What are the best cloud backup services?

Question

33

Options
Considered

174

User
Recs.

Sep 16, 2018

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

The Best 1 of 30 OptionsWhy?

Best cloud backup services	Price	Platforms	Versioning
90 Backblaze	-	Windows; OSX; Android; iOS	Yes
89 Google Drive	-	Windows; OSX; Linux; Android; iOS	Yes
73 CrashPlan	-	Windows; Linux; OSX; Android; iOS	Yes
70 Dropbox	-	Windows, Linux, OSX, Android, iOS, Windows Phone	Yes
-- SpiderOak	-	Windows; Linux; OSX; Android; iOS	Windows; Linux; OSX; Android; iOS

See Full List

29 Other Options Considered

Google Drive

Top Pro

Generous free plan

The free plan offers 15GB of space and has no limitations in terms of functionality. This space is shared across Drive, Gmail & Picasa. See More

Top Con

Syncs just one folder

Once set up on your computer, Google Drive will create a folder that will sync with the cloud storage. Only files and folders within that folder will be backed up to the cloud and there's no way to change that. See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows; OSX; Linux; Android; iOS

Top Pro

Allows collaboratively working on specific kinds of files

Iff you're using Google's office suite (Docs, Spreadsheets, Forms, etc), you can invite both Google account holders and non-holders to access and/or collaborate on files created by those applications allowing multiple people to work on the same document at the same time. See More

Top Con

Behaviour can't be customized

There's no way to, for example, change how and when backups happen. See More

Top Pro

Extendable functionality via apps

Third party Drive applications running in Chrome can add functionality such as image/video editing, project management, flowchart creation, etc. See More

Top Con

Batch downloading in MS Office formats only

TLDR: Google makes it hard to either edit open formats or bulk download open formats, choose one and you lose the other. Google Drive by default converts your files when they are uploaded into their proprietary google document format. If you bulk download google formatted files, they are in the MS DocX for documents and MS XLSX for spreadsheets. You can stop files from uploading from being formatted into google's proprietary format, but then you lose the ability to edit the files (even if it's a plaintext) or download the files in different formats. If you want to download google formatted files in open formats such as plain text .TXT or .ODT, or PDF, each file needs to be downloaded individually by opening the file in Google Docs first, and then going to File > Download as. See More

Top Pro

Can also be used to backup and view photos and videos

Can make use of the storage space to back up photos, see and share them via Google Photos which is a lot more than just viewing files. See More

Top Pro

Built-in office suite

Includes tools for writing, presentations and spreadsheets. See More

See All

CrashPlan

Top Pro

Unintrusive

You set it up once and from then it runs in the background whenever you are not using your computers (or at specified times). See More

Top Con

Popular features (local backup and trusted offsite backup no longer available)

Specs

Platforms:Windows; Linux; OSX; Android; iOS

Top Pro

Supports multiple backup destinations

You can set up different files/folders to back up to specific places. See More

Top Con

Heavy client

The BackupClient is based on Java and therefore a lot more memory-intensive than most other backup solutions See More

Top Pro

Differential and incremental file backup

CrashPlan updates only that part of the file that has changed, saving bandwidth and time. See More

Top Con

Home edition discontinued

CrashPlan's home edition will be shut down on October 23, 2018. They are no longer accepting new signups or subscription renewals. See More

Top Pro

Unlimited online storage

The $5/mo individual plan and the $12.50/mo family plan gets you unlimited cloud storage. See More

Top Con

Slow

Multiple people have expressed dissatisfaction with Crashplan's upload speed and the companies unwillingness to acknowledge the issue. It's become such a common complaint that there's a Twitter account that compiles tweets with people being frustrated with Crashplan's upload speeds. See More

Top Pro

Allows custom encryption keys

Custom 448 bit user-provided encryption key can be used to encrypt the backed up data in the cloud. See More

