Online Backup Services

Compare Rank Product NameVisit SiteReviewEditor's RatingUser RatingMonthly PriceStorageOperating SystemAutomatic BackupFree TrialFree Online Storage
Compare FileRock logo

FileRock
2.0
9.0
$13.20 2 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes no
Compare Yandex.Disk logo

Yandex.Disk
3.5
4.3
$10 1 TB WindowMacLinux yes yes 10 GB
Compare MEGA logo

MEGA
4.3
4.3
$13.50 500 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes 50 GB
Compare KeepVault logo

KeepVault
3.3
4.2
$16.67 100 GB Window yes yes no
Compare Memopal logo

Memopal
3.5
4.2
$6.58 500 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes 3 GB
Compare Cubby logo

Cubby
4.0
4.0
$69.90 1 TB WindowMac yes yes 5 GB
Compare SecureSafe logo

SecureSafe
3.9
4.0
$13.20 100 GB WindowMac yes yes 100 MB
Compare Degoo logo

Degoo
4.0
3.9
$9.99 2 TB WindowMac yes yes 100 GB
Compare pCloud logo

pCloud
4.0
3.9
$3.99 500 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes 10 GB
Compare Sync.com logo

Sync.com
4.3
3.8
$4 500 GB WindowMac yes yes 5 GB
Compare Jottacloud logo

Jottacloud
4.0
3.8
$9.90 Unlimited WindowMac yes yes 5 GB
Compare Dropbox logo

Dropbox
4.1
3.8
$9.99 1 TB WindowMacLinux yes yes 2 GB
Compare Mastermind Backup logo

Mastermind Backup
2.0
3.8
$9.95 16 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes no
Compare Carbonite logo

Carbonite
2.5
3.8
$5 Unlimited WindowMac yes yes no
Compare Google Drive logo

Google Drive
4.0
3.8
$1.99 100 GB WindowMac yes yes 15 GB
Compare Copy logo

Copy
1.0
3.7
$4.99 250 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes 15 GB
Compare ElephantDrive logo

ElephantDrive
3.5
3.6
$9.95 1 TB WindowMac yes yes 2 GB
Compare Symform logo

Symform
3.5
3.6
$10 100 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes 10 GB
Compare Box logo

Box
4.0
3.5
$45 1 TB WindowMac yes yes 10 GB
Compare SpiderOak logo

SpiderOakONE
4.5
3.5
$12 1 TB WindowMacLinux yes yes no
Compare MediaFire logo

MediaFire
4.0
3.5
$4.99 1 TB WindowMac yes yes 10 GB
Compare 4Sync logo

4Sync
4.0
3.5
$17 1 TB WindowMac yes yes no
Compare BullGuard logo

BullGuard Backup
2.0
3.5
$15 100 GB Window yes yes no
Compare MiMedia logo

MiMedia
4.0
3.4
$9.99 1 TB WindowMac yes yes 10 GB
Compare XXL Cloud Inc. logo

XXL Box
3.7
3.4
$9.99 300 GB WindowMac yes yes 2 GB
Compare hubiC logo

hubiC
2.5
3.3
$1.11 100 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes 25 GB
Compare Tresorit logo

Tresorit
4.0
3.3
$12.50 1 TB WindowMacLinux yes yes no
Compare Cyphertite logo

Cyphertite
1.0
3.3
$10 Unlimited WindowLinux yes yes 8 GB
Compare AltDrive logo

AltDrive
4.0
3.3
$4.45 Unlimited WindowMacLinux yes yes no
Compare Zoolz logo

Zoolz
1.0
3.1
$1.25 100 GB WindowMac yes yes no
Compare Amazon Cloud Drive logo

Amazon Cloud Drive
3.0
3.1
$5 Unlimited WindowMac no yes no
Compare SurDoc logo

SurDoc
1.0
3.1
$2.50 100 GB WindowMac yes yes 100 GB
Compare SugarSync logo

SugarSync
2.6
3.0
$7.49 100 GB WindowMac yes yes no
Compare CrashPlan logo

CrashPlan
4.9
3.0
$5.99 Unlimited WindowMacLinux yes yes no
Compare Backblaze logo

Backblaze
4.8
3.0
$5 Unlimited WindowMac yes yes no
Compare IDrive logo

IDrive
4.7
3.0
$4.96 1 TB WindowMacLinux yes yes 5 GB
Compare The Bitcasa logo

Bitcasa
1.0
2.9
$10 1 TB WindowMac yes yes no
Compare Syncplicity logo

Syncplicity
4.1
2.9
$5 100 GB WindowMac yes yes 10 GB
Compare Storage Guardian logo

Storage Guardian
4.0
2.9
Sales quote required Sales quote required WindowMacLinux yes yes no
Compare OneDrive logo

OneDrive
3.8
2.9
$1.99 100 GB WindowMac yes yes 5 GB
Compare Livedrive logo

Livedrive
2.5
2.8
$8 Unlimited WindowMac yes yes no
Compare SOS Online Backup logo

SOS Online Backup
4.4
2.8
$4.99 50 GB WindowMac yes yes no
Compare CloudMe logo

CloudMe
3.0
2.8
$9 100 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes 3 GB
Compare Datto Drive logo

Datto Drive
3.9
2.8
$10 1 TB WindowMac yes yes no
Compare Acronis Cloud logo

Acronis True Image Cloud
3.5
2.8
$8.33 Unlimited WindowMac yes yes 5 GB
Compare Data Deposit Box logo

