diff --git a/.changeset/silly-needles-applaud.md b/.changeset/silly-needles-applaud.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9589c7e648
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/silly-needles-applaud.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+---
+'xstate': minor
+---
+
+Added support for synchronizers in XState, allowing state persistence and synchronization across different storage mechanisms.
+
+- Introduced `Synchronizer` interface for implementing custom synchronization logic
+- Added `sync` option to `createActor` for attaching synchronizers to actors
+
+```ts
+import { createActor } from 'xstate';
+import { someMachine } from './someMachine';
+import { createLocalStorageSync } from './localStorageSynchronizer';
+
+const actor = createActor(someMachine, {
+  sync: createLocalStorageSync('someKey')
+});
+```
diff --git a/packages/core/src/StateMachine.ts b/packages/core/src/StateMachine.ts
index c4ce523bfb..08a7de2a97 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/StateMachine.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/StateMachine.ts
@@ -471,13 +471,15 @@ export class StateMachine<
       TConfig
     >
   ): void {
-    Object.values(snapshot.children as Record<string, AnyActorRef>).forEach(
-      (child: any) => {
-        if (child.getSnapshot().status === 'active') {
-          child.start();
+    if (snapshot.children) {
+      Object.values(snapshot.children as Record<string, AnyActorRef>).forEach(
+        (child: any) => {
+          if (child.getSnapshot().status === 'active') {
+            child.start();
+          }
         }
-      }
-    );
+      );
+    }
   }
 
   public getStateNodeById(stateId: string): StateNode<TContext, TEvent> {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/createActor.ts b/packages/core/src/createActor.ts
index ebbc9a4ea1..c245b43a3f 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/createActor.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/createActor.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ import type {
   InputFrom,
   IsNotNever,
   Snapshot,
-  SnapshotFrom
+  SnapshotFrom,
+  Synchronizer
 } from './types.ts';
 import {
   ActorOptions,
@@ -119,6 +120,9 @@ export class Actor<TLogic extends AnyActorLogic>
 
   public src: string | AnyActorLogic;
 
+  private _synchronizer?: Synchronizer<any>;
+  private _synchronizerSubscription?: Subscription;
+
   /**
    * Creates a new actor instance for the given logic with the provided options,
    * if any.
@@ -207,7 +211,23 @@ export class Actor<TLogic extends AnyActorLogic>
       this.system._set(systemId, this);
     }
 
-    this._initState(options?.snapshot ?? options?.state);
+    this._synchronizer = options?.sync;
+
+    const initialSnapshot =
+      this._synchronizer?.getSnapshot() ?? options?.snapshot ?? options?.state;
+
+    this._initState(initialSnapshot);
+
+    if (this._synchronizer) {
+      this._synchronizerSubscription = this._synchronizer.subscribe(
+        (rawSnapshot) => {
+          const restoredSnapshot =
+            this.logic.restoreSnapshot?.(rawSnapshot, this._actorScope) ??
+            rawSnapshot;
+          this.update(restoredSnapshot, { type: '@xstate.sync' });
+        }
+      );
+    }
 
     if (systemId && (this._snapshot as any).status !== 'active') {
       this.system._unregister(this);
@@ -263,6 +283,7 @@ export class Actor<TLogic extends AnyActorLogic>
 
     switch ((this._snapshot as any).status) {
       case 'active':
+        this._synchronizer?.setSnapshot(snapshot);
         for (const observer of this.observers) {
           try {
             observer.next?.(snapshot);
@@ -567,6 +588,7 @@ export class Actor<TLogic extends AnyActorLogic>
       return this;
     }
     this.mailbox.clear();
+    this._synchronizerSubscription?.unsubscribe();
     if (this._processingStatus === ProcessingStatus.NotStarted) {
       this._processingStatus = ProcessingStatus.Stopped;
       return this;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/types.ts b/packages/core/src/types.ts
index 624d75c194..f2759590df 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/types.ts
@@ -1884,6 +1884,19 @@ export interface ActorOptions<TLogic extends AnyActorLogic> {
   inspect?:
     | Observer<InspectionEvent>
     | ((inspectionEvent: InspectionEvent) => void);
+
+  sync?: Synchronizer<SnapshotFrom<TLogic>>;
+}
+
+export interface Synchronizer<T> extends Subscribable<T> {
+  /**
+   * Gets the snapshot or undefined
+   *
+   * An undefined snapshot means the synchronizer does not intend to override
+   * the initial or provided snapshot of the actor
+   */
+  getSnapshot(): Snapshot<T> | undefined;
+  setSnapshot(snapshot: T): void;
 }
 
