Cloud Sync Overview
BeeCount supports multiple cloud sync options for flexible and controllable data storage.
Why Cloud Sync?
- Data Backup — Prevent data loss
- Device Migration — Quickly restore on a new device
- Multi-device collaboration — Phone / tablet / Web in real time (BeeCount Cloud)
- Device Switching — Move between devices
Supported Sync Methods
| Method | Best for | Difficulty | Realtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| BeeCount Cloud 🆕 | Multi-device realtime + Web | ⭐⭐ Easy | ✅ Yes |
| iCloud | iOS users | ⭐ Easiest | ⚠️ iOS only |
| Supabase | Free cloud database | ⭐⭐ Easy | ❌ Manual upload/download |
| WebDAV | NAS / self-hosted | ⭐⭐ Easy | ❌ Manual upload/download |
| S3 | Technical users | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | ❌ Manual upload/download |
Data Security
- All data is stored in your own cloud storage
- BeeCount doesn't collect or store any user data
- You can export and migrate data at any time
Recommendations
- Multi-device / family use → BeeCount Cloud self-hosted, phone + Web in seconds
- iOS-only single user → iCloud, zero config
- Don't want to run a server → Supabase, generous free tier
- Have NAS / Jianguoyun → WebDAV
- Prefer object storage → S3 (Cloudflare R2 / AWS S3 / MinIO)
Two sync models
The cloud options fall into two camps — pick based on what you actually need:
Realtime sync (BeeCount Cloud)
Edit a row on A → WebSocket push → B sees it within seconds. No manual action — feels like chat messages arriving.
Snapshot sync (iCloud / Supabase / WebDAV / S3)
Upload your local data as a full snapshot overwriting the cloud copy; new device downloads the full snapshot overwriting local. Good for "single user, mostly one device, occasional device swap".
Snapshot sync does not support simultaneous editing on two devices — the later upload overwrites the earlier one. Steps:
- On the original device: make sure data is uploaded to cloud
- On the new device: clear local ledgers → download from cloud
- Avoid editing on two devices at once, to prevent conflicts
If you need realtime multi-device sync, switch to BeeCount Cloud.
Diff preview (snapshot sync)
iCloud / Supabase / WebDAV / S3 support a diff preview before upload/download:
- Shows added, modified, and deleted transactions row by row
- Selectively sync specific changes
- A guide popup appears on first use
Multi-device toggle (snapshot sync)
If you only use one device, turn off the "Multi-device sync" toggle:
- Me → Cloud Services → disable "Multi-device sync"
- Once off, entering the sync page no longer hits the cloud automatically — less lag, less data
- Trigger manually when you need it