Blober vs RcloneView
Overview
Section titled "Overview"RcloneView and Blober are both desktop apps that move files between cloud storage providers and your own drives without routing data through a middleman server. That is where the similarity ends.
RcloneView is a GUI over rclone, made by Bdrive, the company behind NetDrive[1]. It wraps rclone's command line in a visual file manager, so it inherits rclone's strengths (70+ providers, client-side encryption, cloud mounting)[2] and its limits (whatever rclone cannot do, RcloneView cannot do either).
Blober is a purpose-built transfer app with a one-time license, saved workflows, resumable task history, and two capabilities no rclone-based tool has: native GoPro Cloud support and full Google Photos downloads.
Where They Overlap
Section titled "Where They Overlap"For everyday transfers between mainstream providers, both tools cover the same ground:
- Desktop GUI, no terminal required
- Cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-local transfers that run on your machine
- Local credential control, with no SaaS dashboard holding your tokens
- Drag-and-drop, job tracking, and transfer monitoring
If you only move files between Google Drive, Dropbox, and an S3 bucket, either app will do the job. The decision comes down to provider coverage, pricing model, and the edge cases below.
Feature Comparison
Section titled "Feature Comparison"| Feature | Blober | RcloneView |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Native desktop GUI | rclone GUI |
| Provider count | 18 shipped, growing | 70+ (inherits rclone) |
| GoPro Cloud | ✅ Yes (exclusive) | ❌ No |
| Google Photos (full library) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Cloud-to-cloud transfer | ✅ Yes | Yes |
| Local filesystem | ✅ Yes | Yes |
| Mount cloud as a local drive | No | Yes (free) |
| Client-side encryption | Planned | Yes (free, rclone Crypt) |
| Two-way sync | Planned | Yes |
| Job scheduling | No | Yes (subscription) |
| Metadata path templates | ✅ Yes | No |
| Workflow persistence | ✅ Yes, resumable state | Job saving only |
| Background after closing window | Partial (macOS only) | ✅ Yes (system tray) |
| Prevent OS sleep during transfers | ✅ Yes (while app runs) | Not documented |
| Mobile photo backup | No | Yes (subscription) |
| Pricing model | ✅ One-time license | Free core + annual subscription |
| Data path | ✅ Direct | Direct |
GoPro Cloud: Only Blober
Section titled "GoPro Cloud: Only Blober"rclone has no GoPro Cloud backend, so RcloneView cannot connect to GoPro Cloud either. If you shoot with a GoPro and want to move your media from GoPro Cloud to Backblaze B2, AWS S3, Wasabi, or a local NAS, neither rclone nor RcloneView can help.
Blober is the only transfer tool with native GoPro Cloud integration. That makes it the choice for photographers, videographers, and agencies that manage GoPro media libraries.
Google Photos: rclone's Limits Apply to RcloneView
Section titled "Google Photos: rclone's Limits Apply to RcloneView"RcloneView lists Google Photos among its providers, but it relies on rclone's Google Photos backend. That backend carries real limits, documented by rclone[3]:
- Since March 31, 2025, rclone can only download photos it uploaded itself. Your pre-existing Google Photos library is off limits.
- rclone's shared Google Photos client ID is being retired during 2026, so users must create and maintain their own Google Cloud app to keep it working.
- Downloading full-resolution originals requires a separate headless-browser proxy tool.
Blober connects directly to Google Photos and downloads your entire library at original quality, no Takeout export required. For anyone moving years of photos out of Google Photos, this is the deciding factor.
Workflow Persistence and Resume
Section titled "Workflow Persistence and Resume"This is where the two differ most in daily use. RcloneView saves jobs, a real improvement over raw rclone, and by default it keeps running in the system tray when you close its window, so transfers continue in the background.
Blober has jobs and tasks too, but it also saves the whole transfer as a reusable workflow: source, destination, filters, and path templates, all in one configuration you rerun with a single click. Rerun it any time. An interrupted transfer resumes from stored state, skipping files it already finished, instead of starting over. Blober also keeps the operating system from sleeping while the app runs, so a long transfer is not cut off when the machine would otherwise doze off.
For long-running moves over unreliable connections, or media archives with tens of thousands of files, that is the difference between babysitting a transfer and walking away.
Metadata Path Templates
Section titled "Metadata Path Templates"Blober can organize files as it copies them. Path templates build the destination folder from file metadata: created date, file name, size, or extension. A year of camera uploads can land in /2026/08/GOPRxxxx.mp4 automatically, instead of one flat folder.
RcloneView writes to the folder you choose, and building that structure means scripting it yourself in every job.
Where RcloneView Fits Better
Section titled "Where RcloneView Fits Better"To be fair, RcloneView wins in several areas. Choose it if you:
- Need a provider Blober has not shipped yet (rclone covers 70+)
- Want to mount cloud storage as a local drive
- Want transfers to keep running in the system tray after you close the window
- Need two-way sync, scheduling, or a mobile photo backup app
- Prefer a free tool for occasional transfers
- Already rely on rclone configs, daemons, or the rclone ecosystem
Frequently Asked Questions
Section titled "Frequently Asked Questions"Is RcloneView just a GUI for rclone?
Yes. RcloneView is a GUI front-end built around rclone, so it inherits what rclone supports and what it lacks[4]. It can mount cloud storage and apply rclone's encryption, but it cannot add providers rclone has no backend for, such as GoPro Cloud.
Can RcloneView download my Google Photos?
Only photos rclone uploaded itself. Since March 31, 2025, rclone's Google Photos backend cannot download media it did not upload, so a pre-existing library is out of reach without Google Takeout. Blober connects directly to Google Photos and downloads the whole library at original quality.
Is RcloneView free?
RcloneView is freemium. The free tier covers browsing, transfers, mounting, and encryption, and a paid subscription unlocks scheduling, mobile backup, and multi-window support[5]. Blober is a one-time purchase with no subscription.
Does RcloneView keep running when I close the window?
Yes. Closing the window hides RcloneView to the system tray and transfers keep running in the background. Blober handles that differently: instead of hiding in the tray, it keeps the operating system from sleeping while the app runs and resumes an interrupted transfer from stored state.
Can either tool move GoPro Cloud footage?
No rclone-based tool can, because rclone has no GoPro Cloud backend. Blober is the only transfer tool with native GoPro Cloud integration.
What is a Blober workflow?
A workflow is the whole transfer saved as one reusable configuration: source, destination, filters, and path templates. Rerun it with one click, reuse it after an interruption, and pick up from stored state.
When Blober Makes More Sense
Section titled "When Blober Makes More Sense"Choose Blober if you:
- Need GoPro Cloud support (only Blober has it)
- Want to download your full Google Photos library without Takeout
- Transfer large volumes on a one-time license, not a recurring subscription
- Value resumable workflows and metadata-based organization
- Care about data sovereignty, with no third-party servers touching your files
For a closer look at the same tradeoffs against the raw CLI, read Blober vs rclone.