Best cloud backup services: Protect your data from hardware failures and natural disasters. The best cloud backup Software may save you time and money by preventing data loss. Each of these services automatically uploads data from your computer (or several PCs) to cloud storage servers located around the world and accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
Because you can’t always rely on local backup devices to secure your data, cloud backup services, even if you have an external backup drive connected to your PC or a stand-alone backup device on your home network, a flood, fire, or theft might wipe out all your data, leaving you with nothing.
As a result, many large corporations, as well as small organisations, rely on “off-site” backups to reduce the risk of physical calamities. Consumers may have the same peace of mind with cloud backup services. More on the advantages of cloud services over external hard drives as backup alternatives may be found here.
Acronis Cyber Safeguard Home Office/True Image, Backblaze, Carbonite Safe, CrashPlan for Small Business, IDrive Personal, and SpiderOak One are all cloud backup services that employ industry-standard encryption on their own servers to protect your data. They all allow you to encrypt your information with your own private key. However, if you lose that key, the service will not be able to assist you in restoring your data, so keep it secure.
Which are the Best cloud backup services?
IDrive ($3.98 for the first year for Tom’s Guide readers) is our Editor’s Choice based on our testing. For a low charge, it backs up an infinite number of PCs, Macs, cellphones, and tablets. If you have numerous computers and phones, IDrive is the best option.
Backblaze, our budget selection, offers unlimited storage for just $70 per year but only backs up one PC (and an external drive) per subscription. If you only have one Mac or PC and don’t want to bother with the intricacies, this is the best cloud backup service.
Check out our comparison of IDrive vs. Backblaze for additional information on which option is best for you. Acronis is best for power users, with a bevvy of handy options. It’s a little technical and it may grow pricey for the ordinary home computer user, but it provides you with more possibilities than you might imagine.
CrashPlan for Small Business isn’t intended for home users, and it costs $10 per computer each month. You’ll get an unlimited amount of cloud backup storage, as well as a variety of security and scheduling settings and lightning-fast speeds. You won’t receive backups for mobile devices or disc shipments, and CrashPlan’s networked-drive backups won’t operate on Windows.
SpiderOak is known for its security, encrypting your data using a one-of-a-kind key that only you have access to. Do not misplace it. Subscriptions to SpiderOak are expensive, so use it only if keeping your data safe from prying eyes is your top priority.
Carbonite was formerly associated with cloud-backup software, and its feature set remains extensive. Its consumer products appear to be reasonable, but read the tiny print: You’ll have to pay more to receive the same quality of service as iDrive or Backblaze.
6 Best Cloud Backup Service available right now
Checkout best cloud backup services for you for 2023.
1. IDrive Personal
SPECIFICATIONS
- The number of gadgets is limitless.
- The maximum storage capacity is 10 TB.
- Backups to external drives are possible.
- Backups of mobile devices are possible.
- Backups of the operating system and applications are available, although they are not enabled by default.
- Yes, two-factor authentication is available by email.
- Drive shipping: plant and replant
The Best Offers of the Day
- $3.98 FOR 10TB
Reasons to purchase
- Data-transfer option with free disc shipment
- Extremely fast upload speeds
- It provides backup for mobile devices.
- Option for a lot of synchronising
Reasons to Stay Away
- There is no option for limitless storage.
IDrive gives you the most bang for your buck, allowing you to back up an unlimited number of computers to a 5TB or 10TB limit ($3.98 for the first year for Tom’s Guide readers (opens in a new tab)), which should be plenty for most people. Our Editor’s Choice for the best cloud backup service is this one.
IDrive’s upload rates are quick, its mobile applications back up the devices they run on (and detect faces in photographs for easy tagging), it has a large file-syncing option, and it even allows you to send in an entire drive rather than downloading data for days.
IDrive also maintains previous copies of each file for indefinite periods of time, which is useful, but keep in mind the storage limits. It also includes two-factor authentication, which is a must-have feature for any online service provider.
2. Backblaze
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage capacity: indefinite
- Backups to external drives are possible.
- Backups of mobile devices are not available.
- Backups of the operating system and applications are not available.
- Yes, two-factor authentication is required.
- Only restore if you’re shipping by car.
The Best Offers of the Day
Reasons to purchase
- It is cheap, quick, easy, and straightforward.
- Infinite storage space
- A generous drive-shipping policy is in place.
Reasons to Stay Away
- There are no plans for numerous computers.
