Using rsync for file transfers

Using rsync for file transfers

rsync synchronizes files over SSH, with smart incremental copying (only transfers changed parts). Syntax: rsync [options] source destination

See also: Using scp for file transfers — comparison below.

Local to remote

Copy a single file to remote:

rsync -avz ./local-file.txt user@hostname:/path/to/remote/

Copy a folder to remote:

rsync -avz ./local-folder/ user@hostname:/path/to/remote/

Remote to local

Download a single file from remote:

rsync -avz user@hostname:/path/to/remote/file.txt ./local-folder/

Download a folder from remote:

rsync -avz user@hostname:/path/to/remote/folder/ ./local-folder/

Remote to remote

Sync between two remote servers:

rsync -avz --rsh=ssh user1@host1:/path/src/ user2@host2:/path/dest/

Common options

• -a — Archive mode (preserves permissions, times, etc.)
• -v — Verbose
• -z — Compress during transfer
• -r — Recursive
• --delete — Delete files in destination not in source
• --exclude=pattern — Skip matching files
• --dry-run — Preview without copying

rsync vs scp

Feature	rsync	scp
Incremental	✅ (only changed parts)	❌ (full copy)
Resume	✅ (can restart)	❌ (restarts from beginning)
Bandwidth	Better (compression, skips unchanged)	Basic
Speed	Faster for repeated syncs	Faster for one-time small files
Complexity	More options, steeper learning curve	Simple, straightforward

Use rsync for backups and large repeated syncs. Use scp for quick one-off file transfers.