Sync or backup: which one to use

The difference between sync and backup in Drime Desktop, what happens to your files with each, and which one to choose for a folder.

Updated October 21, 2026Windows

Drime Desktop can keep your files in two ways. They do not do the same thing.

	Sync	Backup
Direction	Both ways: a change on your computer or in Drime appears on the other side	One way: from your computer to Drime
Deleting a file	Deleting it on one side deletes it on the other	Drime never deletes or changes your local files
Copy in Drime	Normal files you can edit anywhere	Read-only copies
Where	The Drime folder, or a folder you link on the Folder sync page	Any folder you choose, such as Documents or Pictures
Find it on the web	In your Drive, like any other file	On the Backups page, under the name of the computer
Best for	Working on the same files from several devices	Keeping a safe copy of a computer's folders

A folder cannot be backed up and synced at the same time.

With sync, Drime Desktop reminds you: If you delete files from synced folders, you delete them from Drime and your PC. Backups are in public beta: the feature is stable but still evolving.

#Which one to choose

You want to open and edit your files from the web, your phone or another computer: sync. See How Drime Desktop sync works.
You want a copy of your computer's folders in case something happens to it: backup. See Back up folders from your computer.

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#Which one to choose

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