ONLINE BACKUP

An online backup service is something that everyone with a pc should seriously consider. Buying home insurance and auto insurance, to keep our assets safe, is second nature for most of us. Similarly, if you keep anything of importance on your pc, you should consider online backup a necessity.

Many people don't utilize any backup system whatsoever. This is extremely risky, since a computer's hard drive will inevitably fail - and destroy everything on it in the process. Some people have a backup hard drive that periodically makes a copy of important files. While this is better than no protection at all, it's still vulnerable to events such as theft and fire.

Online backup services have recently matured into a product that is both easy and affordable. Using your existing internet connection, online backup services make copies of critical documents - or even your entire hard drive - and store these copies in a location away from your home. This form of digital insurance protects you from hard drive crashes and physical disasters - all with one affordable service.

Finding the right online backup service is critical in protecting your digital information. Not all online backup services are the same. It's important to consider several factors before choosing an online backup service provider:

• Process. Is the backup process automated or does it rely on the user remembering to save the data?

• Ease of Use. How simple is the interface? Can you easily find and restore your backup files?

• Cost. Some online backup services are actually free; others charge a low monthly fee, and still others have a different pricing structure. How much can you expect to pay and how does that compare to the competition?

TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best online backup services available today. We hope you find these reviews helpful in protecting your important data!

MOZY

Mozy offers a well established, well-regarded online backup service. The $4.95 per month for unlimited storage is among the best in the marketplace. Especially among home users, Mozy is a top choice with their simple to use and reliable product. Mozy deserves and receives our highest rating.

SUGARSYNC

SugarSync's online backup service includes the added feature of file-syncing which allows the user to work on the same file on different computers. While a little higher priced then some of their competitors, SugarSync is a very reliable and well regarded service that receives high marks from many reviewers and customers alike.

IDRIVE

IDrive has a much improved user interface that utilizes animated videos to make the remote online backup process easy. They also have one of the strongest customer support systems in the industry. While the $4.95 per month price covers only up to 150 GB of storage space versus unlimited storage as several competitors do, this is usually plenty for the average consumer customer and a great price.

KEEPIT

KeepIt offers a very good and reliable online backup service that has all of the features a typical home user wants: user-friendly, simple interface, file versioning, automatic backups and works with all of the most common Windows and Mac platforms, all for a low monthly price for unlimited storage. The only downside is the digital security key that must be known or you could have big trouble retrieving your data.

BACKUPMAX

In addition to being an online backup provider, Backupmax provides a unique security feature with their backup service that enables the user to remotely delete and even track their computer if it is lost or stolen. If you store very sensitive data on your computer, this service is worth further investigation.

LIVE DRIVE

Live Drive has its pro's and con's. Without paying for the higher end service, Live Drive is only meant for a single PC with no synchronization capabilities. However, files may be accessed through your PC, mobile or the web. We would have liked to have seen a longer free trial offer as Live Drive works a little differently then the standard online backup system.

BOX

Box is much more of a file sharing and collaboration service then an online backup provider. Their market is small and large businesses. If your need is to have two or more users located in different offices, cities, states or countries then this is an outstanding product. However, if your needs are purely and primarily for an offsite, online backup provider, this one is not for you.

DRIVE HQ

While DriveHQ's basic backup systems reportedly work well enough, their user interface is cluttered and hard to navigate. Additionally, their pricing plans are somewhat complicated. They are decidedly focused on the business rather then the consumer market. Even with that, there are better choices available.