Top Pro

Users can order a physical copy of their data

They will send you an external hard drive to your house. See More

Top Pro

Unlimited revision history

CrashPlan saves all previous versions of a file. See More

Top Pro

Free for DIY setups

If you wish to backup to your own server or a local disk, CrashPlan is free. See More

See All

Dropbox

Top Pro

Has an API/works nicely with other apps

Many mobile apps can and do use Dropbox for storage. This means not just that your files are accessible on the go, but that those apps automatically get live syncing with your desktop and the web. See More

Top Con

Not enough storage in free plan

Specs

Platforms:Windows, Linux, OSX, Android, iOS, Windows Phone

Versioning:Yes

Offline access:Yes

Top Pro

Allows selective sync

Selective Sync is a feature of the Dropbox desktop application that allows you to select only the folders you want to be synced to your computer. See More

Top Con

Privacy concerns

Although data is encrypted between your computer and Dropbox, Dropbox staff (and anyone they grant access to) can view any of your files. Some services encrypt files before they are uploaded to the cloud, Dropbox does not. See More

Top Pro

Reliable, easy to use and easy set up

Top Con

Can be used for backup, but technically Dropbox is a for syncing, not backup

If you delete a file on one machine, it will be deleted on all machines, and from Dropbox. This file can be restored for up to 30 days, but to keep files for longer than that, there is an additional fee. See More

Top Pro

Security

Dropbox transfers files over SSL and stored data is AES-256 encrypted. See More

Top Con

Syncs just one folder

Once set up on your computer, Dropbox will create a folder that will sync with the cloud storage. Only files within that folder will be backed up to the cloud and there's no way to change that. See More

Top Pro

Secure

Dropbox transfers files over SSL and stored data is AES-256 encrypted. See More

Top Con

Behaviour can't be customized

There's no way to, for example, change how and when backups happen. See More

Top Pro

Add-ons

There are official and third-party Dropbox add-ons that extend the functionality of the service and add ease of use features. See More

Top Pro

Many platforms supported

You can access Dropbox via Web / Mac / Windows / Linux/ iOS / Android / BlackBerry / Kindle Fire. See More

Top Pro

Doesn't use lots of disk space on mobile devices

If you have a full 2GB Dropbox on your computer, and install the app on your phone, it will let you see your entire structure of folders and files, but it only downloads them as and when requested, saving your phone's storage space. See More

Top Pro

It works great with large stores

Top Pro

Folders can be downloaded compressed to save bandwidth

To save bandwidth and download speed you can choose to compress a folder into a zip archive for download. See More

Top Pro

Adjustable bandwidth use

To not slow down the network or save traffic you can limit the upload and download speeds of Dropbox. See More

Top Pro

Instant disaster recovery

Your files always synced online means instant disaster recovery. When your hard drive becomes unbootable, pick up another laptop and just carry on with your life from where you last saved. See More

Top Pro

Allows sharing a folder

Using a desktop client: right click on the folder you want to share and select Dropbox > Share This Folder, then enter the e-mail addressees of people you want to share the folder with. See More

Top Pro

Allows sharing a single file via link

Whether using desktop client or web interface, simply right click on the file you want to share and select Dropbox > Share link, then send the link to the people you want to share the file with. The recipient does not require a Dropbox account. See More

Top Pro

Free (extra) storage space

Dropbox personal accounts start out free, with 2GB of space, but users can get extra space by recommending the site to friends, or taking part in events like "Dropquest", where users can win extra space by solving puzzles. See More

See All

SpiderOak

Top Pro

Zero knowledge

Data is locally encrypted before uploading to Spideroak. They cannot recover your data even if they wanted to since it is stored in encrypted state on their servers. See More

Top Con

Ugly UI

Specs

Platforms:Windows; Linux; OSX; Android; iOS

Top Pro

Combines cloud syncing, storage service and backup client

Thus you have a single service for all of the things instead of having to use multiple clients or services. See More

Top Con

Sharing is unintuitve

The way that sharing is done is a bit backwards as you have to select "new" in the options to then go through a few boxes of selections to then finally pick what file to share. See More