 export type AnyActor = Actor<any>;
diff --git a/packages/core/test/sync.test.ts b/packages/core/test/sync.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..40e6734a2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/test/sync.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+import {
+  createActor,
+  createMachine,
+  Observer,
+  Synchronizer,
+  toObserver,
+  waitFor
+} from '../src';
+
+describe('synchronizers', () => {
+  it('work with a synchronous synchronizer', () => {
+    const snapshotRef = {
+      current: JSON.stringify({ value: 'b', children: {}, status: 'active' })
+    };
+    const pseudoStorage = {
+      getItem: (key: string) => {
+        return JSON.parse(snapshotRef.current);
+      },
+      setItem: (key: string, value: string) => {
+        snapshotRef.current = value;
+      }
+    };
+    const createStorageSync = (key: string): Synchronizer<any> => {
+      const observers = new Set();
+      return {
+        getSnapshot: () => pseudoStorage.getItem(key),
+        setSnapshot: (snapshot) => {
+          pseudoStorage.setItem(key, JSON.stringify(snapshot));
+        },
+        subscribe: (o) => {
+          const observer = toObserver(o);
+
+          const state = pseudoStorage.getItem(key);
+
+          observer.next?.(state);
+
+          observers.add(observer);
+
+          return {
+            unsubscribe: () => {
+              observers.delete(observer);
+            }
+          };
+        }
+      };
+    };
+
+    const machine = createMachine({
+      initial: 'a',
+      states: {
+        a: {},
+        b: {
+          on: {
+            next: 'c'
+          }
+        },
+        c: {}
+      }
+    });
+
+    const actor = createActor(machine, {
+      sync: createStorageSync('test')
+    }).start();
+
+    expect(actor.getSnapshot().value).toBe('b');
+
+    actor.send({ type: 'next' });
+
+    expect(actor.getSnapshot().value).toBe('c');
+
+    expect(pseudoStorage.getItem('test').value).toBe('c');
+  });
+
+  it('work with an asynchronous synchronizer', async () => {
+    let snapshotRef = {
+      current: undefined as any
+    };
+    let onChangeRef = {
+      current: (() => {}) as (value: any) => void
+    };
+    const pseudoStorage = {
+      getItem: async (key: string) => {
+        if (!snapshotRef.current) {
+          return undefined;
+        }
+        return JSON.parse(snapshotRef.current);
+      },
+      setItem: (key: string, value: string, source?: 'sync') => {
+        snapshotRef.current = value;
+
+        if (source !== 'sync') {
+          onChangeRef.current(JSON.parse(value));
+        }
+      },
+      subscribe: (fn: (value: any) => void) => {
+        onChangeRef.current = fn;
+      }
+    };
+
+    const createStorageSync = (key: string): Synchronizer<any> => {
+      const observers = new Set<Observer<any>>();
+
+      pseudoStorage.subscribe((value) => {
+        observers.forEach((observer) => {
+          observer.next?.(value);
+        });
+      });
+
+      const getSnapshot = () => {
+        if (!snapshotRef.current) {
+          return undefined;
+        }
+        return JSON.parse(snapshotRef.current);
+      };
+
+      const storageSync = {
+        getSnapshot,
+        setSnapshot: (snapshot) => {
+          const s = JSON.stringify(snapshot);
+          pseudoStorage.setItem(key, s, 'sync');
+        },
+        subscribe: (o) => {
+          const observer = toObserver(o);
+
+          const state = getSnapshot();
+
+          if (state) {
+            observer.next?.(state);
+          }
+
+          observers.add(observer);
+
+          return {
+            unsubscribe: () => {
+              observers.delete(observer);
+            }
+          };
+        }
+      } satisfies Synchronizer<any>;
+
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        pseudoStorage.setItem(
+          'key',
+          JSON.stringify({ value: 'b', children: {}, status: 'active' })
+        );
+      }, 100);
+
+      return storageSync;
+    };
+
+    const machine = createMachine({
+      initial: 'a',
+      states: {
+        a: {},
+        b: {
+          on: {
+            next: 'c'
+          }
+        },
+        c: {}
+      }
+    });
+
+    const actor = createActor(machine, {
+      sync: createStorageSync('test')
+    }).start();
+
+    expect(actor.getSnapshot().value).toBe('a');
+
+    await waitFor(actor, () => actor.getSnapshot().value === 'b');
+
+    actor.send({ type: 'next' });
+
+    expect(actor.getSnapshot().value).toBe('c');
+  });
+});