Robocopy vs Rclone

Robocopy is Windows' built-in robust file copier, while Rclone is cross-platform with cloud focus. Let's see when to use each!

Quick comparison

Feature	Robocopy	Rclone
Platform	Windows only	Cross-platform
Cloud Support	❌ None	✅ 70+ providers
Built-in Windows	✅ Yes	❌ Separate install
Network Shares	✅ Excellent	✅ Good
Performance (local)	⚡ Fastest	Fast
Mirror Mode	✅ Yes (/MIR)	✅ Yes (sync)
GUI Available	Via third-party	Web GUI

Key differences

Robocopy (Windows power tool)

Native Windows integration with NTFS optimization
Preserves all Windows attributes, ACLs, and permissions
Multi-threaded copying with network failure resume
No installation required—built into Windows

Rclone (cloud-era tool)

Cross-platform with 70+ cloud provider support
Built-in encryption and mount capabilities
Works with multiple protocols (not just SMB)
Consistent syntax across all operating systems

When to use each tool

Scenario	Better Choice	Why
Windows server backup	Robocopy	Native, preserves all attributes
Backup to cloud	Rclone	Direct cloud support
Network share mirror	Robocopy	Optimized for SMB/NTFS
Encrypted off-site backup	Rclone	Built-in encryption
Cross-platform sync	Rclone	Works everywhere

Common Commands

Robocopy examples:

robocopy C:\Source D:\Backup /MIR              # Mirror with deletion
robocopy C:\Data \\server\backup /E /R:3 /W:10 # Network with retry
robocopy C:\Source D:\Dest /MT:32              # Multi-threaded copy

Rclone examples:

rclone sync C:\Data gdrive:backup    # Cloud backup
rclone sync C:\Data //server/share   # Network share
rclone mount gdrive: G:              # Mount as drive

Windows-specific features

What Robocopy Does Better

Preserves everything: ACLs, alternate data streams, junction points
VSS integration: Can copy from shadow copies
Native performance: Optimized for Windows file systems

# Preserve all Windows attributes
robocopy source dest /E /COPYALL /SEC
# /COPYALL = Data, Attributes, Timestamps, ACLs, Owner, Auditing

What Rclone Offers Instead

Cloud native: Direct integration with 70+ providers
Encryption: Built-in crypt for secure backups
Cross-platform: Same commands on Windows, Mac, Linux

Decision matrix

On Windows?
├─ Yes
│  ├─ Need cloud? → RCLONE
│  ├─ Local only?
│  │  ├─ Need Windows ACLs? → ROBOCOPY
│  │  └─ Basic copy? → Either
│  └─ Network shares? → ROBOCOPY
└─ No → RCLONE (Robocopy not available)

Pro tip: Many Windows admins use both—Robocopy for local Windows backups with full attribute preservation, then Rclone to sync those backups to the cloud.

Bottom line: Use Robocopy for Windows-native operations where NTFS attributes matter, Rclone for cloud storage and cross-platform needs.

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