Top Pro

Unintrusive

Backups can be scheduled making for an unobtrusive experience as they can be set to run when you are not using the PC. See More

Top Con

Not great on Linux

Top Pro

Incrementals

SpiderOak updates only that part of the file that has changed, saving bandwidth and time. See More

See All

Arq

Top Pro

Only you know the encryption password

No privacy concerns. See More

Top Con

Complicated setup

When it comes to ease of use most cloud backup service are pretty easy as it is just one signup, with Arc you need to download install and activate it to then register for an Amazon account, this extra step may be troublesome to some people or just annoying. See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows; OSX

Versioning:Yes

Incremental:Yes

De-duplication:Yes

Top Pro

Reliable

Amazon services offer solutions with almost 100% durability and 99.99% availability. Even if the system loses data-centers, you will still be able to access your files. See More

Top Pro

Can store data directly in a variety of cloud storage providers

Arq is client-side software that runs on your computer and talks directly to generic cloud data storage providers. No third-party service in the middle means lower costs, better reliability, lower risk of a service ceasing to operate, ease of migration to other storage targets. Amazon Glacier and/or S3 GreenQloud DreamObjects Google Cloud Storage S3-Compatible Server SFTP Server See More

Top Pro

Open document format backups

Unlike other backup programs that store data in proprietary formats, Arq stores them in an open document format allowing for easy viewing. See More

See All

Mozy

Top Con

Ridiculously high pricing

Top Pro

Shared folder with Stash

Stash is a local sync folder similar in functionality to Dropbox. See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows; Linux; OSX; Android; iOS

Top Con

Basic plan doesn't allow personal encryption keys

Top Pro

Prevents from social engineering attacks

Mozy end-users are not susceptible to social engineering. At Mozy, there is no one person who can authorize the deletion of a given individual’s data. Our process of cleaning and deleting a customer’s data is a very structured and automated process, and you can’t call us up and short circuit that process. See More

Top Con

No unlimited storage plan

Every plan for Mozy has a limit on the storage meaning there is no price one can pay for piece of mind of unlimited storage. See More

Top Pro

Allows for personal encryption keys

Top Pro

Can set two backup targets

A feature called 2x Protect will back up everything to two backup targets - one online and external device attached to your computer. See More

See All

Carbonite

Top Con

They've lost data before

There have been occasions where a paid subscriber was not ever able to get back their data. See More

Top Pro

Users can order a physical copy of their data

For users in the US there is a option to receive their backup data on external media, meaning not only is there a backup in the cloud but you can order hard backups anytime. See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows; OSX; Android; iOS; BlackBerry

Top Con

No external hard drive support in the $59.99/yr plan

You need to upgrade to the HomePlus $99.99/yr plan to back up external drives. See More

Top Pro

Intuitive software

Does not require deep system knowledge to operate Carbonite's software. See More

Top Con

Personal encryption keys only work on Windows

Top Pro

Unlimited online storage

The $59.99/yr plan gets you unlimited cloud storage. See More

Top Con

Files above 4GB have to be uploaded manually

Carbonite won't upload files above 4GB unless you do it manually. See More

Top Pro

Allows for personal encryption keys

See All

pCloud

Top Pro

Desktop application for all platforms

Edward Brent's Experience

I've been looking for a simple solution, safe backup for my files. A friend of mine told me he is really happy with pcloud, i've signed up and was more than impressed with the many functionalities they provide. Besides the backup, you get to recover your trash, rewind your files and check previous versions of your files in case you've backed up unwanted edits See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows, Mac, Linux

Top Pro

Mobile applications for Android and iOS

Radomir Valchev's Experience

I have been using pCloud for over 3 years now and te service is amazing. The speed of upload are with the speed of light. See More

