Resilio: A Dropbox Alternative for File Sharing
Whenever you start a new business, frugality is often a necessary priority. You have to find tools that help you accomplish your goals without pouring money into unnecessary expenses.
That’s exactly the place I’m in right now. I’ve been a speaker for 30-years, but only in the last year have I started to get serious about making that one of my primary sources of income. I launched a blog at RayWaters.com, I started an audio podcast called Big Life, and now I’m starting to do video.
It’s all been wonderful, but it created a problem. I find myself dealing with big files. I’ve got pictures, audio, and video files, and I have a handful of people who contribute to the production process. I needed a way to share files that (1) isn’t expensive; (2), isn’t hard to use; and (3), it has to handle large files.
The solution I landed on is an application called Resilio.
If you’re familiar with Dropbox, Resilio is similar, but there are some key distinctions. Both Dropbox and Resilio have a free option, and I love Dropbox, but I’m frequently maxing out my Dropbox storage space.
Resilio doesn’t store files in the cloud so there are no storage restrictions beyond the size of your hard drives. Dropbox limits storage on it’s paid option to 1 terabyte for $99 a year.
Setting up Resilio is super simple:
- Go to the Website, resilio.com.
- Scroll to the bottom menu.
- Click Sync Free.
- Click the Free Download button.
- Install the software on your computers.
It works on Windows, Mac and Linux machines. I have it installed on my laptop, a Mac Mini and, and a Mac Pro that we use for audio and video production.
You can select which folders get shared with which machine. If you’re sharing a folder with someone remotely, you can send them a link or a key code, and you can choose to give them access to only view files or to modify files through the Read & Write or Read only option.
There’s also an iOS app for viewing and adding files on the go. You can share a folder with the iOS app with the Key or simply by pointing your camera at the QR code on the desktop app.
With the iOS app, I can shoot video, record audio, or take photos on the phone and share them via Resilio Sync so they’re ready to edit on the media production Mac.
That’s all free. There’s also Pro version that I plan to upgrade too as my business grows. It’s a one-time cost of $40 and adds some syncing flexibility options.
Give it a try. I think you’ll find it as useful as I do!
