Online backup services work much like traditional backup software. With an online backup service, however, your important data is transmitted over the Internet and securely stored on a server in a professional data center.
The advantage of having your important data backed up off-site, away from your home or office, is that it’s safe from theft, fire, and other local disasters.
Below are reviews of most online backup services. Quickly compare features among my six favorite in my Online Backup Comparison Chart, read my interviews with them in my Online Backup Q&A, and get answers to your online backup questions in my Online Backup FAQ.
I also keep updated lists of the best Free Online Backup Plans, Unlimited Online Backup Plans, Business Online Backup Services, and Free Backup Software if you’re interested.
Note: Online backup services, sometimes called cloud backup services, regularly change pricing and plan details so let me know if anything needs updated.
1. Backblaze Review
Backblaze is my favorite online backup service, mostly because everything about it is so simple, especially its pricing and software.
I also like that there are no file size limits, meaning you can finally back up your 100 GB virtual machine files and 3 hour 4K videos!
Backblaze is $5 /month /computer and allows an unlimited amount of storage. The cost can get down to a monthly $3.96 with a two year plan purchase. This makes Backblaze one of the least expensive unlimited backup plans that I’ve reviewed.
If you’re concerned about backing up online being complicated or confusing, you’re going to love Backblaze. For what it’s worth, this is the cloud backup service I pay for and use on my computers.
2. CrashPlan Review
CrashPlan is one of my favorite cloud backup services because of the excellent software, cost effective plans, and feature set.
CrashPlan’s interface is excellent and the features abound including a web-based restore option, continuous backup, 448-bit encryption level (better than your bank), and the foundation of a proven and excellent backup software program.
CrashPlan Unlimited is $5.99 /month /computer and, as the plan name suggests, allows an unlimited amount of online storage.
CrashPlan Family Unlimited costs $13.99 /month and offers an unlimited amount of online storage for up to 10 computers, all under the same account.
All CrashPlan plans offer discounts for longer terms. You can get most plans for over 40% off if you prepay for as long as four years.
3. Carbonite Review
Any exceptional backup service should be easy to use, automatic, reliable, and easy to restore from. Carbonite is all of these.
Many people rave about Carbonite’s online backup plans – they’ve been popular options for a very long time. My experience has been similarly positive.
All of Carbonite’s backup plans allow for an unlimited amount of data backup, are per-computer, and require at least a 1-year prepayment.
Carbonite’s lowest tier plan, Personal Basic, runs $5.00 /month ($59.99 /year). There are two higher tiers available as well, called Personal Plus and Personal Prime, and run $8.33 /month ($99.99 /year) and $12.50 /month ($149.99 /year), respectively. Each offers a few extras over the base service like external hard drive and mirror image support.
Carbonite has mobile apps available for iPhone and Android systems, and is one of the few online backup services with a BlackBerry app.
Carbonite also has business-class cloud backup plans. In fact, it tops my Business Online Backup services list.
Note: Carbonite used to throttle bandwidth after backing up a certain amount of data but is no longer doing so for new customers. This change may still be rolling out to existing customers.
4. SOS Online Backup Review
SOS is a big player in the online backup world, and for good reason. Both plans offer unlimited storage, unlimited versioning, external and network drive support, and tons more, all at a fantastic price.
SOS Personal Cloud (1) is $7.99 /month /computer and allows an unlimited amount of cloud storage.
SOS Personal Cloud (5) runs $39.95 /month, also offers an unlimited amount of storage space, but for up to 5 computers, all within the same account.
Both plans support an unlimited number of iOS and Android devices. Two-year prepayments can get those plans down to around $5.83 and $29.16 per month, respectively.
Note: Unlike some other online backup plans, SOS does not continuously backup all of your data – it occurs once per hour at most. However, certain types of files can be backed up instantly via SOS’s LiveProtect feature. I have more on this in my review.
5. SugarSync Review
SugarSync is different…. in a good way. It’s actually much more than an online backup service.
While SugarSync does “traditional” online backup just as well or better than much of its competition, it can also sync files between all of your devices, gives you access to your backed up data from your smartphone, and much more.
SugarSync has three tiers of online backup service: 100 GB for $9.99 /month, 250 GB for $24.99 /month, and 500 GB for $39.99 /month.
All three of SugarSync’s cloud backup plans offer support for an unlimited number of devices meaning you can back up your smartphones, laptops, tablets, and desktop computers all on the same account without any extra fees!
