Guide

Why file sync is not the same thing as a backup

Sync and backup solve different problems, but because both involve a copy of a file existing somewhere else, the two get treated as interchangeable until the moment that assumption fails badly.

Sync mirrors the present, backup preserves the past

A sync tool's job is to make every copy identical to the current state. A backup's job is to preserve an earlier state on purpose. Those goals actively conflict with each other in exactly the situation where you need protection most.

A mistake propagates through sync instantly

Delete or corrupt a file on a synced device, and that change spreads to every other synced location, usually within seconds. A pure sync setup with no separate backup or version history offers no protection against this at all.

Backup needs to be deliberately separate

A real backup is intentionally decoupled from live changes — taken on a schedule, and not instantly overwritten by whatever just happened on the main copy. That separation is the entire point, and sync alone does not provide it.

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