SyncCrate- SyncCrate
- Sync mods between PCs
// Guide · Updated
Sync mods between your PCs.
A gaming desktop and a laptop for trips. An old PC and a new one. Here is how to get a modded game set up the same on both, and keep it matching after every change.
// 01 Why
Why copying the folder isn't enough
Copying a mod folder by hand works once. After that the two PCs drift apart:
- You update a mod on one PC and forget the other, and a save made with the new version won't load on the old one.
- Saves often live somewhere else entirely. Valheim worlds, Stardew Valley saves and RimWorld saves sit in your user folder (AppData,
~/.config, Application Support), not next to the mods. - You copy everything every time, because you can't tell which files changed.
- Copy in the wrong direction once and the older setup overwrites the newer one.
// 02 Your options
Four ways to keep two PCs matching
USB stick or a network share
Copy the game's mod folder, and its save folder, across by hand.
Catch: you have to remember which PC has the newest files, find every folder the game uses, and copy all of it every time.
Steam Cloud
Many Steam games sync saves between your PCs by themselves.
Catch: saves only, not mods or most configs, and only for games that support it.
OneDrive, Dropbox or Syncthing
Point a sync tool at the mod folder and it mirrors changes in the background.
Catch: you set up each game's folders by hand, it can copy a save while the game is still writing it, and OneDrive and Dropbox keep a copy of everything on their servers.
A game-aware sync
SyncCrate knows where 124 games keep their mods, configs and saves, shows what will change before it copies anything, and sends only the files that differ.
Best for: two PCs you play on regularly, or moving a modded game to a new PC.
// 03 With SyncCrate
Sync your PCs in three steps
Install on both PCs
Install SyncCrate on each PC and add the game in the Game Browser. Mod folders are found automatically, save folders once the game has run there.
Host from the newest setup
On the PC with the setup you want to keep, click Start Hosting. On the other PC, pick it under Scan for Hosts, or paste the join code.
Compare and sync
Check the plan. For a file you changed on both PCs, pick: keep yours, use theirs, keep both, or keep newer. Then Sync Now.
TipMoving to a new PC for good? Host on the old PC and sync once; the new one gets every mod and save. If something looks wrong afterwards, Undo last sync puts it back.
// 04 Good to know
Worth knowing before you sync
- Files go from the host to the PC that joins. Host on whichever PC has the setup you want on both.
- Close the game first. SyncCrate warns you if it's still running, so a save isn't copied halfway through being written.
- No internet needed at home. On the same Wi-Fi or cable, the PCs find each other and copy at 100–900 MB/s. The join code is for syncing over the internet.
- Backups before every sync. Turn on Back up before sync and the files a sync would replace are saved first. File history keeps older versions of single files for 180 days.
- Steam Workshop mods aren't copied. Subscribe to the same items on both PCs; SyncCrate syncs everything in the game's own folders.
// 05 Guides for heavily modded games
What syncs, where the folders are and common fixes, game by game. All 124 games
// FAQ
Questions
Can I sync saves too, not just mods?
For many games, yes. Each game guide lists what SyncCrate syncs for that game. Saves kept in your user folder, like Valheim worlds and Stardew Valley saves, are found once the game has run on that PC.
Do both PCs need an internet connection?
No. On the same network SyncCrate finds the other PC by itself and syncs without any internet connection. Over the internet, paste the host's join code.
What if I changed the same file on both PCs?
It shows up as a conflict in the sync plan. You decide per file: keep yours, use theirs, keep both, or keep the newer one.
Can I move my mods to a new PC with it?
Yes. Install SyncCrate on both, host on the old PC and sync once. Only the files that differ are copied, so you can sync again later to pick up anything you missed.
Is anything uploaded to a server?
No. Files go directly from one PC to the other. Over the internet, if a direct connection isn't possible, an encrypted relay forwards data it can't read and stores nothing.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same modded setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.