According to the latest update, mechanical failure, acts of malice, or natural disasters are serious threats to the data you have stored on your PC. Online backup is your protection against any physical disaster that might befall your computer or local storage devices.
Industry observers note that the “backup rule of three,” which includes an offsite copy, exists for a reason. While I always recommend keeping a local backup for quick restores (see our roundup of the best Windows backup programs for desktop solutions), uploading your data to a cloud backup service is a reliable way to cover your bases.
Industry observers note that best online storage for smaller data sets.
The report highlights that the primary concern here is backup, but I do discuss other roles that a service can fulfill, such as document viewing and editing, file sharing, multiple-device support, and emergency-restore options. The good news for consumers is that there are a multitude of affordable and convenient online backup options, many offering unique selling points.
The report highlights that on a bit of a side note, there are some very affordable 1TB storage options available with Easeus ToDo Backup and Aomei Backupper.
The report highlights that those are more accurately defined as synced cloud storage. Besides typically lacking a desktop client, and offering limited, if any, automatic backup functionality, online storage syncing involves mirroring — where any deletions or changes are reflected on the other end. Online backup uses versioning, so older data is retained — an important failsafe capability. Note: There’s a good reason why you won’t see familiar names like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox on this list.
According to the latest update, our reviewers have been testing PC devices, programs, and services for decades. Our backup evaluations are thorough and rigorous, testing the promises and limitations of every product — from performance to the practicalities of regular use. As PC users ourselves, we know what makes a product stand out. Only the best online backup services make this list. Why you should trust PCWorld for online backup reviews and buying advice: It’s in our name, PCWorld.
In a fresh development, easeUS Todo Backup – Cloud backup programs.
The report highlights that with free cloud storage space, you’ll always have an extra copy of any files stored securely in the cloud. Security Zone protects vital data from ransomware in real-time. EaseUS Todo Backup covers everything you need for backups, with great functions and fair pricing.
As part of the ongoing story, it remains the most comprehensive online backup service I’ve tested. Though it’s not the cheapest, it’s still competitive price-wise and offers backup clients for nearly every PC/device operating system. The publisher also provides additional storage for syncing all your devices and PCs, allows sharing of files with anyone, has the ability to back up to a local drive, and supports basic imaging and disaster recovery. IDrive will satisfy most any user.
Industry observers note that besides the free 10GB tier, there’s a Personal plan that starts at 5TB/$69.65 for the first year (or $149.25 for two years), and $99.50 each year after, covering one user and multiple devices. Since our last review, iDrive has expanded its backup offerings to cover a variety of personal and team needs.
As part of the ongoing story, there are also Team plans that cover multiple users and multiple computers. Additional Personal tiers offer 10TB, 20TB, 50TB, and 100TB options, though of course with significant price increases.
According to the latest update, read our full.
As part of the ongoing story, iDrive Online Cloud Backup review.
Industry observers note that that’s really no surprise, as Livedrive’s elegant setup, ease of use, and reliability are the very things (along with unlimited storage) that made it one of my top picks for online backup over the last several years. There’s something very reassuring about using a product that is artfully designed and executed. In my most recent look at Livedrive, I reviewer summed up the service up with one word: smooth.
According to the latest update, yes, Backblaze and Carbonite also offer unlimited storage, and are strong services in their own right, but there are caveats for both that push the highly polished Livedrive client ahead of them in my book. But Livedrive should be of particular interest to anyone who wants the benefit of unlimited storage — the service’s real value proposition.
In a fresh development, a Pro Suite that covers five machines is $284 per year. Currently, the standard Backup plan for one PC is approximately $124 per year (being a UK-based publisher, prices are listed in pounds and the conversion to dollars will fluctuate).
The report highlights that despite the servers being located “across the pond,” I experienced a brisk 5- to 10MBps upload rate from our base in San Francisco, CA, which should stave off any bandwidth worries for U.S.-based customers.
According to the latest update, read our full.
According to the latest update, livedrive online backup review.
As part of the ongoing story, in case you hadn’t noticed, most services have upped the price of admission recently. Case in point: OneDrive went from $70 to $120. OpenDrive offers a 500GB plan for $50 a year — which will cover a lot of users, and is just about the most affordable 1TB service these days at $60.
Industry observers note that a lot of services offer a super affordable first year that turns not so affordable after that. And OpenDrive’s plans are full boat.
The report highlights that the backup job is true backup where files are never overwritten. OpenDrive is also one of the most solid experiences I’ve had when it comes to operations and reliability. While the service doesn’t offer anything particularly fancy, there is both a local virtual drive à la Dropbox, etc and a client for backup jobs.
The report highlights that a few more functions and it could end up at the top of this list. OpenDrive was also a very close contender for best online backup overall.
