There’s no question that you should back up your irreplaceable documents and digital files. Today we’re all creating vast amounts of digital content—photos, videos, music, and documents— all of which are a hard drive crash away from being wiped out forever. Statistics show that most of us will experience some kind of disk crash, or other mishap, eventually. Online backup services offer the best way to assure the safety of your precious files. Today’s online backup services make prevention of data loss automatic, secure, and affordable. And unlike external drives, or a DVD, they prevent loss due to fire, flood, theft, and other damage.
Below is our online backup services review to help you choose the one that’s right for your needs and budget. Most Online Backup Services offer the basic features. However, File Sharing and setting up Folder Permissions (to limit who can see the files you share) are not always available. “Remote Wipe” is also a new feature available with many services. Remote Wipe enables you to remotely erase the data on the mobile device if the device is lost or stolen – and lots of phones are stollen these days. Try one with a Free Trial first to help you decide if you’ll like the interface and if it suites your needs.
Online Backup Services Review | |||||||
Company
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Storage Space
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Upload File Size
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Product Features
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Price
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File Sharing |
Folder Permissions
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Remote Wipe
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myPCBackup |
Unlimited
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10GB
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Free 14-Day Trial. Pros: Unlimited computer and device access. Allows file sharing. Free phone app. |
$4.95/mo. |
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Unlimited
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10GB
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Free 14-day trial. Unlimited device access. Sync multiple computers. 100% automated. |
$2.95/mo. |
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Unlimited
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Unlimited
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Free 15-day trial. Pros: Easy guided setup. Unlimited remote backup storage. Marks backed up files in Windows Explorer. Can back up open files. Good mobile client. Availalbe Mac version. Cons: Account only covers one PC. Doesn’t back up network drives. No hosted file sharing. Uploads limited after 35GB is stored. Full Web restore disables backup on primary PC. No sharing or syncing. |
$4.99/mo. |
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IDrive |
4TB
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10GB
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5GB free account. $37.12/year for 300GB storage on unlimited PCs and devices. |
$4.12/mo.
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SOS Online Backup |
Unlimited
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Unlimited
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5GB Free storage. Pros: Simple user interface. Facebook backup. iPhone and Android apps. One account covers multiple PCs. Can back up external and network drive. Share files via link. Mac version available. Cons: Live protection limited to individual files. |
$59.99
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Dropbox |
500GB
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10GB
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Free Basic account with 2GB storage; File sharing allow you to easily share large files; lacks a complete system restore. |
$9.99/mo. |
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zip cloud |
500GB
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10GB
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Free 14-Day Trial; Unlimited computer and device access; easy file sharing; loaded with features; |
$4.95/mo.
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IBackup |
100GB
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Unlimited
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Free 15-day trial with 50GB; Promotional deal 250GB for $9.95; Can backup external hard drives and mapped network drives |
$9.95/mo. |
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250GB
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300MB
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Free Trial; Advanced easy file synchronization; remote wipe feature and mobile apps for iOS, Android and Windows Phone; low max storage and file uploads; business storage option; |
$7.49/mo. |
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Norton Online Backup |
100GB
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10GB
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Free 30-day 5GB trial; No on-demand backup for a single file or folder; customizable, event-based backups; backs up open files; bundled with Norton 360. |
$4.99/mo. |
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Backup Genie |
250GB
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10GB
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Completely automated backup with scheduler; allows file sync and access from ipad/iphone; backups to external drives; |
$4.95/mo.
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Crash Plan |
Unlimited
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Unlimited
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Free 30-Day Trial. Pros: Can back up external and network or other attached storage device; Low price point for unlimited storage. Cons: No file sharing. |
$4/mo.
Order Now |
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Symantec Backup Exec |
Unlimited
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10GB
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Features are limited; simple data recovery and a 24/7 support system; |
$19.95/mo. |
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Microsoft OneDrive (Skydrive) |
200GB
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Unlimited
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Free with 7GB storage; Tiered pricing for more service; Real time co-authoring on Office documents |
Free
Order Now |
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livedrive |
Unlimited
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Unlimited
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Free 14-day trial. Pros: Facebook integration. Backup for 5 computers. Synced between all of your computers. 30 versions of uploaded files. Cons: Pricing difficult to understand. Issues restoring files – files not available or corrupted. Questionable encryption & security |
$6/mo.
Order Now |
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MyOtherDrive |
1TB
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10GB
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Free 2GB account. Pros: Backup and share files across multiple machines on a single paid account. Allows private sharing of files with friends. Cons: Java interface can be difficult. No version saving. No background uploading or watched folders. No backup or restore wizards. File sharing requires account sign-up for recipients. |
$5/mo. |
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Jungle Disk |
100GB
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Unlimited
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$4/mo. + storage fees. Pros: Syncing, shared online drive, scheduled backup, and file sharing. Windows, Mac, and Linux versions. Upward path for business use. Cons: Difficult pricing and interface. |
$4/mo.
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box |
100GB
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2GB
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Free 10GB storage. Pros: Mobile apps for Windows Phone, Apple iOS and Android devices. Cons: Does not allow scheduled backups, and the service does not use incremental backup. |
$5/mo.
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BackBlaze |
Unlimited
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Unlimited
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Free 15-day trial. Pros: Low price point. Simple setup. Allows multiple versions. Can locate a missing computer. Cons: No OS folder integration. No file sharing. Slow uploads. Restore downloads not encrypted. |
$3.96/mo.
Order Now |
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mozy |
125GB
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Unlimited
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Free 2GB account. Pros: Intuitive user interface. Search in backed-up file set. Windows Explorer integration. Mac version available. Cons: Only one PC per account. Won’t back up network or removable drives. |
$5.99/mo. Order Now
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backupify |
Unlimited
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Unlimited
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Free 15-day trial. Pros: Backup your Google Apps, Salesforce and other social media accounts. Automated daily backups. Cons: Expensive for large backups. |
$3/mo. |
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Keepit |
100GB
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10GB
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Free 30-day trial. Pros: Easy to manage multiple computers at the same time. Automated backups. Easy service to use interface. Data replication. 30-day archival storage. Cons: Does not allow file sharing. No mobile app access. |
$4.95/mo. |
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OpenDrive |
Unlimited |
Unlimited
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Free Basic account with 5GB storage. Pros: Custom plans available. OpenDrive has options for sharing public links or sharing files privately. Cons: Does not use geo-redundant storage. Personal unlimted account higher price than most. |
$12.95/mo. |