What would happen if your laptop or desktop computer didn’t power on tomorrow? Would you lose everything on it? Most people have iCloud or Google backup their smartphones without a second thought and even pay a few bucks a month to have everything backed up, but have nothing for their computer.
To make sure you have every photo, document, song backed up somewhere safe, we recommend choosing a cloud backup service. They’ll backup your computer automatically ensuring that if something were to happen to your computer, you wouldn’t lose anything. We’ve done the research and handpicked the top five best cloud backup services available in 2021. Keep reading to find the best cloud backup service for you.
With these cloud services, although it’s not required, we recommend having a high-speed internet provider like EarthLink, Spectrum Internet, Verizon Fios, or MetroNet to quickly transfer your files.
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IDrive
Price: Free to $199.50 a year
Storage limit: 5 GB to 10 TB
IDrive is ranked first on our list for its reasonable pricing and option for backup and retrieval of data via physical storage to save on data and bandwidth if you ever need it. The service also saves previous versions of all files backed up to your account as well. Just be mindful of the storage cap you pay for and clear out what you don’t need.
IDrive has plans for personal use, teams, and businesses; so how many devices, users, storage, and other perks varies. However, if you’re looking for an unlimited storage option, you won’t find it with IDrive.
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Acronis True Image
Price: $49.99 to $124.99 a year
Storage limit: 500 Mbps to 5 TB
Acronis True Image is ranked second on our list for their extra assortment of security protection along with their mobile, social media, and syncing options. Although Acronis True Image is great for experienced users and those who are also shopping for any of the added features, there are many plans and it does get confusing fast if you’re unfamiliar with all the terminology involved.
All of Acronis True Image plans include flexible backups, active disk cloning, ransomware protection, quick recovery, and universal restore.
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Backblaze
Price: $60 a year
Storage limit: Unlimited
Backblaze is ranked third on our list for their unlimited storage and ease of use with set it and forget it backups. The service also has a few useful features beyond storage like locating a missing or stolen computer if the unthinkable happens.
All Backblaze personal accounts come with automatic backups, unlimited storage, unlimited file sizes, offsite backup, and more for one device. They have business plans as well if that’s what you’re looking for. If you decide that Backblaze might be for you, they do have a 15 day free trial for all accounts that you can take advantage of before committing to the service.
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Carbonite Safe
Price: $72 to $600 a year
Storage limit: Unlimited
Carbonite Safe is ranked fourth on our list for their unlimited storage and ability to comb through deleted files and previous versions of files up to a month from deletion or revision. Although Carbonite Safe gets quite pricey quickly, their service can manage nearly everything regarding your backups without becoming a new monthly task for you to deal with.
All of Carbonite Safe plans come with automatic cloud backup, customer support seven days a week, external hard drive backups, remote access to computer files, minimum 128-bit encryption and Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus.
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Microsoft OneDrive
Price: Free to $99 a year
Storage limit: 5 GB to 1 TB per user
Microsoft OneDrive is ranked fifth on our list for its integration with Office 365. Most people who work or attend classes from their computers need Office 365 anyway to do work and assignments so it only makes sense to ensure those files are backed up with your Office apps.
All Microsoft OneDrive plans include advanced sync technology, mobile apps, web-based access to your files, version history, and more. While you’re unlikely to save any money if you don’t need any of the Office 365 apps, their backup service is an easy and cheap add-on if you do.