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Utilities · head to head

FreeFileSync vs VTScada

FreeFileSync logo

FreeFileSync

Utilities

Open-source folder comparison and synchronisation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VTScada logo

VTScada

Utilities

SCADA software for water, wastewater and remote telemetry with a published price list

From
$3395/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FreeFileSync has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FreeFileSync the interface is dense and functional rather than friendly, and the sync direction is easy to misread; VTScada licences are per installed PC rather than per system, so a redundant pair plus a development machine means paying three times unless you buy the discounted multi-server bundles.
  • They diverge on capability: FreeFileSync covers Comparison before sync, VTScada covers Automatic version control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FreeFileSync and VTScada actually diverge.

Attributes where FreeFileSync and VTScada differ
AttributeFreeFileSyncVTScada
Starting priceFree$3395/one-time
Pricing modelFree and open source; a paid Donation Edition adds convenience featuresOne-time purchase
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in FreeFileSync

  • Comparison before sync
  • Multiple sync modes
  • Versioning
  • Batch jobs

Only in VTScada

  • Automatic version control
  • Bundled historian
  • Alarm notification
  • Driver set included
  • Redundancy and sync
  • Thin clients
  • Idea Studio
  • Slippy maps

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

FreeFileSync

  • Mirroring a working drive to external storage on a schedulenot VTScada
  • Comparing two folders to find what actually differsnot VTScada
  • Backup routines where seeing the plan before it runs mattersnot VTScada

VTScada

  • A municipal water authority with 60 remote pump stations on licensed radio that needs DNP3 polling and regulator-facing change recordsnot FreeFileSync
  • An oil and gas gathering operator polling wellsite RTUs over intermittent cellular links with store and forwardnot FreeFileSync
  • A small utility that must produce a defensible budget number before going to council for capital approvalnot FreeFileSync
  • An integrator standardising on one product where historian, alarming and dialler costs are inside the licence rather than quoted separatelynot FreeFileSync

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

FreeFileSync

  • The interface is dense and functional rather than friendly, and the sync direction is easy to misread
  • Some convenience features are held behind the paid Donation Edition
  • The installer has historically bundled optional offers, which is worth reading carefully during setup
  • Not a versioned cloud backup: it synchronises what you point it at and nothing more

VTScada

  • Licences are per installed PC rather than per system, so a redundant pair plus a development machine means paying three times unless you buy the discounted multi-server bundles.
  • Thin client licensing is by concurrent connection and is priced steeply at scale: unlimited thin clients on a 50,000 tag system costs 59,395 USD on top of the base licence, more than the base licence itself.
  • It is Windows only with no Linux or container deployment, which rules it out of modern edge and virtualised architectures that other SCADA products now support.
  • SupportPlus at 15 percent of the original software price must be maintained continuously; if you let it lapse you cannot simply resume, and reinstatement is negotiated rather than published.
  • The scripting environment and the integrator pool are both proprietary and small, so finding a second-source integrator in a region where Trihedral has thin coverage is genuinely difficult.

Pricing, plan by plan

FreeFileSync

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core functionality
    • Personal use

VTScada

$3395/one-time
  • Base licence up to 1,000 I/O$3395/one-time
    • Runtime and full historian
    • All I/O drivers included
    • Alarms and events
  • Base licence up to 5,000 I/O$4295/one-time
    • Runtime and full historian
    • Development add-on 4,100 USD
    • Alarm notification add-on 2,895 USD
  • Single Server bundle, 5,000 I/O$19095/one-time
    • Development node
    • Alarm notification
    • 2 thin clients
  • Single Server bundle, 50,000 I/O$32495/one-time
    • Development node
    • Alarm notification
    • 2 thin clients

Which should you pick?

Choose FreeFileSync if

  • You need comparison before sync.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want multiple sync modes.
FreeFileSync review

Choose VTScada if

  • You need automatic version control.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want bundled historian.
VTScada review

Questions people ask

Is FreeFileSync or VTScada better?
Neither clearly leads. FreeFileSync starts at Free and VTScada at $3395/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FreeFileSync or VTScada?
FreeFileSync has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FreeFileSync and $3395/one-time for VTScada.
Does FreeFileSync or VTScada run on more platforms?
FreeFileSync runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. VTScada runs on Windows.
Can I use FreeFileSync for free?
Yes. FreeFileSync has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. VTScada starts at $3395/one-time.
What is FreeFileSync best used for?
FreeFileSync is most often used for mirroring a working drive to external storage on a schedule, comparing two folders to find what actually differs, backup routines where seeing the plan before it runs matters. Of those, mirroring a working drive to external storage on a schedule and comparing two folders to find what actually differs are not what VTScada is typically brought in for.
What can FreeFileSync do that VTScada cannot?
FreeFileSync covers Comparison before sync, Multiple sync modes, Versioning, Batch jobs. VTScada covers Automatic version control, Bundled historian, Alarm notification, Driver set included.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FreeFileSync: Is FreeFileSync free?

Yes, open source and free. A paid Donation Edition adds convenience features such as parallel sync and portable installs.

VTScada: Is VTScada perpetual or subscription?

Perpetual. Licences are one-time purchases per installed PC, with an optional annual SupportPlus contract at 15 percent of the original software price.

FreeFileSync: Is it a backup tool?

It synchronises folders and supports versioning, which covers many backup needs, but it is not a managed cloud backup service.

VTScada: Are drivers extra?

No. Standard and proprietary I/O drivers, the historian, trending, reporting and security are all included in the base licence.

FreeFileSync: Can it sync to cloud storage?

Yes, including Google Drive and SFTP or FTP targets alongside local and network paths.

VTScada: What does support actually cost?

Annual SupportPlus is 15 percent of total software purchase price. Adding 24/7 emergency support is a further 5 percent with a 1,540 USD minimum.

VTScada: Does it run on Linux?

No. VTScada is Windows only.

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