- It’s possible that mobile apps might be improved.
Despite a recent price increase, Backblaze is one of the cheapest cloud-backup providers, gigabyte for gigabyte. It’s the simplest to use—you can just set Backblaze and forget about it.
The substantial restore-by-mail function and the fast upload rates are also appealing. Backblaze even allows you to track down a missing or stolen computer by geolocating the Wi-Fi network it uses.
Backblaze, on the other hand, is falling behind as competitors add capabilities like cloud synchronisation, file sharing, and networked disc backups. Unless you have practically infinite storage demands, it’s also not appropriate for somebody who has many devices to back up. In such instances, the expense of backing up each system on an annual basis may be worth more than numerous Backblaze memberships.
3. Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office
SPECIFICATIONS
- Up to five PCs and an infinite number of mobile devices are allowed.
- Storage capacity of 5TB
- Backups to external drives are possible.
- Backups of mobile devices are possible.
- Backups of the operating system and applications are available.
- No, there is no two-factor authentication.
- No, shipping by car is not an option.
The Best Offers of the Day
- Advanced True Image:
- US $69.99/year
- The Standard for True Images
- US $49.99/year
- True Image Premium
- US $124.99/year
Reasons to purchase
- Extensive, powerful, and one-of-a-kind feature set.
- extremely little influence on system performance.
- user interface that is both modern and intuitive.
Reasons to Stay Away
- Can be prohibitively expensive due to complex pricing.
- Many of the functions are unnecessary for home users.
With a fantastic desktop application and an incredible number of backup and security choices, Acronis True Image, newly renamed as Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office, may be the most robust and adaptable online-backup solution available.
It supports backups to mobile devices, external drives, and social media accounts, as well as syncing and sharing. It will upload to the cloud an image of your primary hard drive, including all apps, the operating system, and other data. Antivirus software, ransomware protection, a vulnerability scanner, and a bootable file recovery tool are all included.
Acronis, on the other hand, might be the most aggravating of the best cloud backup services, with fees that quickly rise as you add devices and capacity, as well as poor online and mobile interfaces. However, if you’re a power user or looking for antivirus software, this could be the best alternative.
4. CrashPlan for Small Business
SPECIFICATIONS
- The number of devices is unlimited, and each unit is charged separately.
- Storage capacity: indefinite
- Backups to external drives are possible.
- Backups of mobile devices are not available.
- Backups of the operating system and applications are possible, but not advised.
- Yes, two-factor authentication is required.
- No, shipping by car is not an option.
The Best Offers of the Day
Reasons to purchase
- Infinite storage space
- Extremely fast upload and download speeds
- A plethora of security and scheduling settings are available.
Reasons to Stay Away
- Relatively costly
- During backups, resource-hungry
CrashPlan was the best consumer cloud backup service until it went out of business in 2017. Its small-business plan keeps the service’s lightning-fast upload and download speeds while also adding business-friendly features like support for Red Hat and Ubuntu Linux and unlimited (if desired) file version preservation.
Almost everything, including backup frequency, deleted file retention, account security, and where to retrieve recovered data, is adjustable. CrashPlan backs up Linux/macOS-formatted networked discs and allows full-drive-image backups to local drives. And if you’re prepared to pay $10 per month per computer, you get limitless backup space for infinite devices.
The consumer-friendly elements that make CrashPlan for Homes so enticing, such as disc shipment and mobile-device backups, will be absent. The smartphone applications are secure, but they’re very basic. CrashPlan for Small Business uses a lot of system resources during backups, but you may decrease this by changing the application settings.
5. SpiderOak One
SPECIFICATIONS
- The number of gadgets is limitless.
- Storage capacity of 5TB
- Backups to external drives are possible.
- Backups of mobile devices are not available.
- Backups of the operating system and applications are available, although they are not enabled by default.
- Only legacy users require two-factor authentication.
- No, shipping by car is not an option.
The Best Offers of the Day
- Backup SpiderOak One
- US $6/mth
- Backup SpiderOak One
- US $11/mth
- SpiderOak One Backup 2 TB
- US $14/mth
Reasons to purchase
- It backs up an infinite number of devices.
- Excellent sharing and synchronisation capabilities.
- Pay attention to security.
Reasons to Stay Away
- Difficulty learning curve
- A clogged and perplexing user interface
SpiderOak was the first online storage (or online-syncing) service to ensure that each client has their own personal encryption key.