If you want more than just an online repository for safety’s sake, you will no doubt be very happy with SugarSync.
All three plans offer discounts if you prepay for a year at a time. SugarSync also has a business class plan as well as larger plans that you’ll have to get a quote for.
6. SpiderOak
SpiderOak is one of the better choices overall among the online backup services out there, especially when it comes to security.
I love any company that puts the effort they did into their Support, tutorials, and FAQ pages. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this kind of attention to customer support.
Pricing is pretty straightforward at SpiderOak. Everyone starts out with 2 GB of online backup space for FREE.
If you need more storage for your backups, you can select the 30 GB, 1 TB, or 5 TB plan for $7 /month, $12 /month, or $25 /month, respectively.
If you’re after a service run by a company that takes their lack of access to your files very seriously, you’re going to love SpiderOak!
A one year prepayment of any of the three plans I mentioned above will save you a little over the listed prices.
7. Mozy Review
Mozy’s online backup service works in a similar way to other services – you download and configure a piece of software and the backup is handled automatically in the background.
To get started with Mozy, visit their website and sign up for an account. Download and install their software, tell it what files or types of files to back up, and then set it to automatically back up whenever you like.
MozyHome Free is, you guessed it, completely free and gives you up to 2 GB of storage on Mozy’s servers.
MozyHome’s pricing is tiered: $5.99 /month for 50 GB from one computer and $9.99 /month for 125 GB of storage from up to three computers. Deep discounts can be had for one or two year prepayments.
Additional computers and each additional 20 GB of space can be had for an extra $2 per month, each.
Mozy used to offer an extremely popular unlimited backup plan but ended it in favor of its current tiered plan in early 2011. Mozy also seems to be changing focus, away from its consumer business and more toward its small business and enterprise offerings.
8. Zoolz
Zoolz is an online backup service with just about every limitation removed but with a small trade-off. While most online backup services allow pretty much instant restore, a restore will Zoolz can takes 3 to 5 hours to initiate.
Zoolz lets you backup all of your internal, external, and even network drives. There are no file type or size limits and nothing is ever deleted. If you’re looking for backup for archival purposes, Zoolz might be a great choice.
Four consumer-class plans are offered by Zoolz, all of which must be paid for by the year when you sign up.
Zoolz Basic gets you 100 GB and runs $1.25 /month ($14.99 /year). Back up as much as 500 GB with Zoolz Plus for $4.17 /month ($49.99 /year), 1 TB with Zoolz Family for $6.67 /month ($79.99 /year), or 4 TB with Zoolz Heavy for $25.00 /month (299.99 /year).
The 100 GB plan allows for backup from 1 computer, the 500 GB plan includes support for 3, and the two larger ones allow up to 5 computers on the same account.
Zoolz also offers Zoolz Business, a business-class plan.
9. Livedrive Review
Livedrive is an online backup service that offers an interesting mix of backup plans, a cost effective way to add computers, and a really nice computer and mobile app interface.
Livedrive “Backup” and “Pro Suite” are the two backup plans you can purchase. They both offer unlimited online backup, but the “Backup” plan only supports backing up 1 computer, whereas the “Pro Suite” can backup up to 5 computers.
Livedrive “Backup” runs $8.00 /month, and “Pro Suite” is $25 /month. With either plan, more computers can be added for just $1.50 /month for each one.
All Livedrive online backup plans offer significant discounts if you prepay for one or two years.
Another plan offered by Livedrive is called “Briefcase,” and is just an online storage plan that offers 2 TB of space – it doesn’t back up your files like a regular backup plan. Other features are included, though, like file sharing, file editing, file syncing, and more. This comes in at $16 /month.
If you purchase the “Pro Suite” plan, you get 5 TB of the “Briefcase” plan included, plus its added features.
“Military grade” AES-256 encryption, an excellent interface, and competitive pricing makes any of the Livedrive plans a good choice.
10. Bitcasa
Bitcasa skips the smaller storage increments you’ll find in most other online backup plans and give you access to much larger storage right out of the box.
You have three options with Bitcasa: a free plan that allows online backup and storage of up to 5 GB (more with friend referrals), a Premium plan that allows 1 TB for $10 /month, and a Pro plan allowing 10 TB for $99 /month.
All of Bitcasa’s plans can be prepaid for one year in advance for a substantial discount.
Bitcasa isn’t only an online backup service. It’s also a “hard drive in the cloud” so to speak. Interesting concept that doesn’t quite work as well as I’d like. More on this in my review.