SSHFS vs Rclone

SSHFS mounts remote filesystems over SSH, while Rclone syncs to cloud storage. Different tools for different remote access needs!

Quick comparison

Feature	SSHFS	Rclone
Primary Use	Mount SSH servers	Cloud storage ops
Protocol	SSH/SFTP only	Multiple protocols
Operation Type	Real-time mount	Batch sync/mount
Cloud Support	❌ No	✅ 70+ providers
Performance	Network-dependent	Can cache locally
Setup Complexity	Simple (SSH only)	Varies by provider

Key differences

SSHFS (SSH filesystem mount)

Mounts remote SSH server as local folder
Real-time access with no local storage used
Simple setup—just need SSH access
Every operation goes directly over network

Rclone (multi-protocol tool)

Syncs, copies, and mounts various storage types
Supports 70+ cloud providers and protocols
Optional caching for better performance
Can also mount SFTP (like SSHFS) with extra features

When to use each tool

Scenario	Better Choice	Why
Edit code on remote server	SSHFS	Real-time, direct SSH access
Access Google Drive files	Rclone	Native cloud support
Browse remote Linux server	SSHFS	Simple, immediate access
Backup server to cloud	Rclone	Direct cloud upload
Development on remote	SSHFS	Low latency for edits

Common Commands

SSHFS examples:

sshfs user@server:/path /local/mount           # Basic mount
sshfs user@server:/ /mnt -o reconnect          # With auto-reconnect
sshfs -p 2222 user@server:/ /mnt/remote        # Custom port

Rclone examples:

rclone mount gdrive: /mnt/gdrive --daemon      # Mount cloud
rclone mount sftp: /mnt/server --daemon        # Mount SFTP (like SSHFS!)
rclone mount remote: /mnt --vfs-cache-mode full # With caching

Performance & Features

What SSHFS Does Better

Simplicity: Just SSH, no configuration needed
Real-time: Changes are immediate on server
Low overhead: Minimal local resources used
Direct access: No sync delays or conflicts

What Rclone Offers Instead

Caching: Can cache files locally for speed
Cloud native: Direct integration with cloud APIs
Versatility: Mount, sync, copy, serve capabilities
Resilience: Better retry and error handling

# SSHFS - direct but network-dependent
sshfs user@server:/ /mnt

# Rclone - can cache for performance
rclone mount sftp:/ /mnt --vfs-cache-mode full

Decision matrix

Need to mount remote files?
├─ SSH server only?
│  ├─ Simple mount? → SSHFS
│  ├─ Need caching? → Rclone SFTP
│  └─ Real-time edit? → SSHFS
├─ Cloud storage? → RCLONE
└─ Multiple sources? → RCLONE

Pro tip: Rclone can mount SFTP just like SSHFS, but with added benefits like caching. Consider rclone mount sftp: when you need SSHFS functionality with better performance over slow connections.

Bottom line: Use SSHFS for simple SSH mounts with real-time access on fast networks. Use Rclone for cloud storage, caching needs, or when working with multiple protocols.

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