Robocopy vs Unison : Which is Better?
Robocopy
Robocopy is a command-line directory and/or file replication tool. Developed by Microsoft
License: Free
Unison
Unison is a file-synchronization tool for OSX, Unix, and Windows. It allows two replicas of a collection of files and directories to be stored on different hosts (or different disks on the same host), modified separately, and then brought up to date by propagating the changes in each replica to the other. Developed by Benjamin C. Pierce
License: Open Source
Robocopy VS Unison
Robocopy is a powerful Windows-based tool optimized for high-performance file transfers and mirroring, but is limited to Windows environments and lacks bidirectional synchronization. Unison, on the other hand, is a cross-platform synchronization tool that excels in bidirectional syncing and file versioning, making it more versatile for users needing to sync files across different operating systems.
Robocopy
Pros:
- High performance for large file transfers
- Supports multi-threading to speed up transfers
- Can resume interrupted transfers
- Offers detailed logging and reporting
- Built-in support for mirroring directories
Cons:
- Primarily Windows-centric, limited to Windows environments
- Complex command-line interface can be daunting for beginners
- No native support for bidirectional sync
Unison
Pros:
- Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Bidirectional synchronization of files
- Handles file versioning and conflict resolution
- Efficient for syncing large directories
- Supports SSH for secure transfers
Cons:
- Can be slower with very large file sets compared to Robocopy
- More complex setup process, especially for SSH
- May require additional configuration for optimal performance
Compare Robocopy
