Update: Cyphertite went out of business in mid-2015. Their website is no longer operational.

Backing up to the cloud is one of the best ways to protect your files from fire, theft, and other disasters.  But with all the talk of government wiretaps, PRISM, and the ever-present danger of hackers getting a hold of your data, users are having a harder time than ever trusting their data to the cloud.

Enter Cyphertite.

Cyphertite promises “high security online backup” using open-source software.  Not only that, but it also promises unlimited backup space for only $10 per month.  Does it actually live up to these claims?

I’ll put Cyphertite to the test in this review, to see just how well it performs.

Pros

• 8GB Free storage
• Unlimited backups for only $10/month
• High security via personal encryption
• Open source; works on any OS
• Browse backups right from your hard drive

Cons

• Web-based interface is a bit awkward
• Scheduler can’t backup more often than daily
• No mobile apps

The Bottom Line

Cyphertite delivers uncompromising security and unlimited backups for a low price (and a free plan), although the web-based interface is awkward to work with.

Why Use Cyphertite?

The Passphrase

Cyphertite is all about security.  Worried about the government spying on your data?  Cyphertite offers to generate an 80 character random passphrase to encrypt your backups (good luck cracking that, NSA).

You can enter your own passphrase, of course.  You probably don’t want to use a passphrase that is easily guessed, regardless of how easy it is for you to remember.  You also want to make sure you write it down and save it in multiple locations (in case it’s lost).

This passphrase is not recoverable by Cyphertite, and your data cannot be recovered without it.  This is good – because it means only you have access to your data.

The Cyphertite GUI

All backups for Cyphertite are managed through a web browser, which connects to a local service running on your computer.

From the GUI, you can:

• Create backups
• Browse backups
• Extract files
• Delete backups

The Cyphertite GUI: Creating a backup.

Personally, I found the whole process to be a bit awkward.  Managing backups from a browser window just doesn’t have the same effect as software running on my desktop.  This also means there’s no system tray icon, so I often wondered if my backups were even running (thankfully, they were).

A feature I felt was sorely missing was a way to modify existing backup plans.  This means you’ll have to remove a backup, then re-create it with any changes you want.  Fortunately, creating a backup in Cyphertite is fairly easy.

I will say the GUI is cleanly laid out and easy to understand.  I didn’t have any problems creating and running my backups.  You can also create a backup by right-clicking on any file or folder, and choosing “Backup with Cyphertite.”

You can also backup from File Explorer.

Free 8GB of High-Security Storage

Cyphertite gives users an industry-leading 8GB of storage space for free.

That’s a lot of data, especially considering SpiderOak only offers 2GB for free.

Browse and Restore Backups

Being able to easily restore files is important for any backup program.  With Cyphertite, users have 3 options for how to restore their backups:

• From the GUI
• From the Cyphertite folder (located on your hard drive)
• From the command line interface (CLI)

I found the GUI to be the easiest way to restore files, but users who are more comfortable working with the command prompt may prefer the CLI.

Extracting a backup in Cyphertite.

Speed

Cyphertite claims “fast residential transfer speeds,” and I averaged a 6 Mbps upload speed.  This maxed out my available bandwidth so actual speeds should be higher.

Restore speeds from the cloud averaged 7.3 Mbps, which is well below my 31 Mbps maximum, but faster than a lot of other services I’ve reviewed.

Support

Cyphertite promises to respond to all support requests within 1 business day.  Live support is available during the day via a chat box, for those who need immediate answers to questions.  There’s also a FAQ and a wiki available, with answers to common questions.

Summary

If you’re looking for an online backup service that uses open-source software, Cyphertite is the only way to go.  There’s simply no other online backup service that offers the same level of security, price, or backup space that Cyphertite does.

With a free 8GB of storage space, I highly recommend it for security-minded users.

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Geoff Akerlund

Geoff Akerlund is the founder and editor-in-chief of BackupReview.com. He enjoys attending music festivals, whitewater kayaking on the American River, and board game nights in his free time.

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