Technology
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Online backup is an essential hedge against physical data disaster. No matter if it’s a technical failure, an act of malice, or an act of nature, you never know when all the files and folders you have stored on your PC will be threatened.
While we always recommend keeping a local backup for quick restores (see our roundup of the best Windows backup software for desktop solutions), uploading your data to an online backup service can be a reliable way to cover your bases. After all, the “backup rule of three” exists for a reason.
The good news for consumers is that there are many commendable options, each offering unique selling points. Our primary concern here is backup, but we do note other roles that a service can fulfill, such as sharing capabilities, multi-device support, and emergency-restore options.
Why you should trust us: It’s in our name, PCWorld. Our reviewers have been testing PC hardware, software, 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. For more about our testing process, scroll to the bottom of this article.
You might wonder why you don’t see services like Google Drive, One Drive, or Dropbox here. Those are more accurately defined as 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. While online backup uses versioning, so older data is retained — an important failsafe.
Updated September 10, 2024: Our review of Zinstall FullBack is yet another example of how Windows backup software is adopting some of the features that make cloud backup services so appealing. Besides offering multiple destinations for backup, including online storage, Zinstall FullBack is unique in also offering full migration of data and apps to a new OS. It’s a nifty idea, albeit a bit complicated and pricey.
PROMOTION
EaseUS Todo Backup – Cloud backup software
EaseUS Todo Backup covers everything you need for backups, with great features and fair pricing. 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.
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iDrive Online Cloud Backup – Best cloud backup overall
Pros
- Online and local backup in the same job
- Supports multiple PCs and devices on the same account
Cons
- One of the pricier services, beyond the free version, though justifiably so
Price When Reviewed:
$79.50
Just as when we originally reviewed all the major online backup services, iDrive remains the most comprehensive online backup service. And though it’s not the cheapest, it’s still affordable and comes with backup clients for nearly every PC and device. The company also provides additional storage for syncing all your devices and PCs, allows sharing of files with anyone, and has the ability to back up to a local drive.
Since our review, iDrive has expanded its backup offerings to cover a variety of personal and team needs. Besides a very spare 10GB free tier, there’s a Mini tier that offers up to 500GB for $9.95 a year, a Personal plan that starts at 5TB for $69.95 the first year (or $149.25 for two years), and $99.50 each year after, covering one user and multiple devices.
Additional Personal tiers offer 10TB, 20TB, and 50TB options, with associated price increases. There are also Team plans that cover multiple users and multiple computers, at various storage capacities and different price steps.
Read our full
Online Cloud Backup review
Livedrive – Best for unlimited storage
Pros
- Flawless setup and client interface
- Good performance
- Syncing briefcase
Cons
- More expensive than most
Price When Reviewed:
$107.31 (£69.90) / year
If you don’t mind paying a premium for your online backup, Livedrive will reward your investment with its elegant setup, minimalist interface, and superb operation. There’s something to be said for how reassuring it can be to use a product that is artfully designed and executed. That is especially true for an online backup service.
The offering is made even more sweet with the addition of unlimited storage. The standard Backup plan for one PC is approximately $89 for the first year and $107 per year after that (being a UK-based company, prices are listed at £69.90 and £83.88, respectively); a Pro Suite that covers five machines is $204 for first year and $245.49 for subsequent years.
Despite the servers being located “across the pond,” we experienced a brisk 50- to 60MBps upload rate from our base in San Francisco, CA, which should reassure U.S.-based customers.
Yes, Backblaze and Carbonite also offer unlimited storage, and are strong services in their own right, but there are caveats to both that push the highly polished Livedrive client ahead.
Read our full
Livedrive online backup review
Internxt Drive – Best budget backup
Pros
- Online storage, sync, and backup
- Fantastically affordable lifetime plans
- Extremely secure and private
- Free 2TB account
Cons
- Could use better help and task feedback
- Occasional connection errors
Price When Reviewed:
Free for 2GB, $108 per year for 2TB
What if you want a straightforward storage and backup option that costs next to nothing and still provides backup features and a ton of storage? Internxt offers a 200GB storage plan for under $4 per month or you can opt for the lifetime 2TB plan for a one time payment of $149—that’s 2TB of cloud storage and backup forever.
Another great perk is that all of Internxt’s plans, regardless of cost, offer the exact same features. This means that even if you opt for the cheapest plan they have, you’ll still benefit from the full feature set including online storage, sync, backup, and sharing. The service is also extremely easy to understand and use, and for only a few dollars a month you’re able to use features which aren’t offered in free services.
Read our full
Internxt Drive online backup review
Arq 7 Backup – Best for consolidating online storage
Pros
- Super-clean interface and setup
- Affordable online storage
- Local and online backup
- Supports a wide variety of third-party online storage services
- Flawless in our testing
Cons
- No plain file backup
- Solo client software is a tad pricey
Price When Reviewed:
$49.99 for stand-alone client I $59.99/yr for software subscription and online storage, 5 PCs
Over the years you’ve likely used more than one cloud or online storage services. Whether that be Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint, you name it. You likely also use one or more of these services to store different buckets of your data. With all of these different storage options the wires can get crossed and it can become increasingly difficult to ensure all of your data is backed up to the correct service. That’s where Arq 7 comes in.
Its support for myriad third-party online backup services is second to none. Arq 7 also supports multiple jobs that you can tailor to each service such as backing up vital documents to free cloud storage, or larger files to a premium service you use as well. The interface is clean and easy-to-use, which is a huge boon considering how intimidating backing up can be for new users.
Our only minor quibble with the service is that it’s a bit of a one-trick pony—it only does backup. There are no additional features such as partition or drive-image backups, cloning, sync, or recovery via boot media. Still, in regards to backup, Arq 7 does an excellent job, and with its support for third-party services it’s one of the most versatile backup services we’ve ever tested.
Read our full
Arq 7 Backup review
Pros
- 5GB free account
- Browser interface and local apps
- Syncs across devices
- Vault for non-distributed backup
- User definable expiration dates for file and folder shares
Cons
- No scheduled backups for Vault
Price When Reviewed:
Plans range from Free (5GB) to $20 per month (6TB)
Sync.com offers both a paid and a free tier service. The free tier comes with 5GB of backup cloud storage and most of the features offered in their premium services as well. The Sync.com service is easy to use and as secure as any other online backup service we’ve come across. It has both an attractive and well-designed web interface as well as a desktop app available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Sync.com also makes syncing files across your devices easy to do and even has a Vault option to back up files without transferring them to the local Sync folder in case you wish to keep files unchanged or separated for any reason. While 5GB of storage may not be enough for power users or businesses, if you’re just looking to keep files stored online and the ability to sync them across multiple devices without having to pay anything, Sync.com is a reliable service with great functionality. Plus, you can always upgrade to a paid tier for more storage as needed.
Read our full
Sync.com review
Backup software with cloud backup/storage support
Typically, we separate our reviews of cloud backup services from local backup software (as seen in our best Windows backup software roundup.) But those lines have been blurred with backup software that includes support for cloud backup and storage. The following are reviews of such hybrid offerings:
Even local backup software that doesn’t offer a formal cloud component can be made to incorporate the most popular online storage services, using a cloud storage manager.
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!
How we tested
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. We installed the software and backed up the same 2GB data set to check for any major issues or glitches in the client software. These are noted in the reviews.
See our article on how PCWorld tests cloud backup services for all the details.
How to pick an online storage and backup service
Cloud backup has unique considerations. Familiarizing yourself with the following key areas can help you find the cloud backup service that best meets your needs.
