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IDrive Review

Wednesday, February 19th

2025 Online Backup Service Reviews

IDrive Review 4.5 Star Rating

IDrive

4.5 Star Rating
  • 10gb free storage to get started
  • 100gb for $2.95 per year (Mini plan)
  • 5TB for $59.52 per year (Personal plan)
  • Business and server backups offered
  • True archiving: no auto-deleted files
  • Sliding scale pricing per needed storage

With premium features at excellent prices, iDrive distinguishes itself as one of the best value backup services on the market. With a wide range of low-cost plans to choose from, not only will you be able to find the exact storage that fits your needs and budget, but their robust backup services for unlimited devices will ensure that your files are secure and safe.

Wide range of backup tools

When it comes to security for your files and for your backups, iDrive does an excellent job: you have the option for cloud based backups, entire system/computer cloning, and even disk imaging should you need to backup your entire computer or a virtual machine. In short, iDrive offers you multiple ways to back up your files for ultimate security. In addition, iDrive encrypts your files, allows you to control the encryption key, and supports two-factor authentication: all in all, iDrive provides all the tools you need to ensure that your files (and their backups) are kept safe and secure.

Excellent range of offerings

iDrive has a range of low-cost plans - billed yearly - that offer a nice set of data backup options for an overall low price. Across every plan, you can customize how much storage you need, and adjust your price accordingly, with a nice discount added should you agree to pay per year or every two years instead of monthly.

  • At a mere $2.95 per year, iDrive's Mini Plan lets you back up 100GB of data, which can be increased to 500GB for $9.95 per year.
  • iDrive's Personal Plan will let you backup 5TB of data from multiple computers for $59.92 per year.
  • iDrive's Team Plan designed for small businesses lets you backup multiple computers, and includes an admin control panel and the ability to create monitored "sub-accounts” for your employees.
  • Finally, iDrive's Business Plan includes 250gb of backup per user, unlimited users, and backup for entire servers.

Also, keep in mind that iDrive offers 10gb of free storage to get you started and test out their product: an excellent way to see if iDrive is the right choice for your home or business.

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True archiving standard across all plans

What really distinguishes iDrive from competitors is their "true archiving” policy. Where a vast majority of competitors will automatically delete backups with no corollary on your hard drive after 30 days, iDrive never deletes any backups unless you specifically direct them to do so, or you set up their "automatic file cleanup” service to periodically prune files. This means that, if you need to access an accidentally deleted file or file version, you can rest assured that iDrive will have your file, and that it won't have been automatically deleted on their end. However, because iDrive never deletes anything without you giving them the go-ahead, there is a risk of running over your agreed storage backup limit, which can net you a monthly fine. In contrast to lower-rated services on our list, the fees for going over your data limit are minimal, and can easily be remedied by running their "storage cleanup” service.

Excellent value, a few drawbacks

While iDrive's services are an excellent value, there are still some negative reviews from customers, though most tend to be positive. A primary complaint from customers is that iDrive does not automatically prevent you from exceeding your data storage limit, which can lead to unwanted charges. In addition, some customers report frustration with customer service. However, on a popular aggregate review site, iDrive has earned a 4 out of 5 stars overall, and is very responsive to customer complaints. So even with some complaints, iDrive still seems to be doing an excellent job. Should you purchase online backup services through iDrive, be sure to check out their "automatic cleanup” function to avoid unwanted charges.

One of the best, only a few blemishes

iDrive is absolutely one of the best backups out there for the average user. With a host of security and organizational features, true archiving, and generous pricing, iDrive beats out their competitors on most all fronts. There are only two things keeping them from the top of our list: the fact that your device will exceed storage limits automatically (unless you actively manage your files or set up their "auto-cleanup” function), and slightly mixed customer reviews regarding their customer service. These two blemishes aside, iDrive is by far the best bargain out there for providing online backup services.

Which Online Backup Service is the Best?

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.

The Best Online Backup Services Compare Online Backup Services Compare Online Backup Service Reviews What are the best Online Backup Services Best Online Backup Service Reviews

Online Backup Service FAQ

Online backup services give customers the ability to back up, secure and restore their files. In the event of data theft, hard drive failure or other loss, clients can easily get their information back from the service's cloud storage facilities.
Definitely not. Anyone can benefit from having their computers backed up to a secure cloud, whether the data contains sensitive financial data or treasured digital photos.
For the average personal user, the monthly fee starts at around $5. Business pricing begins around $30/month. Fees vary by the number of users and the amount of desired offsite storage space.
Free services are handy, but they're not designed to give you automated backup and seamless restoration of your files. If you're not on top of saving absolutely everything on your computer, your free storage is going to be incomplete. Using an online backup service with regularly scheduled backups is the best way to ensure that none of your files are lost.
At least once a week. Your online backup service may allow you to have continuous backups; your system is monitored constantly for any files that have been deleted, modified, created or moved and it updates accordingly in the background with no effort on your part.
If you use a reputable, reliable provider, your files are extremely secure. Be sure to choose a service that encrypts the data not only as it's being transferred but also as it's stored in their cloud. You should also check to see how your encryption key is stored; if you've got serious concerns, pick a service that allows you to create your own private key (and don't lose it, because the service won't be able to recover your data if you don't have the key). Finally, it's worth asking where your provider's data centers are located; ones in the EU and US are preferred.
That will depend on how much you're backing up and your internet speed. It could take as little as an hour or as long as a week.
That's a frequent complaint among users of online backup services: difficulty in accessing support at all stages of the relationship (questions prior to signing up, during the initial backup process, several months into the service). Some providers have a better track record than others in this regard, so if you expect it to be less than smooth sailing because you're not tech-savvy, you should carefully choose an online backup service with a reputation for helpful, reliable customer support.
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Continued from above...

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:

  • Disk imaging. A full disk imaging compresses your entire computer into an easily-transported file. Disk imaging is a great choice for a full backup (including your OS and any virtual machines), but may be overkill for the casual user. Decide if you need something at this level before you start looking for an online backup service, so that you only pay for what you'll actually use.
  • Cloud. A cloud service allows you to edit files hosted on an external server. This can be an excellent way to secure files and programs you are actively editing or sharing with others.
  • Deletion policies. Keep in mind that most backup services have a 30-day deletion policy unless they explicitly say otherwise. This means that if your computer doesn't communicate with their servers for 30 days, or it detects that you've deleted a file on your hard drive, it will be deleted in their backup. That being said, the best services on our list do not auto delete your backups or files.
  • Customer service. If you are going to be trusting a company to backup your data, responsive and robust customer service is a must. Be sure to check customer reviews before signing up for a backup service.

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.

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