We've looked at BitTorrent Sync before as an alternative to Dropbox for sharing large files across your devices. Now, the service has updated to version 2.0 and with it comes a new Pro tier.


Should I Use BitTorrent Sync Instead of Dropbox?


The real question about paying for the pro features is how does it compare to the alternatives. Quite frankly the free version is (IMO) already more than sufficient to work as a replacement for Dropbox, et al. The advantage of the pro features is mostly about making management easier, so that is what you are paying for. In addition to that you are also paying for support and future development which is also a cost.

The mistake people are making is looking at Dropbox and saying "well, they have to pay for hard drive, network, etc and that justifies the cost" but Sync is all my stuff so what I am paying for. That is the wrong way of looking at it (which is a marketing problem for Bittorrent). What you need to look at is what you are using Sync, Dropbox, et al for, ostensibly that is to sync you data across you devices. The question then becomes which can do that for the lowest cost/best value.

The new Pro tier for BitTorrent Sync costs $40/year, which falls roughly in line with other services like Dropbox or Google Drive (depending on your storage needs, of course, though Sync has no limits). With the Pro version you can make all your files accessible on any device, while only selectively syncing them. You also get improved access controls for sharing files.

Free users can still use the service for up to 10 folders. Because Sync uses peer-to-peer technology for its transfers, there's no limit to the size or speed of the files you're allowed to sync. You can also install Sync on NAS systems so you can access your own personal server from anywhere.