Can rsync be installed on Windows?

What you will read?

1 Option 1: Using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
2 Option 2: Instalًٌٌling rsync with Cygwin
3 Option 3: Using DeltaCopy (Legacy Method)
4 Quick Tips for rsync on Windows

Yes, rsync can be installed and used on Windows, although it’s originally a Unix-based utility. Since Windows doesn’t come with rsync by default, you’ll need to use a workaround to get it up and running.

Option 1: Using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

The most modern and native-feeling way to run rsync on Windows 10 or 11 is through WSL.

First, enable WSL:
```
wsl --install
```
After installation, reboot your system. Then install a Linux distribution (like Ubuntu) from the Microsoft Store.
Launch your Linux shell and update the package list:
```
sudo apt update
```
Now install rsync:
```
sudo apt install rsync
```

You can now use rsync just like you would on a Linux machine. For example:

rsync -avz /mnt/c/Users/YourName/Documents/ /mnt/d/Backups/DocumentsBackup/

This copies files from your C: drive to D:, using the Linux paths inside WSL.

Option 2: Instalًٌٌling rsync with Cygwin

If you don’t want to use WSL, another method is to install Cygwin, a compatibility layer that provides a Unix-like environment on Windows.

Download the Cygwin installer and run it.
During setup, search for rsync in the package selection step and mark it for installation.
Complete the installation. Then, open the Cygwin terminal and verify rsync is available
```
rsync --version
```

With Cygwin, you get a similar rsync experience, but keep in mind that path formats will follow the Cygwin environment (e.g., /cygdrive/c/Users/...).

Option 3: Using DeltaCopy (Legacy Method)

DeltaCopy is a wrapper around rsync for Windows. It’s not actively maintained but might work for some setups.

Download and install DeltaCopy from its official page.
You’ll get a client GUI and service-based rsync server.

DeltaCopy was useful before WSL became standard, but today, WSL offers a more powerful and integrated solution.

Quick Tips for rsync on Windows

If you’re syncing between two Windows machines, WSL + rsync is great, but native tools like Robocopy might be faster in some cases.
Always use full paths to avoid confusion between Linux and Windows-style paths.
Automate backups by wrapping rsync commands inside .sh scripts and using Task Scheduler to run them.

That’s it—you can absolutely run rsync on Windows. Whether through WSL, Cygwin, or legacy tools like DeltaCopy, the choice depends on how deep you want to go into the Unix world inside Windows.