Sync Integration Comparison

This reference compares the sync providers available in Super Productivity: how each stores and syncs your data, which platforms they support, how authentication works, and whether optional encryption is available. Use it to choose a sync provider or to understand how your data moves between devices.

For an overview of how integrations work (issue providers and sync providers), see [[4.24-Integrations]]. For conflict handling, backup behavior, and where data is stored, see [[4.23-Managing-Your-Data]] and [[3.06-User-Data]]. For a comparison of issue providers (Jira, GitHub, etc.), see [[3.07-Issue-Integration-Comparison]].

What Sync Providers Do

Sync providers synchronize your full Super Productivity data (tasks, projects, tags, time tracking, settings, archives, and so on) between this app instance and a remote location or another device. They do not import issues from Jira, GitHub, or other issue trackers; those are handled by issue providers. All sync in the app is local-first and operation-based: your device holds the primary copy, and changes are sent as operations (or a sync file containing state and operations) to the remote side. You configure one sync provider at a time.

Comparison Summary

Provider	Platform	Authentication	Optional encryption	Typical use
Nextcloud	All	Username, optional login, app password	Yes (client-side key)	Nextcloud files sync
WebDAV	All	URL, username, password	Yes (client-side key)	ownCloud and other WebDAV servers
Dropbox	All	OAuth 2.0 (no password stored)	Yes (client-side key)	Cloud backup, cross-device sync
SuperSync (beta)	All	URL, username/password or token	Yes (E2E, server-supported)	Dedicated sync server, self-hosted or hosted
Local file	Desktop only	None (folder path)	Yes (client-side key)	Single-device local or network-folder backup

Note: SuperSync is very new and is still in beta. Prefer Nextcloud, WebDAV, Dropbox, or local file for production use until SuperSync is stable.

Encryption timing: When you first enable a file-based provider (Nextcloud, WebDAV, Dropbox, OneDrive, or local file), you are offered the option to set an encryption password as part of the setup. If you do, the password is saved with the sync config, so the very first upload — and every upload after — is encrypted; nothing this device uploads leaves it unencrypted. Encryption stays optional: you can skip the prompt and enable, change, or disable it later from the sync settings.

Downgrade protection: When encryption is enabled for a file-based provider, the app rejects an unencrypted remote sync file instead of importing it or automatically turning encryption off. If you intentionally disabled encryption on another trusted device, change the encryption setting on this device deliberately before syncing again. Otherwise, leave encryption enabled and check the remote account or connection for unexpected changes.

Per-Provider Details

Nextcloud

• Compatible with: Nextcloud files WebDAV.
• Configuration: Server URL, username, optional separate login name/email, app password, and sync folder path. The username is used in /remote.php/dav/files/<username>/; the optional login name/email is only for servers that authenticate with a different value.
• Encryption: Optional client-side encryption; you set an encryption key that is not sent to the server.
• Platform: Available on desktop (Electron), web, and mobile. In the browser, CORS can block WebDAV requests; the app may recommend the desktop version for reliable sync.
• Concurrent writes: Servers that provide strong ETags get atomic conflict protection. Servers with weak or missing ETags use a best-effort content check; avoid syncing the same folder from multiple devices at exactly the same time on those servers.

WebDAV

• Compatible with: Nextcloud, ownCloud, and any WebDAV-compatible server.
• Configuration: Base URL, username, password, and an optional sync folder path on the server.
• Encryption: Optional client-side encryption; you set an encryption key that is not sent to the server.
• Platform: Available on desktop (Electron), web, and mobile. In the browser, CORS can block WebDAV requests; the app may recommend the desktop version for reliable sync.
• Advanced recipes: Some storage providers can be exposed as local WebDAV with external tools. For Proton Drive via rclone, see [[2.19-Sync-Proton-Drive-via-rclone]]. This is not a built-in Proton Drive provider.

Dropbox

• Configuration: OAuth 2.0; you sign in with your Dropbox account. No username/password for Dropbox is stored in the app; the app stores tokens after you authorize.
• Encryption: Optional client-side encryption; you set an encryption key. Data can be stored encrypted in your Dropbox so that only this app (with the key) can read it.
• Platform: Available on desktop, web, and mobile.

