PrivacyPick

Filen vs Sync.com Comparison

Feature
Overview
Rating7.05.4
Pricing
  • €1.00/mo100 GiB, Starter for 1 year
  • €1.99/mo200 GiB, Pro I monthly
  • €1.67/mo200 GiB, Pro I for 1 year
  • €3.99/mo500 GiB, Pro II monthly
  • €3.33/mo500 GiB, Pro II for 1 year
  • €8.99/mo2 TiB, Pro III monthly
  • €7.50/mo2 TiB, Pro III for 1 year
  • €39.99/mo10 TiB, Pro X monthly
  • €33.33/mo10 TiB, Pro X for 1 year
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  • 100 GiB, Starter for 1 year: €11.99 billed yearly
  • 200 GiB, Pro I for 1 year: €19.99 billed yearly
  • 500 GiB, Pro II for 1 year: €39.99 billed yearly
  • 2 TiB, Pro III for 1 year: €89.99 billed yearly
  • 10 TiB, Pro X for 1 year: €399.99 billed yearly
  • $16.00/mo1 TB, Personal 1TB monthly
  • $12.00/mo1 TB, Personal 1TB for 1 year
  • $32.00/mo5 TB, Solo 5TB monthly
  • $28.00/mo5 TB, Solo 5TB for 1 year
  • $54.00/moUnlimited, Personal Unlimited monthly
  • $45.00/moUnlimited, Personal Unlimited for 1 year
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  • 1 TB, Personal 1TB monthly: $16 a month
  • 1 TB, Personal 1TB for 1 year: $144 billed yearly
  • 5 TB, Solo 5TB monthly: $32 a month
  • 5 TB, Solo 5TB for 1 year: $336 billed yearly
  • Unlimited, Personal Unlimited monthly: $54 a month
  • Unlimited, Personal Unlimited for 1 year: $540 billed yearly
Free storage10 GB5 GB
Lifetime planNoNo
Established20212011
Platforms
WebWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS
WebWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS
Encryption & keys
Who holds the keysYou hold the keys
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Filen says files are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM, each file with its own key, and that file names, folder names and file metadata are encrypted with a key derived from your password. The web app at app.filen.io receives its encryption code from Filen each time it loads and keeps your keys in the browser's local storage. Filen still sees your email address, IP address, how much storage you use and payment references.

Depends on a setting
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Sync says files and file names are encrypted on your device with 256-bit AES. File size, type, creation time and the creator of a shared file are not encrypted. On paid plans, email password reset is on by default and keeps a copy of your account key that Sync's automated systems can use; turning it off deletes the copy. Previews of Office and other formats, media streaming, editing in Microsoft's editor, faster web downloads over 100 MB and links without Enhanced privacy are processed outside end-to-end encryption. The web panel decrypts files in your browser with code that Sync serves on every visit.

Also encryptedFile names and metadataFile names only
SharingShared files stay encryptedOnly in some sharing modes
If you lose the passwordRecovery key you keepProvider can reset access
Trust & transparency
Client codeFully open sourceClosed source
Server codeClosed sourceClosed source
Reproducible buildsNot specifiedNot specified
Security auditNone on recordNone on record
JurisdictionGermany
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Filen Cloud Dienste UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is registered at the District Court of Recklinghausen, Germany, and its terms are governed by German law. Filen says all its servers are its own hardware in colocation data centers in Germany; payment data passes through PayPal, Stripe and Coinbase, which also process it in the US.

Canada
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Sync.com Inc. is registered in Ontario and contracts with users outside the US; users in the US contract with Sync.com Corp., a Delaware company. The terms are governed by Ontario and Canadian law unless local law requires otherwise. Files are stored in Canada by default, or in the US for accounts in the US data region; account data is also kept with service providers in the US.

OwnerFilen Cloud Dienste UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
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A small German company represented by Jan Lenczyk, officially founded in May 2021. Filen says it has no outside investors and grew on sales of its earlier lifetime plans; its roadmap lists a planned change of legal form from UG to GmbH.

Sync.com Inc.
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Sync says it was founded in Toronto in 2011 by Thomas Savundra, Suhan Shan and Darius Antia and has more than 2 million users.

TelemetryNo telemetryOn unless you opt out
Past data breachNoNo
Features & sync
Desktop syncYesYes
File versionsExtended
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Up to 100 versions per file, kept for as long as the file itself exists; versions count toward your storage and can be turned off. Deleted files stay in the trash for up to 30 days.

Extended
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Earlier versions and deleted files can be restored for 30 days on the free plan, 90 days on Personal 1TB, 180 days on Solo 5TB and 365 days on Personal Unlimited. They do not count toward your storage.

Collaborative editingEnd-to-end encryptedOn the provider's server