CYNC vs CiraSync
Looking for a CiraSync alternative? CYNC delivers the same core contact sync — on your server, at a fraction of the cost, with transparent pricing and a permanent free tier.
The short version
Choose CYNC if…
Choose CiraSync if you need shared mailbox or public folder contact sync, prefer a fully cloud-managed service with no on-premise footprint, or require multi-tenant centralised management from a single dashboard.
Feature-by-feature
Detailed head-to-head
40 criteria across five categories. Filled blue dot marks the stronger fit; a hollow dot marks a tie.
Architecture & Data Sovereignty
06 criteriaDeployment model
Data residency
Data path
Server Core / headless
Remote admin
Multi-tenant
| Criterion | CYNC | CiraSync |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment model | On-premise Windows Service | Cloud SaaS (Azure-hosted) |
| Data residency | Your server — data never leaves your network | Routed through third-party cloud infrastructure |
| Data path | Server → Microsoft Graph API (direct) | Your tenant → CiraSync cloud → Your tenant |
| Server Core / headless | Fully supported — runs as Windows Service | N/A — browser-based cloud portal |
| Remote admin | gRPC over HTTPS with Windows-integrated auth | Web portal |
| Multi-tenant | One install per tenant (free tier per tenant) | Centralised multi-tenant management |
Microsoft 365 Integration
08 criteriaAPI technology
EWS dependency
Delta sync
Contact correlation
Photo sync
Graph throttle handling
Shared mailbox sync
Public folder sync
| Criterion | CYNC | CiraSync |
|---|---|---|
| API technology | Microsoft Graph API only | Graph + legacy EWS for some features |
| EWS dependency | Zero — fully Graph-native | Partial — some features rely on EWS |
| Delta sync | /users/delta — only syncs changes | Supported (partial) |
| Contact correlation | Graph Open Extension (stable unique ID) | Name / email matching |
| Photo sync | One toggle in dashboard | Supported |
| Graph throttle handling | Auto retry with exponential backoff | Handled by provider |
| Shared mailbox sync | Not supported | Supported |
| Public folder sync | Not supported | Supported |
Pricing & Transparency
07 criteriaStarting price
Pricing transparency
Free tier
Volume discounts
Annual billing discount
Trial / evaluation
500 users (annual)
| Criterion | CYNC | CiraSync |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | €0.29/user/month | ~$5.00/user/month (estimated) |
| Pricing transparency | Published on website — no demo required | Hidden — requires demo or sales call |
| Free tier | 10 users per tenant — no time limit | No free tier |
| Volume discounts | Automatic bracket-based (down to €0.18/user) | Contact sales for custom pricing |
| Annual billing discount | Up to 38% off — calculated instantly | Contact sales |
| Trial / evaluation | Download and install immediately — free tier | Demo required |
| 500 users (annual) | ~€1,234.80/year | ~$30,000/year |
Security & Compliance
06 criteriaAuthentication
Credentials stored?
Binary protection
Audit trail
Data sovereignty
SOC 2 / compliance certs
| Criterion | CYNC | CiraSync |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Certificate-based (Windows Certificate Store) | OAuth via browser |
| Credentials stored? | No — private key in Windows Cert Store | OAuth tokens in cloud |
| Binary protection | Obfuscar obfuscation | N/A (hosted service) |
| Audit trail | Full sync history in local SQLite database | Cloud-based logs |
| Data sovereignty | Contact data never leaves your server | Data transits third-party infrastructure |
| SOC 2 / compliance certs | On-premise — you control the compliance scope | SOC 2, GDPR Ready badges |
Operations & Monitoring
06 criteriaDashboard
Real-time sync progress
Failure alerting
Logging
Installation
Upgrades
| Criterion | CYNC | CiraSync |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard | WinUI 3 native desktop app | Web dashboard |
| Real-time sync progress | gRPC streaming in dashboard | Web portal with refresh |
| Failure alerting | Windows Event Log + dashboard alerts | Email notifications |
| Logging | Structured local logs (Serilog) | Cloud logs |
| Installation | MSI with silent-install (/quiet) for GPO | Browser-based setup — no install needed |
| Upgrades | WiX MSI with silent upgrade (/quiet) | Automatic (cloud-managed) |
Cost comparison
Pricing at every scale
CYNC's published pricing vs a widely-reported ~$5/user/month for CiraSync. The gap grows wider as your organisation scales.