SuperSync (beta)

• What it is: A dedicated sync server designed for Super Productivity. Can be self-hosted or used with a hosted instance. SuperSync is very new and is still in beta; consider Nextcloud, WebDAV, Dropbox, or local file for production use until it is stable.
• Configuration: Server base URL, then either username/password or an access token; optional sync folder path. Optional end-to-end encryption can be enabled on the server side so that the server stores only encrypted data.
• Encryption: Optional; when enabled, the server supports E2E encryption. You manage the encryption key; the server does not see plain data.
• Platform: Available on desktop, web, and mobile. Sync uses the same operation-based model as other providers but talks directly to the SuperSync server (no intermediate file in a generic cloud folder).
• Live tracking presence (experimental, opt-in): Enable it under Sync settings → Advanced → Show live tracking on other devices. While the real-time connection is active, a device that tracks time shows up on your other devices — a small chip in the header (and a silent Android notification) names the device and task, and offers a Stop button that ends the session remotely. Idle pauses show as “Paused” without a Stop button. This is a live mirror only: it is never persisted on the server (only a short-lived in-memory slot while your devices are connected), rides the existing connection (no extra connections), and is end-to-end encrypted whenever sync encryption is enabled. SuperSync only; other providers have no real-time channel.
• Network interruptions: Temporary connection drops are retried. If the request still fails, local changes stay on the device and sync can retry later.
• Connected devices: Sync settings → Advanced → Show Connected Devices lists the devices that have synced with the account recently (the 100 most recently active), with their platform, client ID and last sync time. Access to a SuperSync account is granted per account rather than per device — a single long-lived token, not one per device — so removing a single entry would not stop that device from syncing, and no per-device revocation is offered. Instead, Sign out other devices (in the same dialog) invalidates every token except a fresh one issued to the device you press it on: use it when a device is lost or sold. Signed-out devices stop syncing and need a newly issued token to reconnect; changes made on them while signed out are kept locally and upload after re-authenticating. Devices that stop syncing drop off the list automatically after the server's retention period.

Local File Sync

• What it is: Writes the sync file to a local or network-accessible folder (e.g. a shared drive or NAS).
• Configuration: Folder path only; no remote account.
• Encryption: Optional client-side encryption with a key you set.
• Platform: Desktop (Electron) only. Not available in the web app or mobile, because those environments cannot reliably access arbitrary local or network paths.
• Important limitation: Use this as a single-device backup target. Do not mirror the folder between devices with Syncthing, Resilio, cloud-drive clients, or similar tools: local filesystem access cannot atomically coordinate concurrent writers, so simultaneous syncs can overwrite each other. Use Nextcloud, WebDAV, Dropbox, or SuperSync for multi-device sync.

Choosing a Provider

• Nextcloud — Use if you already have Nextcloud and want the app to build the WebDAV files URL for you.
• WebDAV — Use if you have ownCloud or another WebDAV server, or if you need to provide the full WebDAV base URL yourself.
• Dropbox — Use for cloud-backed sync without running your own server; OAuth keeps account credentials out of the app config.
• SuperSync (beta) — Use when you want a dedicated sync service and optional server-side E2E encryption. Bear in mind it is very new and still in beta.
• Local file — Use on desktop for a single-device backup to a local or network folder (e.g. an external drive or NAS), not for a folder mirrored between devices.

Logical conflict resolution (e.g. when two devices change the same data) uses the same operation rules for all providers. Transport guarantees still differ: Local file is single-writer only, and WebDAV atomic write protection depends on strong ETag support. See [[4.23-Managing-Your-Data]].

Related

• [[4.24-Integrations]] — How issue and sync providers work
• [[2.19-Sync-Proton-Drive-via-rclone]] — Advanced Proton Drive setup through rclone and WebDAV
• [[3.07-Issue-Integration-Comparison]] — Issue provider comparison
• [[4.23-Managing-Your-Data]] — Backups, import/export, and sync from a user perspective
• [[3.06-User-Data]] — Where data and backups are stored, sync behavior by platform