# rsync vs Unison

| Attribute | rsync | Unison |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 52.5 (16% (low)) | 56.3 (26% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 3 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 0 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 5,158 | 5,455 |
| deployment.options | - | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | An open source command-line tool for efficiently synchronizing files and directories between systems. It uses the rsync algorithm to send only differences rather than complete copies, supporting multiple transport protocols (SSH, rsh, direct sockets) and can operate as both a client and server. | Unison is an open-source utility that maintains two replicas of files and directories across separate hosts or storage devices, automatically propagating non-conflicting changes while detecting conflicting updates. It works over internet connections including slow links, and allows offline access to already-synchronized data. |
| features.capabilities | - | `{"pricing_model":"free_open_source","deployment_model":"self_hosted","peer_to_peer_p2p_network_routing":true,"self_hosted_linux_docker_deployment":true,"block_level_delta_sync_transfer_speed":true,"client_server_architecture_cloud_host":false,"version_history_and_conflict_resolution":true}` |
| language.primary | C | OCaml |
| license.spdx | - | GPL-3.0 |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"android":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Open Source","description":"Freely available under GNU General Public License"}],"summary":"Free and open source (GNU GPL)","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://rsync.samba.org","retrievedAt":"2026-08-20T16:36:33.254Z"}` | `{"type":"free","summary":"Free and open source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://github.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-08-21T13:41:35.717Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 21 | 132 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.5.0","date":"2026-08-13T00:30:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.4.4","date":"2026-06-08T04:59:28Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.4.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.4.3","date":"2026-05-20T00:16:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.4.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.4.2","date":"2026-04-28T04:50:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.4.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.4.1","date":"2025-01-15T21:06:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.4.0","date":"2025-01-14T19:39:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.4.0"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.54.0","date":"2026-05-01T00:33:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.54.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.8","date":"2025-11-05T00:07:47Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.7","date":"2024-11-05T13:41:24Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.6","date":"2024-11-05T00:44:16Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.5","date":"2024-05-07T01:32:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.4","date":"2024-02-19T17:52:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.3","date":"2023-04-28T00:28:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.2","date":"2023-03-20T17:39:53Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.1","date":"2023-03-19T12:42:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.53.0","date":"2022-11-07T11:34:26Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.53.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.52.1","date":"2022-05-08T12:26:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.52.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.52.0","date":"2022-03-12T19:12:50Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.52.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.51.5","date":"2021-12-18T15:51:34Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.51.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.51.4","date":"2021-06-24T14:50:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.51.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.51.3","date":"2020-10-21T13:15:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.51.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.51.2","date":"2018-01-27T21:19:26Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.51.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.48.15v4","date":"2017-12-18T12:25:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.48.15v4"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/v2.51.0","date":"2017-11-24T21:50:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.51.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/2.48.4","date":"2016-09-29T12:39:45Z","type":"stable","version":"2.48.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/tag/2.48.3","date":"2016-09-29T12:37:20Z","type":"stable","version":"2.48.3"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | - | 4.5 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Frsyncproject%2Frsync&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | - |

## Capabilities (File Sync)

| Capability | rsync | Unison |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Deployment model | - | Self hosted |
| Peer to peer p2p network routing | - | ✓ |
| Client server architecture cloud host | - | ✗ |
| Block level delta sync transfer speed | - | ✓ |
| Self hosted linux docker deployment | - | ✓ |
| Synology qnap nas hardware integration | - | - |
| Aws s3 azure blob external mounts | - | - |
| Active directory ldap identity sync | - | - |
| Version history and conflict resolution | - | ✓ |
| End to end encryption keys in transit | - | - |
| SOC2 type ii | - | - |
| ISO 27001 | - | - |
| Pricing model | - | Free open source |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T17:02:27.892Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*