Top Pro

Mapped drive

Top Pro

Lifetime cloud storage plans

Top Pro

Excellent upload speed

Top Pro

2tb storage and 2tb bandwidth

Unlike all the other clouds this makes it great for sharing large files. To lots of people. See More

Top Pro

No synchronization speed limits

Sync files as fast as your internet plan allows you to. See More

Top Pro

Cross-platform

Backup and use your files from any device with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, or iOS. See More

Top Pro

Desktop app doesn't take space on hard disk

Computers see it as a network drive. See More

Top Pro

No file size limits

Allows you to store your HD videos, FLAC music files, and large documents. See More

See All

OneDrive

Top Con

Strictest code of conduct

Terms of Service forbid any kind of nudity, or that incites, advocates, or expresses pornography or racism among other things. See More

Top Pro

Collaboration via Office 365

If you use Office 365 with OneDrive, you can share a file to edit collaboratively in real time. See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows; OSX; Android; iOS; XBOX

Top Con

Becomes slower when it picks up a "Linux" user-agent

This may be intentional by Microsoft to force OneDrive users to use Windows. When OneDrive picks up a "Linux" user-agent it becomes slow whereas when from the same computer and browser it picks up a "Windows" user-agent it becomes considerably faster. See More

Top Pro

Microsoft Office integration

It integrates with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc as if you were using OneDrive locally. See More

Top Pro

Full integration in Windows 10

Once setup OneDrive folder and local folders can be the same slowing for seamlessly integration into Windows OS. See More

Top Pro

Automatic photo uploads from phone

When Android, iOS and Windows Phone users shoot a photo with their phone it is automatically uploaded to OneDrive via app. See More

Top Pro

Music file syncs with Groove Music

Music files put in the Music folder in OneDrive sync with Groove Music. See More

Top Pro

No setup for Windows 8/8.1

If you use Windows 8 or 8.1, OneDrive is already built in your system and can be accessed via file explorer. See More

See All

Mega

Top Con

Mega plans are considerably more expensive than some of its competitors

Top Pro

Free 50 GB of storage

Everyone with an account will get 50 GB of online storage. It is a simple sign up, just a minute's work. See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows; Android; iOS; Mac OS X; Chrome OS; Linux

Top Con

The free 50 GB of storage reverts to 15 GB after 30 days.

In effect, Mega gives only 15 GB of free storage. See More

Top Pro

Multi-platform support

The user can access the stored files or upload new files using the browser. Additionally they can use their phones or tablets (Android and iOS devices). On windows MegaSync is provided for automatic backup and safer file access. To further improve access security, there is also an extension available for Google Chrome. See More

Top Con

Has a transfer limit

Both for free and paid accounts, there are monthly transfer limits. That is, the user can only upload/download a certain amount in one month. For instance, it is 10 GB/month for free users. The transfer limits, maximum and current can be viewed in the user's account page. See More

Top Pro

Files are all encrypted

All the files stored online are encrypted on the client side. This means that only the user (client) can view, delete, or update the files. Stored files are encrypted via a few steps with your login password as the MasterKey. See More

Top Con

Compatibility for browsers are limited

According to Mega, the service is known to work perfectly on Chrome and Firefox browsers. However, it has a "memory leak" problem in Internet Explorer 10, that requires the user to restart the browser after every few hundred MB of transfer. See More

Top Pro

Affordable storage plans

Besides the free 50 GB, users can upgrade storage based on their needs. The available options currently are 200 GB, 500 GB, 2 TB, and 4 TB. Details about pricing and such are available on the website (from €4.99/month). See More

See All

Jottacloud

Top Pro

Your data is stored in Norway

Norway has rigorous data protection laws. Governments or judicial authorities should not be able to have a look at your data through legal means. See More

Top Con

Your data is not stored encrypted

While your data is uploaded on a secure SSL connection, it is stored in plain text on the server. It is not the most secure cloud backup. See More

Top Pro

Unlimited storage for €7.50/mo

Top Pro

Offers sync and backup

Files in your sync folder are kept synced between your devices. You can also specify separate folders to be backed up to the cloud at scheduled intervals. See More