Most other cloud storage services now do the same thing, but SpiderOak also includes robust file-sharing and -syncing capabilities, as well as support for an unlimited number of workstations and, if you insist, system files and applications backups.
Despite this, SpiderOak’s storage space cost is so expensive that it competes with Dropbox rather than IDrive. While its file-restoration speed was incredible, its upload speed was sluggish at first.
6. Carbonite Safe
SPECIFICATIONS
- A number of devices: Up to 5 PCs, each with its own pricing.
- Storage capacity: indefinite
- Backups to an external hard drive are available with the Plus or Prime subscriptions.
- Backups of mobile devices are not available.
- Backups of the operating system and applications are not available.
- Yes, two-factor authentication is required.
- Only restore if you’re shipping by car.
The Best Offers of the Day
- Carbonite Residence
- US $6/mth
- The Business of Carbonite
- US $24/mth
- SAFE BASIC SUBSCRIPTION WITH CARBONITE FOR ONE YEAR
- US $59.99/year
Reasons to purchase
- Infinite storage space
- User-friendly backup-flagging system
Reasons to Stay Away
- Additional fees apply to desirable features.
- Extremely slow upload speeds
- Apps for mobile devices are no longer accessible.
Carbonite has a limitless capacity, which is a wonderful feature to have in a cloud backup service. It also features a simple user interface that displays whether files have been backed up completely, partially or not.
However, you should check the tiny print because Carbonite’s basic price tier does not automatically back up huge files, external devices, or any type of video file. You’ll have to upgrade to the Plus or Premium plans to acquire those capabilities, which are identical to IDrive or Backblaze’s basic plans but cost significantly more. (Carbonite’s prices have been temporarily lowered by 30%, putting them closer to those of its competitors.)
A single account can host many computers, but there is no bulk discount; each extra machine costs the same as the first. The upload speed is sluggish. Carbonite’s popular mobile applications are also no longer available, with no indication of when they will be available again.
How can we determine which cloud backup services are the best?
Storage prices, simplicity of file restoration, computer resource usage (opens in new tab), unique features, and ease of use and installation were all taken into account. Upload speed is particularly important since, while your initial backup takes only a few minutes, a backup of several hundred gigabytes might take days or even weeks.
Online backup services that allow you to mail in a hard drive full of data to start the process or send you one to restore your data get additional points.
On a 2017 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro (opens in a new tab) booted into Windows 10, we tested and evaluated. Mobile apps were tested on a Google Pixel XL 2 running Android 8.1 Oreo. We used GlassWire to track data transfer speeds on the MacBook as well as Windows’ built-in Resource Monitor to track CPU consumption.
Before the following test, each cloud backup service was evaluated separately and then removed from both devices. There were 16.8GB of documents, images, movies, and music in the test set of data to back up. We uploaded the data to the cloud servers of each service and then restored a 1.12 GB subset of the information to the laptop.
In the testing set, which was a residence in Middleton, Wisconsin, TDS Telecom Extreme 300 Fiber internet service was used in the testing. According to Speedtest.net, internet speeds during testing averaged 280 megabits per second (Mbps) down and 120 Mbps up.
Online archiving vs. online backup vs. online syncing
Online-syncing services like Dropbox (opens in new tab), Google Drive, iCloud (opens in new tab), and OneDrive are not the same as cloud-backup services (opens in new tab).
The software of an online-syncing service produces a cloud-based mirror of a group of files or folders on your device and pushes out identical copies of those files to all of your linked devices so that you can access them right away. Consider the synchronising service to be the centre of a spoked wheel, with all of your connected devices at the spokes’ extremities.
Cloud backup services are more user-friendly. They copy all or most of the files and folders on your computer to their own cloud servers on a regular or monthly basis. An online backup service, as opposed to a file-syncing service, would look like a straight line connecting your machine(s) and the cloud server.
Your data is stored on external backup servers until you require it, which hopefully will never be. Most cloud-backup services provide large quantities of storage for a monthly charge that is far less than an online-syncing service, gigabyte for gigabyte.
Cloud-archiving services like Box or Google Cloud are the cheapest of all. These let you send data to web servers that you don’t need right now, freeing up space on your hard drive.
Cloud-archiving services may be dirt-cheap, with monthly fees as low as a few cents per gigabyte, but there’s usually a charge to download data again. (It’s assumed that you’ll never need to download the entire archive.) Backblaze offers its own B2 cloud storage service, which is quite inexpensive.
