Online backup is your protection against any harm that might come to your computer or local storage devices. Mechanical failure, acts of malice, or natural disasters are serious threats to all of the data you have stored on your PC.
While I always recommend keeping a local backup for quick restores (see our roundup of the best Windows backup software for desktop solutions), uploading your data to a cloud backup service is a good way to cover your bases. There’s a valid reason for the “backup rule of three,” which includes an offsite copy.
Best online storage for smaller data sets
Fortunately for consumers, there are myriad affordable and convenient online backup options, many with unique selling points. While my primary focus in this article is backup, I also discuss other roles that a cloud service can fulfill, such as document viewing and editing, file sharing, multiple-device support, and emergency-restore options.
Note: You won’t see familiar names like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox on this list. Those are more accurately defined as synced cloud storage. Besides typically lacking a desktop client, and offering limited, if any, automatic backup functionality, online storage syncing involves mirroring — where any deletions or changes are reflected on the other end. Online backup uses versioning, so older data is retained — an important failsafe feature.
Why you should trust PCWorld for online backup reviews and buying advice: It’s in our name, PCWorld. Our reviewers have been testing PC hardware, software, and services for decades. Our backup evaluations are thorough and rigorous, testing the promises and limitations of every product — from performance to the practicalities of regular use. As PC users ourselves, we know what makes a product stand out. Only the best online backup services make this list.
EaseUS Todo Backup – Cloud backup software
EaseUS Todo Backup covers everything you need for backups, with great features and fair pricing. With free cloud storage space, you’ll always have an extra copy of any files stored securely in the cloud. Security Zone protects vital data from ransomware in real-time.
iDrive will satisfy most any user. It remains the most comprehensive online backup service I’ve tested. Though it’s not the cheapest, it’s still competitive price-wise and offers backup clients for nearly every PC/device operating system. The company also provides additional storage for syncing all your devices and PCs, allows sharing of files with anyone, has the ability to back up to a local drive, and supports basic imaging and disaster recovery.
Since our last review, iDrive has expanded its backup offerings to cover a variety of personal and team needs. Besides the free 10GB tier, there’s a Personal plan that starts at 5TB/$69.65 for the first year (or $149.25 for two years), and $99.50 each year after, covering one user and multiple devices.
Additional Personal tiers offer 10TB, 20TB, 50TB, and 100TB options, though of course with significant price increases. There are also Team plans that cover multiple users and multiple computers.
Read our full
iDrive Online Cloud Backup review
In my most recent look at Livedrive, I reviewer summed up the service up with one word: smooth. That’s really no surprise, as Livedrive’s elegant setup, ease of use, and reliability are the very things (along with unlimited storage) that made it one of my top picks for online backup over the last several years. There’s something very reassuring about using a product that is artfully designed and executed.
But Livedrive should be of particular interest to anyone who wants the benefit of unlimited storage — the service’s real value proposition. Yes, Backblaze and Carbonite also offer unlimited storage, and are strong services in their own right, but there are caveats for both that push the highly polished Livedrive client ahead of them in my book.
Currently, the standard Backup plan for one PC is approximately $124 per year (being a UK-based company, prices are listed in pounds and the conversion to dollars will fluctuate). A Pro Suite that covers five machines is $284 per year.
