AppBreakup

rclone alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave rclone: command line first, with a learning curve, and not a storage service itself. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces rclone, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. restic currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1restic logoresticOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux +13 of 366.5
2Koofr logoKoofrFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +34 of 462.6
3Cryptomator logoCryptomatorOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux +23 of 359.6
4Syncthing logoSyncthingOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux +24 of 457.2
5Duplicati logoDuplicatiOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux +14 of 455.3
  1. restic logo

    1. resticTop pick

    Best for: Admins and power users scripting reliable encrypted backups

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from rclone

    Versioned, encrypted backups rather than plain sync.

    Pros

    • Single binary, easy to deploy on servers
    • Encrypted, deduplicated snapshots
    • Very stable and well regarded

    Cons

    • No official GUI
    • You set up scheduling and monitoring yourself
    • Pruning large repositories can be slow
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is restic a good rclone alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free and open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026restic.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Linux, BSD, Mac and Windows
    Checked Oct 25, 2026restic.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Setup
    No server required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026restic.net(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Koofr logo

    2. Koofr

    Best for: People who want cheap EU storage and one place to manage several cloud accounts

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from rclone

    Web interface for managing files across several cloud accounts.

    Pros

    • Connects Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive in one view
    • No trackers and EU-only data centres
    • Cheap, granular plans with WebDAV support

    Cons

    • Regular storage is not end-to-end encrypted
    • Basic-looking apps
    • Small company
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Koofr a good rclone alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    10 GB, free forever
    Checked Oct 25, 2026koofr.eu(opens source in a new tab)
    1 TB plan
    10 EUR/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026koofr.eu(opens source in a new tab)
    Data location
    EU data centres
    Checked Oct 25, 2026koofr.eu(opens source in a new tab)
    Tracking
    No trackers
    Checked Oct 25, 2026koofr.eu(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Cryptomator logo

    3. Cryptomator

    Best for: People who want to keep their current cloud but encrypt what goes into it

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from rclone

    Friendly app for encrypting files in any cloud folder.

    Pros

    • Works with any cloud storage folder
    • Encrypts filenames as well as contents
    • Free, open-source desktop app

    Cons

    • Mobile apps are paid
    • Sharing vaults with others is awkward without Hub
    • Forgotten passwords cannot be recovered
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Cryptomator a good rclone alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free and open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptomator.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Encryption
    AES-256, files and filenames
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptomator.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Teams
    Cryptomator Hub with free trial
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptomator.org(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Syncthing logo

    4. Syncthing

    Best for: Technical users who want private sync between their own machines

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux, Android, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from rclone

    Peer-to-peer sync between your own devices.

    Pros

    • No cloud provider, no storage limits, no fees
    • Encrypted device-to-device connections
    • Runs on almost any OS, including servers and NAS

    Cons

    • A device must be online for others to sync
    • No public share links
    • Configuration-heavy for non-technical users
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Syncthing a good rclone alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Central server
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026syncthing.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Encryption
    TLS between devices
    Checked Oct 25, 2026syncthing.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026syncthing.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    macOS, Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and more
    Checked Oct 25, 2026syncthing.net(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Duplicati logo

    5. Duplicati

    Best for: Budget-minded users who want encrypted backups to storage they already pay for

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from rclone

    Scheduled encrypted backups with a web interface.

    Pros

    • Free and open source
    • Supports a long list of storage backends
    • Client-side AES-256 encryption

    Cons

    • Restores can be slow on large backups
    • Local database can need repair
    • Web interface is functional rather than friendly
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Duplicati a good rclone alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026duplicati.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Encryption
    AES-256, client-side
    Checked Oct 25, 2026duplicati.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Console free tier
    $0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026duplicati.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Backends
    S3, WebDAV, SFTP, local and more
    Checked Oct 25, 2026duplicati.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best rclone alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

restic logo

Best rclone alternative for most people

restic

Versioned, encrypted backups rather than plain sync.

Cryptomator logo

Best rclone alternative for a free option

Cryptomator

Friendly app for encrypting files in any cloud folder.

Koofr logo

Best rclone alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Koofr

Web interface for managing files across several cloud accounts.

Syncthing logo

Best rclone alternative for open source

Syncthing

Peer-to-peer sync between your own devices.

Duplicati logo

Best rclone alternative for self-hosting

Duplicati

Scheduled encrypted backups with a web interface.

Cyberduck logo

Best rclone alternative for Mac

Cyberduck

Graphical client for the same mix of servers and cloud storage, with Cryptomator support.

restic logo

Best rclone alternative for Windows

restic

Versioned, encrypted backups rather than plain sync.

restic logo

Best rclone alternative for Linux

restic

Versioned, encrypted backups rather than plain sync.

Koofr logo

Best rclone alternative for iPhone and Android

Koofr

Web interface for managing files across several cloud accounts.

Koofr logo

Best rclone alternative for working in the browser

Koofr

Web interface for managing files across several cloud accounts.

rclone alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to rclone?

restic ranks first right now. Versioned, encrypted backups rather than plain sync. Koofr and Cryptomator follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to rclone?

Yes. restic (open source), Koofr (free plan + paid), Cryptomator (open source) and Syncthing (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to rclone?

Yes: restic, Cryptomator, Syncthing and Duplicati, plus 1 more in the list above. restic, Syncthing and Duplicati can also be self-hosted.

Which rclone alternatives work on Linux?

restic, Koofr, Cryptomator, Syncthing and Duplicati run on Linux.

Why do people switch from rclone?

The complaints we hear most: command line first, with a learning curve; not a storage service itself; mounts can be slow without careful caching settings.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces rclone, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.