According to the latest update, why? $199 for 500GB forever ($59.88 yearly), or $399 for 2TB forever ($119.88 yearly). With many 1TB plans costing $80 to $100 or more a year (OneDrive is now $100), you’ll be saving money after only a few years. For those desiring a capability-packed online backup solution that’s insanely affordable over time, pCloud is our current pick.
In a fresh development, that’s a very handy end-user capability. As are the phone apps to back up your photos, etc. Aside from an absurdly affordable 1TB plan, pCloud’s other neat trick is backing up from your other online accounts: Google Drive, OneDrive, Drop Box, and even Facebook.
The report highlights that a lifetime plan is only good while the publisher exists, but the Swiss-based firm has been around since 2013, so we expect continued solvency. Note that this is our standard caveat for any online storage/backup service offering lifetime plans. PCloud’s backup is actually two-way sync, but revisions are maintained for 30-days.
Industry observers note that there are also S3-compatible services that are very affordable if all you want to do with your online storage is to back up to it. Note that OpenDrive (listed above), and Nordlocker vied for best budget distinction.
As part of the ongoing story, anyone who leverages multiple storage services for backup will be interested in Arq 7, which allows you to create multiple jobs under one roof to upload and download from the majority of them.
According to the latest update, supported services include Amazon, Google Drive and Cloud, OneDrive, Dropbox, BackBlaze B2, SFTP, S3-compatibles, some less known vendors such as pCloud, and more.
Industry observers note that it’s also rather spartan; if you’re looking for bling, forget it. The Arq 7 interface is easy-to-use and navigate, which is a huge boon considering how intimidating backing up to multiple services can be for fresh users.
The report highlights that there are no perquisites such as partition or drive-image backups, cloning, recovery via boot media, such as those offered by iDrive. Not even sync is supported. My only minor quibble with Arq 7 is that it’s a bit of a one-trick pony — only backing up.
The report highlights that with Arq’s own storage, it’s still only $6 a month, or $60 yearly for 1TB and five users. If you only want to leverage your own existing online storage services, Arq 7 is available as a $49 standalone client with a perpetual license.
In a fresh development, still, backup is by far the most important task and Arq 7 does an excellent job of consolidating data to or from multiple online storage services.
According to the latest update, read our full.
According to the latest update, arq 7 Backup review.
In a fresh development, that’s 5GB more for free than with our former pick, Sync.com. The Icedrive web interface is both an attractive and easy to navigate, as is the client programs (Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, and Android). Said client programs offers the same sync functions for free accounts as it does for paid tiers, which gives it a leg up over the free tiers of many other services. Icedrive offers both a free 10GB service and paid tiers.
According to the latest update, there’s also a local virtual drive à la Dropbox, Google Drive, and others.
As part of the ongoing story, plus, you can always upgrade to a paid tier for more storage as needed. While 10GB of storage isn’t enough for power users or businesses, if you’re simply looking to keep documents online with the ability to sync them across multiple devices for free, Icedrive is a reliable service with an excellent client.
Industry observers note that annually, Icedrive is $29 for 2TB (discounted from $99), $49 for 4TB (discounted from $159), and $99 for 6TB (marked down from $269). Most users will be best off with the 2TB plan which is quite competitive. That might not be as pricey as you’d think, though the discounted prices on the site are for the first year only.
In a fresh development, note that those discounted prices are for the first year only, reverting to full boat after that.
According to the latest update, read our full.
The report highlights that icedrive online storage review.
According to the latest update, the following are reviews of such hybrid offerings:. Typically, we separate our reviews of cloud backup services from local backup programs (as seen in our best Windows backup programs roundup.) But those lines have been blurred with backup programs that includes support for cloud backup and storage.
The report highlights that even local backup programs that doesn’t offer a formal cloud component can be made to incorporate the most widely used online storage services, using a cloud storage manager.
According to the latest update, the good news is that you have lots of options for putting together a comprehensive backup strategy including local and remote copies of all your data!
According to the latest update, we installed the programs and backed up the same 2GB data set to check for any major issues or glitches in the client programs. These are noted in the reviews. As noted above, the performance of online backup services will vary wildly according to their location and the network equipment between you and the data depository.
The report highlights that see our article on how PCWorld tests cloud backup services for all the details.
According to the latest update, he has witnessed data storage morph from punch cards and tape to solid state drives. He’s been using and testing HDDs, SATA SSDs, and NVMe SSDs for PCWorld for well over two decades. That necessarily includes the programs and services that support data storage. To paraphrase a well-known commercial, you might say he’s seen a thing or two. Jon Jacobi has been dabbling in the computing arts since the days when that required flipping switches.
Industry observers note that familiarizing yourself with the following key areas can help you find the cloud backup service that best meets your needs. Cloud backup has unique considerations.
