In this world of hackers, crackers (the ones that steal passwords, what group were you thinking of?!) and careless people, it seems a service like Syncplicity would be something that everyone would have already. But I fear it is just something I found last night.

What is Syncplicity?

Syncplicity is a pretty free service that allows you to backup any folder on your computer and have it backed up onto the web secure in your own personal account. The one aspect that truly makes this service unique is that it continuously updates your backups as you update your folders on your computer automatically.

All you have to do is register for a free account, download a piece of software that is Windows and Mac compatible, read a couple of instructions and you’re all set to go. If you signup for the Free account, you can download the software on two computers, but if you go for a paid option, you can have access to your files on more computers.

A Rundown of their Features

Syncplicity has a lot to offer you, and that’s why I think it’s such a great service. Briefly, I will go over my favorite features of this web app.

Real Time Backup

Syncplicity gets right down to business. After you sync any file or folder with it on your computer, Syncplicity will always keep it up to date. So the second you edit, add or remove something from the synced folder, it will be automatically and instantly updated in Syncplicity. This, my friend, is the future of backup apps.

Sync With Multiple Computers

Syncplicity is both Windows and Mac Friendly

If you are ever going away and won’t be using the same computer, getting whatever files you need is extremely easy. You just need to download and install the software, login and you will have complete access to any files you synced on your previous computer(s).

On their website, they provide a great, real world example I will include in this post to help you better understand this service.

You’re writing a letter at home on your desktop, but need to run out the door.

No problem.
Just save the file like you normally would, grab your laptop and go…
Your letter will be on your laptop, ready and waiting…
While out, finish the letter on your laptop at work…
When you get back home, the final version of your letter is already waiting for you on your desktop.

Easy to use & Live Saving File Browser

All of your files are organized in a neat, FTP like interface. You can easily download any files in a simple click and browse through your files with ease.

An amazing part about the File Browser is if you delete any files, they will be sent to a Trash can. So if you are that careless person who mistakenly deletes a file, you can be sure that you will be able to restore it in your File Browser.

Sharing…Why Not?

If you run a website with a partner, you can easily share files on your computer with them. You can easily censor what other people you choose can see and download, so you don’t have to worry about sharing files you don’t want to share.

As always, Syncplicity makes sure you totally understand what they are offering, so they gave another real life example of how the Sharing feature works.

Your collegue has created a spreadsheet (in a shared folder) for you to review

You open the spreadsheet once it was automatically synchronized to your computer…
You look it over, make some changes and save the file…
Your collegue opens the spreadsheet with your saved changes.

Those are just a few great features Syncplicity has to offer you. You can check out a full feature list on their website.

Account Upgrades

It just wouldn’t be a backup service without subscription options. Right now I have signed up for the free account because I still want to test it and make sure I understand how it works before I go and pay to use it.

Below I made up a quick little table comparing the features of the free option and the paid option.

I think if I need more than 2GB of space, I will upgrade myself. I travel a lot in the summer, and am away from my home Mac for a whole month. If I ever get a laptop, then upgrading will be the right thing to do.

What will you do?

Have I convinced you to start using Syncplicity? It’s truly a wonderful service, and if you are a blogger or web developer, this may save your life one day. So what direction will you go in with this awesome app?