Switch Guide: Moving from Dropbox to Sync.com

Dropbox is a San Francisco company storing your files on US servers, accessible to US authorities under the CLOUD Act. Sync.com is a Toronto-based company offering zero-knowledge encryption with data stored exclusively in Canadian data centres. Zero-knowledge means Sync.com literally cannot read your files — even they don't have the decryption keys. For Canadian law firms, healthcare providers, accountants, and any business handling sensitive client data, Sync.com isn't just the Canadian choice — it's objectively more secure. And at comparable pricing to Dropbox, the only reason not to switch is inertia.

What You'll Gain

• Zero-knowledge encryption: Your files are encrypted before they leave your device. Sync.com cannot access your data, period.
• Canadian data centres: Data stored exclusively in Canada — PIPEDA compliance by design.
• End-to-end encrypted sharing: Share files and folders with password protection and expiry dates.
• Comparable pricing: Sync.com's plans are priced similarly to Dropbox, often cheaper for the same storage.
• Version history: Files versioned for up to 365 days on business plans.
• Canadian company: Your subscription dollars support a Toronto tech company.

What You Might Miss

• Document collaboration: Dropbox Paper has no Sync.com equivalent. For real-time document editing, you'll still need Google Docs or Office 365.
• Third-party integrations: Dropbox integrates directly with hundreds of apps. Sync.com's integration library is smaller (though it covers the major ones).
• Dropbox Replay: Dropbox's video review tool has no Sync.com equivalent.
• Admin console features: Dropbox Business has a more polished admin interface for large team management.

Migration Checklist

1. Audit your Dropbox usage — Review your folder structure, shared folders, and team permissions before migrating.
2. Sign up for Sync.com — Create your business account and configure team member invites.
3. Install Sync.com desktop app — The desktop client creates a local sync folder similar to Dropbox.
4. Copy files from Dropbox to Sync.com — The simplest approach: ensure Dropbox is fully synced locally, then copy your Dropbox folder contents into your Sync.com folder. Let Sync.com upload everything.
5. Recreate shared folders — Sync.com's shared folders work similarly to Dropbox's. Recreate your team shares and invite collaborators.
6. Update shared links — Any external shared links from Dropbox will need to be regenerated in Sync.com and sent to recipients.
7. Remove Dropbox integrations — Disconnect Dropbox from any connected apps and reconnect via Sync.com or direct integrations.
8. Cancel Dropbox — Once you've confirmed all data is in Sync.com and accessible, cancel your Dropbox subscription.

Data Export Tips from Dropbox

The most reliable way to export from Dropbox is to ensure your Dropbox folder is fully synced to your local machine (check for the green checkmark on all files), then simply copy the folder. For large accounts, Dropbox also offers a Download as Zip option from the web interface for individual folders. For Dropbox Business, admins can access all team member folders from the admin console before offboarding. Note: Dropbox Paper documents must be exported separately as they're not in the local sync folder.

Timeline Estimate

Most individuals and small teams complete this in 1–3 days. The time is almost entirely upload speed — transferring large amounts of data depends on your internet connection. A 100GB Dropbox account on a typical business connection takes about 2–4 hours to upload to Sync.com. Larger teams with 1TB+ of data should plan for a weekend migration.

See all Canadian alternatives to Dropbox →