The report highlights that some services keep multiple versions of files, some don’t. In many cases there’s a time limit. Obviously, you’ll need as much storage as you have data, plus a little, or possibly a lot, more if you want to track changes and save previous versions of files — if that’s supported.
In a fresh development, uploads are free, but downloads may be limited. In some cases, there are upload and download charges. Read the fine print. Nearly all online services charge differently depending on amount of storage involved.
Industry observers note that aside from the free tiers available from a service like Dropbox, pricing is fairly consistent across services, though you definitely get more capacity for your money from some vendors.
As part of the ongoing story, if you do intend to work online, we recommend that you maintain a local copy as far-more-quickly-restored backup, as well as a hedge against Internet downtime. As we mentioned previously, in addition to backup, you may want to share your files with others, work with them from mobile devices, or even edit them with office applications such as those available with Dropbox, Google, and OneDrive.
In a fresh development, make sure the service you sign up for supports your entire panoply of computers and devices. Most services provide client backup programs for the major operating systems (Linux, OS X, and Windows) and both Android and iOS.
Industry observers note that do NOT lose it, as it is absolutely required to restore your data. Sadly, using your own key often limits the types of services (e.g., no mobile backup) available. If you’re concerned about the privacy of your data, make sure you use a service that allows the use of a personal encryption key that you define.
The report highlights that if private encryption keys aren’t available, read the privacy policy, especially with the free services—there are significant differences.
Industry observers note that with honorable mentions to Livedrive for unlimited storage, and Sync.com for free storage with real backup functions. When it comes to the sheer volume of functions, iDrive is the pick of the online backup litter.
The report highlights that icedrive in its 10GB free incarnation is PCWorld’s top pick for small amounts of data, with 5GB Sync.com next in freebie line. If you’re wondering why no OneDrive, Google Drive, etc. It’s because they don’t offer backup functions. Dropbox now offers a backup function (beta), so that’s another runner-up. Just avoid the Teams version of Dropbox Backup, which moves data before actually backing it up. Much of the “cheap” equation depends on how much storage you need.
In a fresh development, for up to 1TB of storage, the lifetime deal of $199 from pCloud is hard to beat.
The report highlights that availability (hopefully 24/7) can also be important. Check for news of outages and the vendor’s own service blogs. All the services we’re aware of have been near-100 percent reliable. Generally speaking, data centers are backed up to the hilt, and some of the larger ones even back up to different geographical locations.
Industry observers note that check the location of the service’s data servers if speed is important to you. Or, just give the trial a whirl and see if you can live with it. Speed in most cases these days is far more dependent upon the speed of your broadband connection than that of the online service, though the geographical location of the storage and the equipment in between can make a significant difference.
As part of the ongoing story, this is especially true if you are working on an important project or have data that you absolutely cannot afford to lose. It’s a good idea to automate the backup process and have the cloud service back up your data every hour or so. You might also consider real time (as files are changed), or continuous (more granular scheduling such as every 5 minutes.). Ideally, you should back up your data as often as possible.
According to the latest update, a user must place their files onto the service’s cloud manually. Services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive are considered cloud storage services because they don’t offer local backup clients, but sync via a local virtual drive or web interface.
According to the latest update, cloud backup service providers may also offer additional data security measures such as end-to-end encryption. A cloud backup service provides a desktop client with either versioning or retention of all the files you’ve backed up.
In a fresh development, all cloud backup services offer encryption of your data both during the transfer to and from your computer as well as while your data is stored on the provider’s servers. Yes!
Industry observers note that generally speaking, while not infallible, cloud backup services are one of the most secure options for storing your data. While this encryption stops others from being able to view your data, it doesn’t necessarily stop them from stealing it.
According to the latest update, all devices will likely experience technical issues over time and oftentimes this leads to your data being lost from that device. So you should do regular backups of everything that is important to you. However, backup services typically offer more storage than most people can use, so it’s never a bad idea to safely store all of your data in case of emergency. You should at least back up all data that you can’t stand to lose.
The report highlights that the change can be made in any repository and will propagate to the others. That includes the source, the online storage, and any devices linked to the account. Though there can be variations such as one-way and mirroring, sync is generally thought of as any change (deletions included) to a data set reflected on all the data repositories involved in the sync.
According to the latest update, in practice, however, vendors may use what’s known as versioning, i.e. Retaining older copies of files while using the most recent version as the file shown in the backup. The effect is largely the same as incremental backup and requires a lot less time and space. Backup, on the other hand, should be an immutable copy of your source data from a point of time.
Industry observers note that this isn’t true backup, but simply a safer version of sync that allows vendors to reclaim space after a period of time. The good news? Most users won’t really need those older files. For those that do, be careful which service you choose. Alas, when versioning or even plain backup are involved, there may be limits on how long older versions and deleted files are retained.