CYNC annual
€139.20/yr
CiraSync annual
$3,000/yr
CYNC annual
€615.60/yr
CiraSync annual
$12,000/yr
CYNC annual
€1,234.80/yr
CiraSync annual
$30,000/yr
CYNC annual
€2,138.40/yr
CiraSync annual
$60,000/yr
CYNC annual
€4,298.40/yr
CiraSync annual
$120,000/yr
| Users | CYNC (annual) | CiraSync (annual) | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | €139.20/yr | $3,000/yr | ~22× |
| 200 | €615.60/yr | $12,000/yr | ~19× |
| 500 | €1,234.80/yr | $30,000/yr | ~24× |
| 1000 | €2,138.40/yr | $60,000/yr | ~28× |
| 2000 | €4,298.40/yr | $120,000/yr | ~28× |
CYNC figures are published rates with volume discounts (EUR). CiraSync figures use a widely-reported ~$5/user/month rate (USD) — CiraSync does not publish pricing publicly; actual pricing requires a demo. First 10 users per tenant are free with CYNC.
Why IT admins switch
Six reasons to move from CiraSync to CYNC
Lower cost at scale
At 500 users, CYNC costs ~€122.50/month vs CiraSync's reported ~$2,500/month. The savings compound at scale.
Full data sovereignty
CYNC runs on your server. Contact data flows directly from your server to Microsoft Graph — never through a third-party cloud.
Transparent pricing
No demo required, no "contact sales" gating. See your exact price on our website, purchase instantly, and start syncing in minutes.
10 users free — forever
The first 10 users per tenant are free with no time limit. CiraSync offers no free tier — you pay from user one.
Certificate-based auth
No passwords or OAuth tokens stored anywhere. CYNC authenticates using a certificate in your Windows Certificate Store — the most secure Entra ID auth method.
EWS-free architecture
CYNC is 100% Microsoft Graph API. With EWS deprecated in October 2026, CiraSync's partial EWS dependency is a risk. CYNC has zero EWS exposure.
15-minute migration
Switch in four steps
You don't need to cancel CiraSync first. Install CYNC alongside it, verify, then switch.
Download CYNC
Grab the MSI installer from the download page. Supports silent install (/quiet) for automated deployments.
Register Entra ID app
Create an App Registration in Azure AD with a certificate. CYNC uses certificate-based auth — no passwords to manage.
Configure & sync
Point CYNC at your tenant, select which users to sync, and run the first sync. Existing contacts are detected and correlated automatically.
Verify & cancel CiraSync
Use the free tier (10 users) to verify everything works. Once satisfied, cancel your CiraSync subscription and save immediately.
Common questions
FAQ
- Is CiraSync a bad product?
- No. CiraSync is a mature, well-reviewed solution on AppSource with broad enterprise adoption. It excels at fully managed cloud sync with features like shared mailbox and public folder sync. CYNC targets a different segment: IT teams that prefer on-premise control, need data sovereignty, or find cloud per-user pricing prohibitive.
- Why is CYNC significantly cheaper?
- CYNC is a lightweight Windows Service with no cloud infrastructure. No multi-tenant SaaS platform, no hosted servers processing your data, no sales team. That architectural simplicity means dramatically lower operating costs — savings we pass through as lower prices.
- What features does CiraSync have that CYNC doesn't?
- CiraSync supports shared mailbox contact sync and public folder contact sync — features designed for complex Exchange environments. CYNC focuses exclusively on the core use case: syncing Entra ID user profiles as Exchange Online contacts. If you only need user-to-contact sync, CYNC covers it at a fraction of the cost.
- How hard is it to switch from CiraSync to CYNC?
- CYNC uses Graph Open Extensions for contact correlation, not name matching. On first sync, CYNC detects existing contacts and correlates them automatically. The switch typically takes under 15 minutes: download the MSI, register an Entra ID app with a certificate, configure, and sync.
- Can I try CYNC without cancelling CiraSync first?
- Yes. Install CYNC, use the free tier (up to 10 users) to verify it works for your environment. Once satisfied, cancel your CiraSync subscription. The first 10 users are free forever — no credit card required.
- What about EWS deprecation?
- CYNC has zero EWS dependency — it's built entirely on Microsoft Graph API. CiraSync still uses EWS for certain features. With EWS retiring in October 2026, CYNC is the future-proof choice.
- Does CYNC work with GCC / GCC High tenants?
- CYNC supports any tenant accessible via Microsoft Graph API, including commercial, GCC, and GCC High environments. Configure the appropriate Graph endpoint in appsettings.json.
Ready to switch from CiraSync?
Download CYNC, try the free tier with 10 users, and see the difference. No demo required, no credit card, no sales call.