Syncmarx is a Xmarks bookmark syncing alternative

Syncmarx is a new browser extension for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome -- and web browsers that share the codebase with the two browsers -- that supports cross-browser bookmark syncing.

The web browser extension is developed by a former user of Xmarks, a popular cross-browser syncing service that has been shut down today.

Xmarks allowed Internet users to sync bookmarks (and previously also passwords) across devices and different browser families. It was one of the first browser sync extensions for the Firefox web browser and ported to Google Chrome and even Internet Explorer as well.

Xmarks ran into a rough patch in 2010 and termination of the service seemed inevitable but LastPass, maker of the password manager of the same name, acquired the service. While that meant that Xmarks was saved, it also led to the removal of the password sync functionality of the extension. LastPass coincidentally was acquired by LogMeIn in 2015.

Syncmarx

There are some notable differences between syncmarx and Xmarks. Due to API limitations, it is not possible to sync tags, keywords, descriptions and other data. Another difference is that syncmarx uses free cloud storage, Dropbox only currently, for the syncing.

Last but not least: syncmarx is released in alpha state. Make sure you backup your bookmarks file and other important data if you plan to use the extension right now.

Setup is relatively easy.

1. Install the browser extension in a supported browser.
2. Click on the extension icon after installation and in the interface on the "link with Dropbox" button.
3. Sign-in to a Dropbox account when the Dropbox API Request Authorization page opens in a new browser tab.
4. Allow the extension to access a folder inside the Dropbox hierarchy that it creates.
5. Paste the token that it creates and displays in the extension interface to complete the pairing.

Repeat the process in other browsers on the same or on other machines.

The extension syncs the data every 15 minutes by default. You may change that in the options after you have paired the browser with Dropbox successfully.

The interface lists an option to create profiles to create different sync profiles that you may push data to or download data from.

Closing Words

Syncmarx is a bare-bones bookmark syncing extension that works across different browsers and uses Dropbox for storage right now. I'd like to see different storage options including one that uses first-party online storage that users may upload their bookmarks to instead of third-party services.

The bookmark syncing works fine and without issues. It makes things more comfortable for users who use different browsers and want bookmarks to sync between them.

Users who use a single browser only (on multiple devices) may prefer the built-in sync functionality if available.