rclone

rclone is a command-line program for managing files on cloud storage and remote filesystems, often described as “rsync for cloud storage”. It supports a large range of providers and protocols, and can be used interactively, in scripts, or via its remote control API.

Key Features

• Sync, copy, move, and verify files between local storage and many cloud providers
• Integrity checking with hashes (such as MD5/SHA-1 where supported) and preserved timestamps
• One-way sync and two-way synchronization (bisync) workflows
• Optional client-side encryption (crypt), compression, chunking, and other virtual backends
• Mount remotes as a local disk via FUSE on supported platforms
• Serve remotes over common protocols (HTTP, WebDAV, FTP, SFTP, DLNA)
• Resumable transfers and support for efficient server-side copies when providers allow it

Use Cases

• Encrypted backups and restores to S3-compatible or consumer cloud storage
• Data migration between cloud vendors without manually downloading and re-uploading
• Mounting cloud/object storage as a filesystem for legacy applications and workflows

Limitations and Considerations

• Primarily a CLI tool; GUI functionality exists but is not the main interface
• Some capabilities depend on the chosen backend (hash types, server-side copy, metadata support)

rclone is a mature, cross-platform tool that excels at reliable file transfer and automation across heterogeneous storage systems. It is widely used for backup, migration, and day-to-day cloud storage operations where scripting and protocol flexibility matter.