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Tuesday, November 5th
At first glance, Backblaze seems like one of the best online backup deals out there, offering unlimited data storage with their low-cost plan. However, Backblaze does not offer more comprehensive security or backup solutions - such as complete disk imaging - and their services are limited to one computer per subscription. As such, while a good choice for those seeking online backup services on a budget, Backblaze is ultimately not the best you can find.
Carbonite Safe is an online backup service that offers personal plans for single computers, and business solutions for up to 25 computers, in addition to server backups. We don't recommend Carbonite Safe for most clients, as services that are included in other companies' base plans - such as the physical mailing of backups - are simply not offered by Carbonite Safe without subscribing to their "Premium” plan. In addition, they were found to have engaged in fake-review posting in 2006, and artificially throttling customer upload speeds in 2012. In short, while there is nothing bad about Carbonite Safe's services themselves, the company has a history of shady practices, and you are likely to get a better value with a more highly-rated online backup provider.
When it comes to backups and cybersecurity, you can never be too safe, especially when it comes to your files. When we use our computers, everything we save feels permanent, but that permanence is - quite frankly - an illusion. Everything saved is saved somewhere on a physical drive, which means that far from existing in some ethereal cloud, your files can be lost.
Your computer could just break one day from wear, have water spilled on it, be dropped, or even locked-in with a ransomware attack. This isn't even to mention the fact that hard drives decay. In fact, every single hard drive and SSD WILL fail at some point - it's just a matter of when. All of these issues explain why online backup services have exploded in popularity over the last several years.
Online backup services are super convenient. Gone are the days when users had to manually transfer data to external hard drives or rely on physical backups that could be lost or damaged. Online backup services automate the process, running in the background and ensuring that data is continuously backed up. This automation makes it easy on users and eliminates the need for manual backups, saving both time and effort.
Another reason why online backup services are so popular is they are an efficient and cost-effective solution for data management. Traditional backup methods often required substantial investments in physical hardware, such as extra hard drives, discs, and cables. These would have to be upgraded as technology (and storage limits) increased. Then, to prevent against environmental damage (such as fire or rain), the backup data needed to be physically moved and stored at another location. Online backup services, on the other hand, offer scalable, pay-as-you-go pricing models, require no additional equipment, and enjoy built-in offsite storage.
Furthermore, online backup services offer continuing technology improvements at no additional cost. Many providers offer advanced features like versioning, which allows users to retrieve previous versions of files, and continuous backup, which ensures that even the smallest changes are saved throughout the day. This not only enhances data integrity but also offers peace of mind, knowing that the data is always up-to-date and recoverable.
There are a host of services out there to help you save critical data and protect your computer from damage or malicious actors. However it can be a bit confusing when it comes to finding the right online backup service that meets your particular needs.
Here are some features to look for when comparing the various online backup services:
While some things involving computers can feel overwhelming, and saved files are in no way as permanent as they seem, some simple and prudent steps taken today can save you a host of headaches (or the pain of lost photographs, memories, or critical work) down the line. To that end, we've collected the best services we could find and rated them based on their reliability, price, and technical merits. We here at Top Consumer Reviews hope that our curated list can help you make an informed choice as you take steps to secure your critical files.
Select any 2 Online Backup Services to compare them head to head