DoubleSync vs uSync
uSync, by Kevin Jump and the Jumoo team, has been a cornerstone of the Umbraco community for years. The free stack (uSync Core, ContentEdition and FormsEdition) handles schema, content, media, dictionary, domains and Forms serialized to disk. uSync.Complete adds Publisher for live push and pull, plus Sync-Packs, Snapshots, Restore Points, PeopleEdition and an audit log. Most of what teams need is already in there. We built DoubleSync because we wanted one specific thing on top: a per-property merge editor that lets you keep one side's copy and the other side's media inside the same document. If that's the workflow you're after, here's how the two compare.
Where DoubleSync fits alongside uSync
Per-property merge editor
uSync's Publisher pushes or pulls items as a whole and gives you a report at the end. If the same property changed on both sides, you typically resolve it in Git on the serialized files. DoubleSync's pitch is narrower. When a document changed on both sides, we open it in a side-by-side editor using the actual Umbraco property editors (Block List, Block Grid, RTE, Media Picker, and any custom editors you've built). You pick source or destination per property, including per property inside a block. The merged document is what we push. If you've had to reconcile a content edit and an editorial edit on the same page, that's the moment DoubleSync earns its keep.
Free tier: different starting points
The free uSync stack (Core, ContentEdition and FormsEdition) covers a lot of ground: schema, content, media, dictionary, domains and Umbraco Forms, all serialized to disk for Git. The honest caveat is the apply model. uSync treats the file system as source of truth. When a deploy lands and the serialized files differ from what's in the backoffice, uSync overwrites the backoffice with the files. Conflict resolution happens at the Git layer, outside the uSync UI. That works well if your team is comfortable resolving in Git and disciplined about deploys. DoubleSync's free Community tier is narrower in scope (document types and data types) but adds a live two-environment compare and a diff preview, so you can see what's about to change before it lands without a Git step. Two different defaults. Pick the one that matches how your team actually ships.
Live cross-environment sync
uSync.Complete's Publisher does live backoffice-to-backoffice push and pull (including right-click on the content tree). PeopleEdition syncs members and users, Restore Points give you a full rollback, and the audit log landed in v12.2 (2023). Per-server, per-user-group permissions are configurable. DoubleSync covers the same ground from a single package and splits Push and Pull as separate grants on the same permissions tab. Both products are sold in a subscription and a one-off shape. DoubleSync's are €500 per year per project (Pro), €800 one-time perpetual per project, or €1,500 per year covering unlimited projects (Agency). For uSync.Complete's current numbers, check the Jumoo site.
Restore points and pricing model
uSync.Complete takes a Restore Point manually, on opt-in triggers, or when Publisher spots a potentially damaging change. DoubleSync takes one before every sync by default. Same feature, tighter default. Both products give you a choice of payment shape: subscription or one-off. If you stop paying DoubleSync Pro, paid features fall back to the free Community tier and your site keeps running. DoubleSync Agency at €1,500 per year covers unlimited projects. With uSync.Complete the licence is per project. Different shapes for different studios; neither is wrong.
Feature Comparison
See how DoubleSync stacks up against the competition
| Feature | DoubleSync | uSync | Deploy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schema sync | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Schema diff preview | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Content sync | Pro | Yes | Yes |
| Media sync | Pro | Yes | Yes |
| Content / property-level diff preview | Pro | Paid | Paid |
| User group sync | Pro | Paid | Schema |
| User sync | Pro | Paid | No |
| Member & member group sync | Pro | Paid | Opt-in |
| Per-property source/destination merge editor | Pro | No | No |
| Live backoffice-to-backoffice push/pull | Pro | Paid | Yes |
| Selective apply (pick items from a diff) | Pro | Paid | Yes |
| Node-level push/pull | Pro | Paid | Yes |
| Portable sync packages (ZIP) | Pro | Paid | Yes |
| Restore point before every sync (default on) | Pro | Opt-in | No |
| Manual restore points / rollback | Pro | Paid | No |
| Delete detection | Pro | Yes | No |
| RBAC permissions (user group + environment) | Pro | Paid | No |
| Per-direction RBAC (Push vs Pull split) | Pro | Not verified | No |
| Azure Blob storage transport | Pro | No | No |
| Scheduled auto-snapshots | Pro | No | No |
| Audit trail with user attribution | Pro | Paid | No |
| Culture / variant filter | Pro | Not verified | Not verified |
| Dependency resolution | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier available | Yes | Yes | No |
Pricing, side by side
uSync Core, uSync.ContentEdition and uSync.FormsEdition are free. uSync.Complete bundles Publisher, Exporter, Snapshots, Restore Points, PeopleEdition and the audit log. It's sold as both a one-off licence and a subscription. DoubleSync Pro is €500 per year per project (all environments and load-balanced servers included), or €800 one-time perpetual per project. Agency at €1,500 per year covers unlimited projects.
| Plan | DoubleSync | uSync |
|---|---|---|
| Free / Schema Only | Free | Free (core only) |
| Free tier | Free | Free (Core + Content + Forms) |
| Single project, full sync | €500/yr | £1,150 + VAT one-time per project, 60-day trial |
| Unlimited projects | €1,500/yr Agency | £1,150 + VAT per project |
| One-time license | €800 Perpetual | £1,150 + VAT |