How each one works
The sync client keeps a local folder identical to the server. Files live on your disk; changes travel in both directions in the background. With the virtual-files option the client shows placeholders and downloads a file when you open it.
A network drive shows the server's folders under a drive letter. Nothing is stored locally except a cache; what you see is what is on the server at that moment, and saving a file writes it to the server.
Side by side
| Sync client | Network drive (Pier) | |
|---|---|---|
| Disk space used | Everything you sync; placeholders with virtual files | Only the cache, capped at the size you set |
| Works offline | Yes, for synced files | For cached files, in offline mode |
| Sees the whole server | Only chosen folders | Yes, everything the account can access |
| Very large folders | Initial sync can take hours | Nothing to sync; browse immediately |
| Conflicts | Conflict copies when two sides change a file | One copy — the server's |
| Shared computer | One sync folder per Windows user | One drive for every user of the machine |
| Programs that need a drive letter or a fixed path | Path differs per user profile | Same letter and path everywhere |
Choose sync when
- You work on a laptop that is often offline, with a known set of folders.
- You want changes made offline to merge back automatically.
- The data fits comfortably on the local disk.
Choose a drive when
- The server holds far more than the local disk can — media archives, project stores, scans.
- Several people use the same PC or a terminal server and should see the same path.
- Software expects a drive letter: accounting packages, CAD libraries, backup tools, scripts.
- You need access to everything occasionally rather than to a few folders constantly.
- You must not leave copies of the data on the device.
Using both
The two do not interfere: sync your active working folder with the desktop client and mount the rest of the server as a drive for occasional access. Avoid one mistake — do not point the sync client's local folder at the mounted drive, or every file will travel to the server twice.
Mounting Nextcloud properly
The WebDAV client built into Windows can map Nextcloud, but it stops at 4 GB per file, restarts failed uploads and keeps no cache — see Windows WebDAV problems and how to fix them. Pier was written for this job: Nextcloud chunked uploads, a block cache, resumable transfers, an offline mode and automatic reconnects. The steps are in Mount Nextcloud as a network drive in Windows.