Top Pro

5GB of space in the free plan

See All

B2 by Backblaze

Add Video or Image

Box

Top Pro

Extendable via plugins

There are plug-ins for applications that allow interactions with Box. See More

Top Con

Log in on every use

Any time the app is opened the user's log-in needs to be typed in, which can become annoying. While it is a nice privacy feature, an option to turn it off would be nice. See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows; OSX; Android; iOS; Windows Phone; BlackBerry

Top Pro

Sharing and privacy features built for business and IT users

Such as advanced sharing options, task assignment, notifications. See More

Top Con

No Linux client

Top Pro

Cross-platform desktop and mobile

Box is available for Windows, OS X, iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phones. Which mean access to ones files no matter the device or platform used. See More

Top Con

Missing collaborative apps

Not being able to easily back up office works through an integrated office suite can be a set back when comparing to backup apps like Drive. While you can set certain apps to save their files to the Box folder, it is not as easy as using something like Google Docs, which not only saves while you are working but as soon as you are done, with no extra steps. See More

Top Pro

Salesforce and NetSuite support

See All

IDrive

Top Pro

Web UI admin console has a feature to individually update IDrive program settings on each device or make all the same

This is very helpful to remotely update one or more devices or ensure all settings are the same on devices when managing multiple device backups on the same account. See More

Top Con

Support is slow to respond or non-responsive

They offer same-day responses when emailed feature requests but take days and days and non-helpful responses when inquired on issues. See More

JJ's Experience

I was a many-year CrashPlan user. My small company IT group also converted to CrashPlan business many years ago after I shared it and its pricing. So when CP discontinued the home backup product, I tried many and was disappointed by all. However, after researching many, the main contenders were Spider Oak, Backblaze, Carbonite, and IDrive. While I had initial issues with IDrive (CrashPlan was a smoother product than all of these), it was the most flexible and useful to me than the others. While I added pros and cons for it here, the summary for me is IDrive's decent pricing for unlimited devices but a backup cap fit my usage best. See More

Top Pro

Web UI admin console has a feature to individually update IDrive installed program version on each device or make all the same

This enables updating the installed version on remote devices. See More

Top Con

IDrive program does not auto-update to new versions (many other backup programs do)

While not having an automated version upgrade doesn't enable unattended backup (particularly desired for remote devices or for non-techy users), these options exist: The web UI admin console has an option to update the version. When a new version exists, an "Upgrade" button appears on the client UI. See More

Top Pro

The client UI has a backup progress indicator

The progress indicator can show total bytes backed up and remaining, and the file that's being backed up. See More

Top Con

The backup often misses files

While testing it by editing a file, the app missed it for many hours. However, it usually found the file a many runs later/the next day and backed it up. This flakiness is enough to be concerned. See More

Top Pro

The client UI "Backup" tab has a summary list of folders and files and their sizes selected for backup

Top Con

The backup regularly "locks up" on a file in OS-specific directory during backup

When including OS-specific directories in the backup, it regularly freezes on a file, and never the same file. It's possible to cancel the backup, run it again, and it almost always works. Support said not to backup OS directories, and this is true for other backup products too; CrashPlan did not have this issue. See More

Top Pro

Reasonably priced subscription plans

It's one of the few options with subscription plans for unlimited devices and tiered backup quotas, and not a ridiculous price. See More

Top Con

Requires too much manual monitoring because it is an unreliable product

It's necessary to regularly check if it's working because it can lock-up on some files, or continually say "verifying files". It's a flakey product. See More

Top Pro

It's one of the cheapest options

See All

AWS Simple Storage Service (S3)

Add Video or Image

Request recommendations from the community

I Recommend...

Help millions of people make better decisions.

Each month, over 2.8 million people use Slant to find the best products and share their knowledge. Pick the tags you’re passionate about to get a personalized feed and begin contributing your knowledge.