal copy paste?
A copy paste copies everything again, every time, and never tells you what changed. A GoodSync job remembers the state of both folders, copies only new and changed files, can propagate deletions when you ask it to, and can run by itself on a schedule or in real time. It is the difference between a chore and a system.
Can GoodSync back up my whole C drive including Windows?
That is not what it is for, and GoodSync's own FAQ says the same — backing up all of drive C copies system files and temp junk that a reinstall would recreate anyway, and it cannot make the disk bootable. Back up your data folders — documents, accounts data, photos, projects — and use an imaging tool separately if you want a full system image.
This guide is based on the Technical Anshu GoodSync Explained video • Stuck on any step? Ask in the video comments — you will get a reply there 🙏