Softwr

Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Packer vs Sync.com

P

Packer

Cloud & Infrastructure

Build automated machine images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sync.com logo

Sync.com

File Storage & Backup

Cloud storage, backup and sharing with end-to-end encryption

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Packer has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Packer packer 1.10.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence; Sync.com all Teams plans require a minimum of 3 users

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Packer and Sync.com actually diverge.

Attributes where Packer and Sync.com differ
AttributePackerSync.com
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, MacWeb
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureFile Storage & Backup
Founded2013Unknown

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

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 Packer

  • Image building
  • Multi-platform support
  • Provisioners
  • Builders
  • Post-processors
  • Variables
  • Data sources
  • Validation

Only in Sync.com

Nothing recorded that Packer does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Packer

  • Building identical machine images for multiple clouds from one templatenot Sync.com
  • Baking golden AMIs and VM images into a CI pipelinenot Sync.com
  • Creating immutable infrastructure artifacts consumed by Terraformnot Sync.com

Sync.com

No use cases recorded yet. See the Sync.com review.

Where each one falls short

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

Packer

  • Packer 1.10.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Packer to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Packer
  • Each version converts to the MPL 2.0 Change License only four years after that version is first published, and the Change Date is set separately per version
  • Alternative licensing for uses outside the grant must be arranged with the licensor rather than taken under the public licence

Sync.com

  • All Teams plans require a minimum of 3 users
  • The advertised low monthly rate (e.g. $4/month for Teams 1TB) is a promotional annual rate described as 50% off; the standard monthly price is $8/month without the promotion
  • Enterprise pricing for 100+ users is custom and requires contacting a dedicated account manager

Pricing, plan by plan

Packer

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Multi-platform image building
    • Template-driven
    • Provisioner support

Sync.com

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Sync.com review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Packer if

  • You need image building.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want multi-platform support.
Packer review

Choose Sync.com if

Nothing in the data separates Sync.com from Packer on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Sync.com review

Questions people ask

Is Packer or Sync.com better?
Neither clearly leads. Packer starts at Free and Sync.com at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Packer or Sync.com?
Packer has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Packer and On request for Sync.com.
Does Packer or Sync.com run on more platforms?
Packer runs on Linux, Windows, Mac. Sync.com runs on Web.
Can I use Packer for free?
Yes. Packer has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sync.com starts at On request.
What is Packer best used for?
Packer is most often used for building identical machine images for multiple clouds from one template, baking golden amis and vm images into a ci pipeline, creating immutable infrastructure artifacts consumed by terraform. Of those, building identical machine images for multiple clouds from one template and baking golden amis and vm images into a ci pipeline are not what Sync.com is typically brought in for.
What can Packer do that Sync.com cannot?
Packer covers Image building, Multi-platform support, Provisioners, Builders.
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Related pages

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