Comparison

Resilio Sync vs Pho

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Resilio Sync

Securely transfer files and back up photos between your devices without using third-party servers. Enjoy unlimited storage and speed, with direct peer-to-peer transfers for privacy and efficiency. Supports all file types across various platforms.

Highlights
  • Private cloud creation
  • Secure direct file transfers
  • Unlimited storage and speed
  • Automatic camera backup
  • Cross-platform device support
  • Selective file syncing
Read full description

Sync is the best way to transfer files between your Mac, PC, NAS, and even server. Create your own private cloud. Connect devices and sync files securely without sending them on third-party servers. We don’t limit your speed or storage space: our technology works especially well with huge files. No storage limits • Sync as much data as you have on your hard drives. Automatic camera backup • Sync will back up photos and videos as soon as you take them. • You can then delete photos from your phone and save space. Direct transfers, no cloud • Your information is never stored on servers in the cloud, so nobody can access it without your permission. • Transfer files directly and fast using peer-to-peer technology (p2p). Any device and platform • Access folders and upload files to your tablet, PC, Mac, NAS, and even server. Supports all file types • Add photos, videos, music, docs, and PDFs from other apps to any of your synced folders. Save space • Selective Sync lets you save only the files you need. To get the best performance and to avoid running up your data charges while syncing folders, we recommend leaving the "Use Cellular Data" setting off. By downloading or using this app, you agree to the Terms of Use: (https://www.resilio.com/legal/terms-of-use), Privacy Policy (https://www.resilio.com/legal/privacy) and End User License Agreement (https://www.resilio.com/legal/eula-sync).

About

Pho

This app replaces your native photo gallery and synchronizes your pictures to cloud storage. It offers a streamlined experience for viewing and managing your photo library.

Highlights
  • Photo gallery replacement
  • Cloud photo synchronization
  • SMB, WebDAV, NFS support
  • Simple user experience
  • View and manage photos
Features
Read full description

Pho is a serverless photo sync and gallery app. It backs up your photos directly to your own network storage — Samba (SMB), WebDAV, NFS, S3 and Google Drive — without routing them through any third-party cloud photo service. No middleman server. No database. No subscription lock-in. The files are entirely yours. [Your photos, only in your own storage] Pho never uploads your photos to a third-party server. All photos are stored in your own network storage using a "year/month/day" directory structure, with original filenames preserved. You can access, migrate, or reuse these raw files anytime without Pho — they're ordinary files, not packaged, not locked, not hidden behind a proprietary format. This is the fundamental difference between Pho and every cloud photo service. [Replace your built-in gallery] Pho isn't just for sync — it works as your daily gallery. Local and cloud photos appear in a single timeline, with: · Grouping by date, pinch-to-zoom · Lazy thumbnail loading — smooth even with tens of thousands of photos · Full EXIF info · Live Photo playback · Native HEIC / HEVC / RAW (DNG) / video support [Original quality, no compression] Pho preserves the original quality of your photos and videos — no compression, no re-encoding, no EXIF stripping. Your 4K videos and DNG RAW files stay exactly as they were. Cloud browsing is also original quality — no silent downscaling like some cloud photo services. [Background auto-sync] Scheduled sync runs in the background: on iOS, the system schedules it while charging — no need to open the app manually. Wi-Fi-only option avoids cellular data usage. A passive local notification is sent on completion (silent, no screen wake). After the first sync, Pho incrementally compares local and cloud, uploading only new photos. [AES encryption] Privacy-conscious? Pho supports AES encryption: photos are encrypted before upload and decrypted before download. Encrypted files use a .aes suffix — even if storage is inspected or leaked, originals cannot be recovered. Encrypted videos stream natively without downloading the whole file. You can always find these encrypted files in your own storage and decrypt them without Pho using the same algorithm and password. [Supported storage] · Samba (SMB) — works with NAS, router USB storage, Windows shared folders · WebDAV — works with self-hosted services, Jianguoyun, Nextcloud, etc. · NFS — works with Linux / NAS · Baidu Netdisk — popular in China, OAuth login Each storage type only needs to be configured once and connects automatically afterwards. Switch or reconfigure anytime. [Pro features] · Parallel upload: upload multiple photos at once for faster backups · Encrypted storage: AES encryption to protect your privacy · Custom upload filters: filter by file type and date · Camera-only album: intelligently filter out screenshots and downloads · Theme color: switch to your preferred theme · Free up storage: delete synced photos to reclaim phone space Three plans available: monthly, yearly, and lifetime. Subscriptions can be canceled anytime via App Store subscription management. [Who it's for] · Privacy-conscious users who don't want photos hosted by third-party cloud services · Users with a NAS, router USB storage, self-hosted WebDAV, or Baidu Netdisk · Users looking to replace the native gallery and manage local + cloud photos in one place · Users who need local encryption before backup [About Pho] Pho is an open-source project with source code publicly available on GitHub. No ads, no tracking, no data collection. Maintained by a single developer, continuously improved based on user feedback. For issues or suggestions, find feedback channels in Settings → About, or contact the developer directly. Thank you to every user who chose Pho. Privacy Policy: https://pho.tools/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Resilio Sync4 screens
Pho4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Resilio Sync at none against Pho's 3. Resilio Sync also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 43%) and iOS requirement (11 vs 15.0). Pho's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pho sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Resilio Sync asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Resilio Sync ships an update every 3 months, Pho weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Resilio Sync versus Pho: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterResilio SyncPho
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (864 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.0% of reviews — better42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings864 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS11 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperResilio Inc.渊浩 张

Customer experience

Resilio Sync

All ratings844 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews614 reviews
Positive77.0%
Neutral8.1%
Negative14.8%

Pho

Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%

Bugs and requests

Resilio Sync

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Syncing issues after iOS updates
  • Inconsistent behavior when removing folders
  • Camera roll backup not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved iOS integration with Files app
  • Background sync for camera roll backup
  • Built-in media player and gallery view
  • Ability to select and move multiple files at once

Pho

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Resilio Sync

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Pho

One-time3
  • Pho Pro - Monthly$2.99
  • Pho Pro - Yearly$19.99
  • Pho pro - lifetime$34.99

Questions

Is Resilio Sync free?
Resilio Sync is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pho free?
Pho is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Resilio Sync or Pho have ads?
Resilio Sync shows ads; Pho does not.
Which is updated more often, Resilio Sync or Pho?
Resilio Sync ships an update every 3 months, and Pho weekly. Most recently, Resilio Sync was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pho on November 3, 2026.

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