# RsyncProject/rsync

An open source utility that provides fast incremental file transfer. It also has useful features for backup and restore operations among many other use cases.

Repository: https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/rsync
Homepage: https://rsync.samba.org
Language: C
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Last push: 2026-08-20T09:27:55+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 98/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 97, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2291, "days_push": 13, "days_rel": 21, "gap_med": 21, "n_releases_24m": 6}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 5158, forks 589 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:11.471017+00:00)

## What it is
Rsync is an open-source command-line utility for fast incremental file transfer between local and remote systems, using a delta-transfer algorithm to send only file differences. It also supports backup and restore operations, mirroring, and can run as a daemon for anonymous or authenticated file distribution.

## Use cases
- sync files between two servers over ssh
- incremental backup of my home directory
- mirror a public file distribution site
- copy only changed parts of large files across a network
- resume or schedule file transfers with cron
- replicate directory trees preserving permissions and symlinks

## When to choose
- you need efficient incremental transfers of large files or directory trees over a network
- you want a battle-tested tool for backups, restores, or mirroring
- you need to preserve file metadata like permissions, ownership, and timestamps

## When to avoid
- you need a GUI-based file sync solution
- you require real-time continuous sync like a cloud drive
- you are on a platform without a POSIX-style shell or ssh access

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: stable
- function: file-system, backup, developer-tools, cli
- domain: files, developer-tools, self-hosted
- platform: windows, bsd, cli, cross-platform
- tags: file-transfer, delta-transfer, synchronization, mirroring, ssh, incremental-copy, command-line, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- RsyncProject/rsync (main) score 98

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:11.471017+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T18:01:54.392847+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:11.471017+00:00, sha 4be8974a15ee)
  - homepage: https://rsync.samba.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:56:00.847612+00:00, sha 3dd21366207c)
  - site_page: https://rsync.samba.org/features.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:56:00.852376+00:00, sha e3369d136724)
  - site_page: https://rsync.samba.org/documentation.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:56:00.853945+00:00, sha b570b2f6337c)
  - site_page: https://rsync.samba.org/FAQ.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:56:00.850392+00:00, sha ed27aca34e72)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.