Data Deposit Box
2.0
2.8
$9.99 60 GB WindowMac yes yes no
Compare OpenDrive logo

OpenDrive
3.0
2.7
$12.95 Unlimited WindowMac yes yes 5 GB
Compare FilesAnywhere logo

FilesAnywhere
3.0
2.7
$4.99 20 GB WindowMac yes yes 1 GB
Compare Mozy logo

Mozy
3.4
2.6
$5.99 50 GB WindowMac yes no 2 GB
Compare Jungle Disk logo

Jungle Disk
3.5
2.6
$9.50 50 GB WindowMacLinux yes no no
Compare DrivePop logo

DrivePop
1.0
2.5
$4.99 1 TB WindowMac yes yes no
Compare Pogoplug logo

Pogoplug
3.0
2.5
$4.95 Unlimited WindowMac yes yes no
Compare ADrive logo

ADrive
4.0
2.5
$2.50 100 GB WindowMac yes yes no
Compare

iCloud
2.9
2.5
$9.99 1 TB WindowMac yes yes 5 GB
Compare

McAfee Online Backup
1.5
2.3
$5 Unlimited Window yes yes no
Compare ASUS WebStorage logo

ASUS WebStorage
3.0
2.1
$1.92 100 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes 5 GB
Compare JustCloud logo

JustCloud
1.0
1.9
$6.95 75 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes no
Compare IBackup logo

IBackup
2.0
1.9
$9.95 500 GB WindowMacLinux yes yes no
Compare AnyProtect logo

AnyProtect
0.5
1.9
Compare Dupplica logo

Dupplica
1.0
1.7
$2 Unlimited WindowMac yes yes no
Compare Touro Cloud Backup logo

Touro Cloud Backup
2.5
1.5
$4.92 250 GB WindowMac yes yes 3 GB
Compare Diino logo

Diino
2.0
0
$4 Unlimited WindowMacLinux yes yes no

What Is An Online Backup Service?

An online backup service is a type of service that lets you backup, store, and recover your files.  Your files are stored in the cloud – servers provided by the company behind the online backup service.  Backups are run with a client program, which you download and install on your computer.  In return for a monthly fee, the software will backup your computer files to their servers on a regular basis.

Online backup services have become increasingly popular lately, due to their ease of use and the high level of protection they offer.  They require the use of no external media, such as hard drives or DVDs, since all the data is stored in the cloud.

Online backup services almost always encrypt your data, although the types of encryption used vary.  Customer data is usually stored in high-security data centers, with redundant storage systems such as RAID being used for fault tolerance.  Some services also keep “backups of your backups” for additional protection.

Why Use an Online Backup Service?

The advantage to using an online backup service is that your backups are stored offsite, in a location separate from your original data.  This protects your files from fire, theft, and other disasters that local backups cannot protect you from.

Online backup services are easy to use.  They don’t require you to connect any external hard drives to backup your data.  Never ask yourself “did I remember to backup?” again.  As long as your computer is on and connected to the internet, your files will be backed up.

Online backup services are “set it and forget it” – once you install and configure the software, it will run silently in the background, automatically backing up your files on a scheduled basis.

What To Look for in an Online Backup Service

You’ll want to make sure the online backup service offers enough storage space to backup all your data.  Some offer “unlimited” storage and don’t put a cap on the amount their users can store.  Others offer fixed storage quotas.

The ability to automatically backup your files is an important feature to look for.  This is also known as scheduling.  Some online backup services backup your files once per day, while others can backup your files in “real time” as changes happen on your computer.  In most cases, you can customize how often the backups run.

Some online backup services offer file sharing and syncing.  File sharing lets you share your backed up files with friends and family.  Syncing keeps a copy of your files on multiple devices, so you can create a file on your home computer and have it sync to your mobile (and vise versa).

You may also want to look for an online backup service that offers a free trial.  If a free trial isn’t offered, you’ll want to make sure they have a refund policy in case you don’t like the service.  Be wary of any service that doesn’t offer a free trial and doesn’t have a refund policy.  If they can’t stand behind their product, chances are it’s no good.

What Other Features Should I Look For?

Selective Backup: Does the online backup service let you choose which folders to backup?

Local Backup: Can the online backup service backup to a local hard drive, in addition to the cloud?

Free Trial: Does the online backup service offer a free trial?

Free Online Storage: How much (if any) free online backup space is offered?

File Versioning: The ability to restore previous versions of files.

Keep Deleted Files: Does the online backup service keep files that are deleted on your computer?  If so, how long are they kept on their servers?

Bandwidth Controls: Lets you control how much bandwidth the software uses when backing up your files, to not overwhelm your network connection.

Mobile Apps: Some online backup services offer mobile apps to access files on your smartphone or tablet.

Public Sharing: Can you share your backed up files with friends and family?

Encrypted Storage: Are files stored encrypted in the cloud?

Encrypted Transfer: Are files transferred encrypted?  Most online backup services use double encryption, encrypting the file before it is transferred over an encrypted connection.

Personal Encryption: Personal encryption is using your own encryption key, rather than letting the online backup service handle encryption.

Phone Support: Phone support is rarely offered for consumer level online backup services.  It is more commonly offered for business plans.

Email Support: Does the online backup service offer technical support via email or through a ticket system?

24/7 Support: Is support offered 24 hours per day, 7 days a week?

Live Chat: Can you get support immediately via a live chat window?