4x faster network file sync with rclone (vs rsync) (2025) (jeffgeerling.com)

Article summary

The article discusses the author's experience with syncing large files over a network using rsync and rclone. Rsync was found to be slow due to its single-threaded and serial file transfer approach, while rclone's parallel transfer feature significantly improved the transfer speed. The author achieved a 4x faster transfer speed with rclone compared to rsync. The article highlights the benefits of using rclone for local network transfers, particularly for large files.

Main themes

• rclone vs rsync
• parallel file transfers
• TCP performance
• high-performance data transfer
• alternative protocols
• network optimization

What commenters say

• Rclone is a fantastic and underrated piece of software for file transfers.
• Using multiple streams can be faster than a single stream, but it may indicate a bottleneck in the application or TCP tuning.
• TCP is not always the best protocol for high-performance data transfer, and alternative protocols like UDP or custom solutions may be more suitable.
• The concept of 'high performance' is subjective and depends on the specific use case and requirements.
• Some commenters argue that TCP can achieve high speeds, even over high-latency links, while others claim that it is not suitable for certain applications.
• Custom protocols like Aspera's FASP can provide faster and more reliable data transfer, especially over long-distance links.
• RDMA and other technologies can offload network processing to the NIC, reducing CPU overhead and improving performance.