ThirdCopy vs. FreeFileSync

ThirdCopy vs. FreeFileSync: built-in scheduling vs. your own cron job

FreeFileSync is free, open-source, and even has a sync mode literally called "Mirror" — the same one-way approach ThirdCopy uses. The difference on a Mac is what happens next: FreeFileSync has no built-in scheduler, so running it automatically means writing your own cron job or launchd file, where ThirdCopy does that on its own, out of the box.

Updated August 9, 2026. Features and licensing change — always confirm current details on FreeFileSync's site before you rely on it.

Quick verdict

If price is your only real constraint and you're comfortable owning your own scheduling — a cron job or a launchd file, plus a companion app for real-time behavior — FreeFileSync is free and does the same one-way job, literally named "Mirror," that ThirdCopy does. If you want scheduled or continuous backup that works the moment you set it up, without opening Terminal, ThirdCopy is a one-time $19.99 with all of that already built in.

	ThirdCopy	FreeFileSync
Price	$19.99 once	$0 for private use
Free trial / free tier	14 days, full-featured	Free forever for personal use, no trial needed
Ongoing cost	None, ever	None for private use, ever
Setup model	3 steps: folders, destination, schedule	Folder pairs, sync mode, filters, saved batch job
One-way mirror backup	Yes — the only mode	Yes, via the literal "Mirror" mode
Bidirectional / two-way sync	Not offered, by design	Yes, via "Two-way" mode
Scheduling	Built into the app	No on Mac — your own cron job or launchd file
Continuous backup	Default, built into the app	Via the separate RealTimeSync app, plus DIY autostart
NAS / SMB support	Pick a destination, no manual mounting	Yes, after you mount the share yourself in Finder
Mac App Store / sandboxed	Yes, full feature set	No — direct download
Destination breadth	Local/NAS only, by design	Local/NAS (pre-mounted), plus built-in SFTP

What FreeFileSync actually is

FreeFileSync is free, open-source software (GPLv3) that's been around since 2008. Its full sync engine — every sync mode, filtering, and the RealTimeSync companion app — is free for private, personal use with no feature gating on the core engine. A "Donation Edition" adds convenience extras like an auto-updater, multi-threaded sync for speed, and a portable build as a thank-you to donors; a separate paid Business Edition is required if you're using it for organizational or commercial work.

Where FreeFileSync wins

FreeFileSync is a genuinely capable, free tool, and it beats ThirdCopy outright on several fronts:

Price. $0, genuinely, for personal use — not a trial, not a capped tier. As of August 2026 that's still the case, with no clock running.
Open-source. GPLv3-licensed since 2008, with the source available to inspect — a different kind of trust than any closed-source tool, ThirdCopy included, can offer.
True two-way sync. "Two-way" mode syncs bidirectionally, tracked with a local sync database. ThirdCopy is one-way only, by design.
Three explicit, named sync modes. "Mirror" (exact copy, including deletions), "Update" (mirror-like but never deletes from the destination), and "Two-way" — real flexibility ThirdCopy doesn't offer.
Built-in SFTP. FreeFileSync connects to an SFTP server directly, no pre-mounting required — a destination type ThirdCopy doesn't support at all.

Where ThirdCopy is simpler

Scheduling is built in. FreeFileSync has no in-app scheduler on macOS. Windows users get Task Scheduler integration, but the official Mac guidance is to write your own cron job or a launchd LaunchAgent plist pointed at a saved .ffs_batch file. ThirdCopy's schedule is a menu you pick from.
Continuous mode needs no assembly. FreeFileSync's real-time behavior lives in a separate app, RealTimeSync, which has to already be running to watch anything — and there's no confirmed built-in way to make it start at login, so that's another thing to set up yourself. ThirdCopy watches your folders continuously by default, in the same app, with nothing else to start.
NAS destinations just work. ThirdCopy's destination picker handles a NAS or SMB share directly. FreeFileSync has no "connect to server" of its own on Mac — you mount the share in Finder first, so it shows up under /Volumes, then point FreeFileSync at that path.
One tier, one price. No separate edition for convenience features and no different license for organizational use to think about — ThirdCopy's $19.99 covers the whole app.
Built for a Mac. ThirdCopy is a native, sandboxed Mac App Store app. FreeFileSync's cross-platform interface is often described as utilitarian, reading more like a Windows-originated port than a Mac-native tool.

The honest tradeoff

FreeFileSync's core pitch is real: free, open-source, and functionally deep, with a mode literally named "Mirror" that does the same job ThirdCopy does. What it doesn't include on a Mac is the last mile — turning that job into something that runs on its own. If you're willing to write a launchd file, or keep RealTimeSync running and auto-started yourself, FreeFileSync costs nothing. ThirdCopy is for when you'd rather pay $19.99 once than assemble that last mile yourself.

Questions

Does FreeFileSync have automatic scheduling on Mac?

Not built in. On Windows, FreeFileSync integrates directly with Windows Task Scheduler from inside the app. On Mac (and Linux), the official guidance is to set up your own cron job or write your own launchd LaunchAgent plist, pointed at a saved .ffs_batch job file — there's no in-app "run this every night at 2am" toggle. ThirdCopy's schedule is a menu you pick from, no config files involved.

Is FreeFileSync really free?

Yes, for private use. FreeFileSync has been free, open-source (GPLv3) software since 2008, and its full sync engine — every sync mode, filtering, and the RealTimeSync companion — is free with no feature gating. A "Donation Edition" adds convenience extras like an auto-updater and multi-threaded sync as a thank-you to donors, and a separate Business Edition is required for organizational or commercial use.

Can FreeFileSync run continuously, not just on a schedule?

Yes, via a companion app called RealTimeSync, which watches your folders through OS-level change notifications, waits for a configurable idle period, then runs a saved .ffs_batch job. The catch is that RealTimeSync itself has to already be running to watch anything, and there's no confirmed built-in way to make it start automatically at login — so continuous behavior needs its own login item or LaunchAgent, separate from the scheduling setup. ThirdCopy watches continuously by default, in the same app, with nothing separate to start.

Does FreeFileSync work with a NAS over SMB?

Yes, but there's a manual step: FreeFileSync has no built-in "connect to server," so you mount the SMB or AFP share yourself in Finder first — so it appears under /Volumes — then point FreeFileSync at that mounted path. It does have native, built-in SFTP support that skips pre-mounting. ThirdCopy's destination picker handles a NAS or SMB share directly, without a separate mounting step.

Try ThirdCopy free for 14 days — no card required.

Then $19.99 once. No subscription.

FreeFileSync and RealTimeSync are products of the FreeFileSync project. ThirdCopy is made by Embay, LLC and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FreeFileSync project. Figures above reflect our research as of the "Updated" date; see FreeFileSync's site for current details.