When comparing rsync vs HTTP File Server (HFS), the Slant community recommends rsync for most people. In the question“What are the best apps to transfer files between two computers in LAN?” rsync is ranked 1st while HTTP File Server (HFS) is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose rsync is:
Only the changed parts of files are synced. For instance, if a long log file increases by just a few lines of text, a small diff will be sent to and saved in the archive. Rsync also compresses data in transit.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Fast and bandwidth efficient
Only the changed parts of files are synced. For instance, if a long log file increases by just a few lines of text, a small diff will be sent to and saved in the archive. Rsync also compresses data in transit.
Pro Works over SSH
SSH support allows sending files securely over the network by encrypting all communcation.
Pro Pre-installed on OSX and most Linux distributions
Many *nix systems bundle rsync so there's nothing to install. All you need to do is open up the terminal and start using rsync.
Pro Free and open source
Licensed under GNU.
Pro Free and Open Source
GNU GPL.
Pro Only needs to be installed on one of the machines
The client just needs a web browser. Even mobile devices can use it, both for uploads and downloads.
Pro Portable
You can run it from a USB stick or something.
Cons
Con No official GUI
To use rsync, you have to know your way around the command line.
Con Complicated, and you can accidentally overwrite the wrong files
Con Server must be run on Windows
It does run properly on WINE, so you can make it work on Linux. It's just harder to install. The client, on the other hand, can be anything with a web browser.