StowSay it in a sentence.
No flags, no modes with odd names. Each choice says what happens to a file you delete.
Backups in plain English.
Nothing gets lost.
Stow™ keeps a folder on your computer and a folder on another drive the same. You set it up by answering a few questions, and it tells you what it will do in a sentence before it does it.
Download for Mac (Apple silicon)
Download for Windows
14 days free, with everything working. Then $39 once, for 3 computers. 30-day refund, no questions asked.
How it works
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Choose two folders.
One on this computer, one on an external drive, a second drive, or a network share you've already connected.
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Say what should happen.
Make it match, only ever add, or keep both in step. Then pick when: when you click, on a schedule, or whenever the drive is plugged in. Stow says it all back in one sentence.
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Check the preview, then let it run.
The first time, you see every file it would copy, replace or remove, and you can untick any of them. After that it runs on its own.
See it before it happens.
The first run lists every file it would copy, replace or remove, in groups you can untick. Anything you untick stays where it is.
Nothing is gone for good.
Every file Stow replaces or removes goes into a safety net on the same drive first, kept for 30 days. Put any of them back from inside the app. (Holds while the safety net is on, which is the default.)
Runs on its own.
Every so many minutes or hours, at a set time every day, every few days or once a week, or whenever a drive is plugged in. A schedule never stops to ask a question.
Says so when it can't.
If a run fails, Stow tells you what went wrong and what to do about it.
Two-way when you need it.
When the same file changes in both places, you choose ahead of time what happens. The default keeps both copies.
Won't copy an empty folder over your backup.
If a source suddenly reads as empty or can't be opened, Stow stops instead of removing everything on the other side.
Filters.
Leave out files or folders by name.
Run history
In plain language, and a menu bar (Mac) or notification-area (Windows) icon showing what's happening.
Built so a mistake can be undone
- The safety net is on by default and keeps replaced and removed files for 30 days, on the same drive, with the date and the reason. You can see how much space it's using at any time.
- The first run is always previewed.
- Stow refuses to run from a folder it can't read, rather than treating it as empty.
- The part that moves your files is a long-established open-source copier, not something new.
- Your files never leave your drives. Stow has no account and no cloud of its own.
- Signed and notarized by Apple on Mac; signed for Windows.
Why Stow
- Set up once, in words you understand. Two folders, what should happen, and when. Stow says it back in one sentence.
- Mistakes can be undone. Replaced and removed files are kept for 30 days by default.
- It tells you when something's wrong, instead of quietly stopping.
- One price, both platforms. $39 once covers 3 computers, any mix of Mac and Windows. No subscription.
- Made for people with a drive and a folder they care about: photographers, video editors, small studios, and anyone setting up a parent's computer.
What it works with
- Folders on your computer, external drives, and network shares you've already connected.
- Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) and Windows 11. Intel Macs are not supported in 1.0.
- Not yet: cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox (planned).
- A copy moves the whole file. If you edit one line of a 4 GB video, Stow copies all 4 GB.
- Stow takes about 96 MB once installed, most of it the file-copying engine that comes inside.
$39, once.
One licence covers three of your computers, Mac or Windows. Every 1.x update is included.
Try it for 14 days first with nothing switched off. If you don't buy, your files and their history stay exactly where they are, and syncs stop running until you do.
Changed your mind after buying? Full refund within 30 days, no questions asked.
Questions
Is this a backup or a sync?
Both, depending on what you pick. "Make it match" and "Only ever add" are one-way backups. "Keep both in step" is a two-way sync.
What happens if I delete something by mistake?
If the backup already removed it too, it's in the safety net for 30 days. Open the sync, find the file, and put it back.
Does it back up my whole computer?
No. Stow copies folders you choose. For a full system backup, keep Time Machine or File History, or use a cloning tool.
Does it work with Google Drive, Dropbox or S3?
Not in 1.0.
Does Stow need to be open?
No. It lives in the menu bar (Mac) or the notification area (Windows) and runs syncs with the window closed. If you quit it, nothing runs, and it tells you what was missed next time.
What happens when the trial ends?
Syncs stop running. Your files, the safety net and the history stay where they are and stay readable.
What if the licence server is down?
A licensed copy that can't be checked keeps working.
Do I need to know anything technical?
No. Stow uses the open-source rclone underneath, but you never have to touch it.
Does it run on Intel Macs?
No. Stow 1.0 needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later).
Can I get a refund?
Yes. Within 30 days of buying, email support@winglessenterprises.com for a full refund, no questions asked. See the refund policy.
Is my data sent anywhere?
Your files aren't — they never leave your computer. Stow only contacts the internet for licence and update checks, as described on Privacy.
Does it copy only the changed part of a big file?
No. A changed file is copied whole.