DropLink Resilio Sync
Resilio Sync and DropLink are both peer-to-peer, but solve different problems. Resilio keeps folders in sync continuously between your devices. DropLink handles one-shot transfers — to yourself or anyone else — with zero setup.
Quick answer
Resilio Sync and DropLink are both peer-to-peer, but solve different problems. Resilio keeps entire folders continuously synchronized across devices (like Dropbox, but P2P). DropLink handles one-shot transfers — you drag a file, the receiver gets it, done. Both use BitTorrent-like protocols internally, but DropLink uses QUIC + iroh (with BLAKE3 verified streaming) while Resilio uses its own libtorrent-based protocol. Pick Resilio for always-on sync; pick DropLink for ad-hoc sends, especially when the receiver does not have an app (DropLink has a built-in Web UI).
Feature matrix
| Feature | DropLink | Resilio Sync |
|---|---|---|
| Use case focus | One-shot transfers | Continuous sync |
| Peer-to-peer | ||
| Easy setup | Partial | |
| Web UI — receive without app | ||
| AirDrop-style transfers | ||
| Folder sync | ||
| Selective sync | ||
| End-to-end encryption | ||
| macOS / Windows / iOS | ||
| Price | Free | Free / $59+/year |
Should you switch to DropLink?
Use Resilio Sync if you need to keep the same folder identical across multiple devices over time. Use DropLink when you just want to send a file, right now, as easily as possible.
Common questions
Is Resilio a direct competitor to DropLink?
Not exactly. Resilio Sync is designed for continuous folder synchronization between your own devices — like Dropbox but peer-to-peer. DropLink is designed for one-shot file transfers, either to yourself or to someone else. They can complement each other.
Which should I use for sending a file to a friend?
DropLink. Resilio requires both sides to set up the app, generate keys, and configure sync folders. DropLink lets you send a link — the receiver just opens it in a browser. For one-off transfers, DropLink is far simpler.
Can DropLink keep two folders in sync?
No, that's not what DropLink is designed for. If you need continuous folder sync, use Resilio Sync or Syncthing. If you need quick transfers between any devices, DropLink is the tool.
Two peer-to-peer tools, different jobs
Continuous sync vs one-shot transfer
Resilio Sync's unit of work is a 'folder pair' shared between devices — changes propagate in both directions indefinitely. DropLink's unit of work is a 'share' — a one-way transfer from a sender to a receiver, ephemeral by default. The relay forgets the share when it is closed; there is no persistent sync state.
Transport: QUIC + iroh vs libtorrent-style
Resilio uses a BitTorrent-derived protocol over TCP with DHT for discovery. DropLink uses QUIC (RFC 9000, quinn 0.11) on LAN with TLS 1.3 and BBR congestion control, and iroh 0.96 for internet transfers with Noise (IK) handshake over QUIC. BLAKE3 via Bao tree provides chunk-level verified streaming — integrity is checked incrementally during download.
Web UI — receiver without any app
Resilio requires the app on both sides, with key exchange and folder configuration. DropLink can send to a receiver who has nothing installed: the receiver just opens a link in their browser. This is not possible with a sync tool because sync is inherently two-way and needs persistent state on both sides.
Discovery
Resilio uses a combination of LAN broadcast, BitTorrent trackers, DHT, and its own signaling servers. DropLink uses mDNS/Bonjour on LAN (service _droplink._udp.local.) and a DropLink-operated signaling server on the internet (WebSocket with HMAC-SHA256 + ed25519 ownership authentication). iroh's default public DNS discovery is disabled for privacy.
Privacy and security
Resilio has Pro features like encrypted peers and selective sync but uses its own proprietary stack. DropLink uses standard open primitives: TLS 1.3 + TOFU on LAN, Noise IK + ed25519 + curve25519 on the internet, BLAKE3 verified streaming for integrity. Cipher suites are reordered per CPU architecture (AES-NI on x86, ChaCha20 on ARM). No account is needed — each install is identified by a local ed25519 keypair stored in the Keychain (or on disk). The signaling server only sees share IDs and ephemeral metadata; the DERP relay only sees encrypted bytes.
When each one shines
- Use case
- DropLink: one-shot send. Resilio: continuous sync.
- Setup complexity
- DropLink: zero. Resilio: folder pairing + keys.
- Receiver needs app
- DropLink: optional (Web UI). Resilio: required.
- Transfer protocol
- QUIC + iroh vs BitTorrent-style
- Price
- DropLink: free. Resilio: $59+/year for Pro.
Technical FAQ
Can DropLink keep two folders in sync like Resilio?
No — that is explicitly not a DropLink feature. DropLink is designed for one-way, ephemeral transfers. For continuous folder sync use Resilio Sync or Syncthing. DropLink and a sync tool complement each other: use sync for your own devices, use DropLink to send a file to someone else.
Is Resilio faster than DropLink?
For first-sync of a large folder, they are comparable on LAN — both are peer-to-peer and bandwidth-limited. DropLink's advantage is in handshake latency (1 RTT with QUIC, 0 RTT on resume) and in Wi-Fi resilience (no head-of-line blocking). Resilio's advantage is delta-sync: after the first sync, only changed blocks are transferred.
Which is simpler to set up for a one-off send?
DropLink, by a large margin. Resilio requires creating a folder on the sender, generating a sharing key, sharing the key with the receiver out-of-band, the receiver configuring a destination folder, and waiting for initial sync. DropLink: drag file, send link, done. The receiver can also download in a browser.
What happens to my files after transfer in DropLink?
They exist on the sender (original) and on the receiver (downloaded). Nothing persists on our relay — the relay only had encrypted bytes for the duration of the transfer (if direct P2P failed) and has no storage layer. You can manually close the share to invalidate the link at any time.