Memopal is an online backup service that claims to archive your files in real-time to remote servers. This would let you restore your files in the event of a disaster such as a fire or hard drive failure. If you’re not happy with your current online backup service, Memopal wants you as a customer. They’ve agreed to offer 15% off to all BackupReview visitors by using this discount code: SWITCH.
Is Memopal a service you should use to backup your data? I’ll take a look at how it performs in this review.
Pros
- Backup/restore files online
- Windows, Mac, and Linux support
- File sharing features
- Mobile apps
- Easy pricing
Cons
- Average backup/restore speeds
- Does not backup files larger than 200MB by default (although can be changed)
The Bottom Line
Although it’s not perfect, Memopal offers a straightforward approach to online backups with predictable pricing.
Memopal Plans and Pricing
Memopal has a free plan that offers 3 GB of storage to backup your files. The personalPro plans offer:
- 200GB for $49/year
- 300GB for $69/year
Extra storage can be purchased at the following rates:
- Upgrade from 200GB to 300GB: add $30
- Upgrade from 200GB to 350GB: add $70
- Upgrade from 200GB to 400GB: add $100
- Upgrade from 300GB to 350GB: add $40
- Upgrade from 300GB to 400GB: add $70
These are all yearly prices, by the way. You can purchase over 400GB of storage space, but this requires a custom sales quote.
Be sure to claim your 15% off by using this discount code on the checkout page: SWITCH
Most people probably aren’t going to use the free plan because 3GB isn’t enough to backup any significant amount of data. However, the paid plans are reasonably priced for the amount of storage they provide. I like that users aren’t locked into plans either; you can upgrade to a higher GB plan at any time if more space is needed.
Backup Performance
The Memopal installation is fairly straightforward. I was able to sign up for an account in the software, and I could start backing up my data immediately. Memopal selected my document folders (Pictures, Desktop, Music, etc.) as the default backup set, but there’s an option to select custom folders as well. You can also backup folders on external hard drives.
The Memopal dashboard shows an overview of the backup status. From here you can click buttons to access your files online, invite friends to earn extra space, and restore files to your computer.
The Memopal dashboard.
Backups can be scheduled to run automatically, which backs up data as it changes on your computer. I found this scheduling method to be immediate; changes to my computer were quickly reflected in my account. Backups can also be run daily at a specific time, or weekly on a day of your choosing.
As far as advanced options, I could adjust the speed of my backups using a slider, or let the software automatically adjust my speed. By default, files over 200MB won’t be backed up, which I did not like. Luckily, this can be changed, although the maximum value is 10GB.
Restore Performance
Restoring files in Memopal is a bit quirky. After clicking on the Restore button, I had to double-click my way through a long list of folders until I got to the one I wanted to restore. This restore function isn’t as pretty as some other online backup services, but it works just fine. There’s no way to search through your files in the desktop software, although you can in the web interface.
Selecting a folder to restore.
After selecting a folder to restore, I was asked where I wanted to save it. Memopal then downloaded the data to my hard drive and restored my files.
Another option to restore files is through the web interface. From here you browse your files, search through your account, and select files to restore. You can also recover previous versions of files. To do this, right click on a file, click “Versions,” then select the version you want to restore. This way you can undo changes to files as if they never happened.
Speed
I wasn’t impressed with the speeds to Memopal servers, but I imagine they’re sufficient to not cause problems with most users.
My upload speed was 3.2 megabits per second (Mbps), while my download speed was 2.7 Mbps. That’s a backup speed of about 30 gigabytes per day, which would take 10 days to backup a 300GB hard drive. However, each backup after the first full backup will be incremental and take significantly less time, so I don’t see this as a huge issue.
Security
Memopal transfers all data using 128-bit SSL encryption. The client verifies the server certificate before any data is transferred, to avoid man-in-the-middle attacks. Data is stored encrypted on servers using RAID5 for redundancy.
There is no option to use your own encryption key, however, so users should be aware of that.
Features
Continuous, Real-time Backup
Using the automatic backup option, files will be backed up as soon as changes are detected. This way, every modification to your files will be available online.
Backup Multiple Computers
Memopal lets you backup an unlimited number of computers using a single account.
WebDAV Support
You can mount your Memopal account in Windows and access it like a local folder on your hard drive.
File Sharing
Share files by dragging them into the Share box in the desktop software. A link will be created that you can send to family or friends. You can also share entire folders this way, creating photo galleries with clickable thumbnails.
Mobile Apps
Memopal has mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Blackberry. I tested the Android app and thought it was entirely functional for accessing your files on-the-go. You can view recently uploaded files, browse backed up files on your computers, and search for files. You can also upload files from your phone.
Who Should Use Memopal?
Memopal isn’t for everybody. If you’re looking for lightning-fast backup speeds, or lots of free cloud storage space, Memopal probably isn’t for you.
However, if you’re looking for a simple and straightforward online backup solution, you may want to check it out. I was impressed with Memopal’s real-time backups and other features. The support for Mac and Linux will appeal to users of those operating systems, as well.
More Screenshots
Specifications |
|
| Product Name | Memopal |
| Version | 4.0.0 |
| Operating Systems | WindowMacLinux |
| Storage | 500 GB |
| Monthly Price | $6.58 |
| Average Upload Speed | 3.2 Mbps (8 Mbps connection) |
| Average Download Speed | 2.7 Mbps (30 Mbps connection) |
General Features |
|
| Free Trial | |
| Free Online Storage | 3 GB |
| Mobile Apps | Android, iOS, BlackBerry |
| Bandwidth Controls | |
| NAS Support | |
Backup Features |
|
| File Versioning | |
| Keep Deleted Files | Forever |
| Back Up to Local Drive | |
Sync and Share Features |
|
| File Sync | |
| Selective Sync | null |
| Public File Sharing | |
| Collaborative Invites | |
Security |
|
| Encrypted Storage | |
| Encrypted Transfer | |
| Personal Encryption | |
| Zero-knowledge Encryption | |
| Two-factor Authentication | |
Support |
|
| Phone Support | |
| Email Support | |
| 24/7 Support | |
| Live Chat | |
Infrastructure |
|
| Data Center Location(s) | |
Geoff Akerlund
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