BitTorrent removes 10 folder limit in free version of Sync, slashes Pro price from annual to one-time $40 fee

BitTorrent today updated its file synchronization service for the desktop to version 2.2, adding some important changes for free and Pro users. You can download the latest release now for Windows, Mac, and Linux from getsync.com.

BitTorrent’s goal with Sync is simple: Move large amounts of data directly and efficiently between devices without leaning on a cloud service. After first introducing the product in April 2013, BitTorrent eventually released Sync out of beta in March 2015, while also debuting Sync Pro, a premium edition of Sync priced at $39.99 per year that adds new functionality not available in the free version.

With today’s Sync version 2.2 release, the company is offering “a clearer delineation between personal users and business users.” Personal users are now able to purchase a “perpetual license” for Sync Pro for $39.99 that means they don’t have to pay every year to keep all the Pro features.

Yet that license comes with a catch: It only covers future updates for 2.X versions. “If and when a v.3 launches it will be considered a new product addressing a different use case,” a BitTorrent spokesperson told VentureBeat. “For now we’re focused on the 2.X generation of Sync.”

Personal users that have already paid for a Pro license will receive an email with instructions for how to convert to this new pricing model (as opposed to sticking with the old $39.99 per year model). Business accounts for Sync Pro, however, will remain subscription-based.

There is also some good news for users of the free version of Sync: Version 2.2 removes the 10 folder limit. While Sync puts no limits on file sizes and transfer speeds, it previously only let you share up to 10 folders, and users would simply get around this limit by merging folders. Now that restriction’s gone, so you can once again organize your files just as you like.

To generate interest in the Pro product, BitTorrent previously included a free 30-day trial for new installations: all Sync Pro functionality for a month when you first launch Sync. That feature is now opt-in, likely because users of the free version are perfectly happy without Pro features.

Additional updates in the 2.2 release also include the usual bug fixes and performance improvements. BitTorrent says these improvements are based on feedback gathered from user surveys, its forum, and “other feedback channels.”

Lastly, as part of the Sync 2.2 release, BitTorrent today also launched a Sync reseller program. Resellers can offer Sync licensing to their customers directly, including the option to bundle Sync with their own solutions.

BitTorrent today also reminded Sync users that a Sync-based file replication product is still in development for larger scale deployments. Last we heard of this product, which is largely targeted at IT departments, it was scheduled for a 2015 release. BitTorrent added nothing new today in terms of timing, though a spokesperson said, “We are, however, interested in speaking with potential partners; they will help us ensure we build a product they need.”