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CrashPlan+

Est. $33 per year for 10 GB
Reviewed
May 2013
by ConsumerSearch
Crashplan Online Backup

Local and online backup service

Pros
  • Local and online backup
  • Linux support
  • Unlimited file versioning
  • Unlimited storage plan available
Cons
  • Backups take up large amount of bandwidth
  • No icons indicating backup status
Where to Buy
 

Bottom Line

Critics give Crashplan+ (Est. $33 per year for 10 GB) high marks for value because you can back data up to three different locations -- online, to an external hard drive and to another computer -- which provides better security for your data. It's also available for Linux as well as Windows and Mac. The free Crashplan service is identical to Crashplan+ but lacks the option to back up your data to the company's cloud; an unlimited plan is also offered.

Ease of Use

Easy to navigate interface. Even though it offers numerous backup options, reviewers say Crashplan+ is simple to use and makes it easy to select your files and the locations where you want to back them up. It's also easy to manually select your files if you don't want to back up automatically. This is, in part, due to the easy-to-navigate interface. Crashplan offers multiple avenues of customer support: email, chat and phone, forums, FAQs, new user documentation, videos, step-by-step guides and reference guides.

However, reviewers say Crashplan+ backups tend to slow down your computer, making it difficult to get anything else done, and testers report that the data transfer between a PC and Crashplan's servers is very slow. Others dislike that there is no visual indication of whether a file is backed up or waiting to be backed up. Reviewers also remark disparagingly on the ads found in the free version of Crashplan, though those are eliminated with premium subscriptions.

Features

Works with Linux. Reviewers like that Crashplan+ backs up your files to an external hard drive and/or another computer in addition to online. You can even save your files to a friend's computer (or any other Internet-connected computer) as long as he or she has a Crashplan account. Crashplan is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems, and covers the mobile arena with iOS, Android and Windows phone apps.

Unlimited file versioning is a boon if you ever want to restore a previous revision of a file that you've long since written over, and Crashplan+ protects your data with 448-bit Blowfish encryption. Users of the free Crashplan service only get 128-bit encryption, however. Like SOS Online Backup, Crashplan+ never truly deletes your data, enabling you to recover long-deleted files easily.

Plans

Unlimited storage. Reviewers say that the subscription-based Crashplan+ is a great value, giving you unlimited storage for a single PC for just $60 a year -- less than any other online backup service that provides unlimited storage. If you need a smaller amount of storage space, the basic plan for $10 per month offers 100 GB of space. The Family plan (Est. $150 per year) offers unlimited space to those with two to 10 computers. Local backup and backing up to another computer are available for free as part of the basic Crashplan client.

Our Sources

1. TechRadar.com

Britain's TechRadar.com picks Crashplan+ as the best choice among six online backup services tested, though the edge it holds is small. Still, Christopher Brennan calls Crashplan+ "solid, easy to use and reliable."

Review: 6 of the Best Online Backup Services for Mac , Christopher Brennan, Feb. 18, 2011

2. Computerworld.com

Computerworld.com's Brian Nadel finds a lot to like about Crashplan, including its unlimited file versioning, Linux support and the ability to back up the operating system. However, his tests showed Crashplan to have the slowest upload speeds by far, which ends up costing it the crown to Mozy.

Review: 5 Online Backup Services Keep Your Data Safe, Brian Nadel, Feb. 6, 2012

3. PCMag.com

PCMag.com weighs in on Crashplan's features, including the ability to create multiple backup sets. Michael Muchmore finds lots to like, but also a few shortcomings compared to other solutions.

Review: Crashplan 3.0, Michael Muchmore, Jan. 20, 2011

4. Macworld

Leah Yamshon awards Crashplan+ an impressive 4.5 mice out of 5, for its ease of use, clean interface and customization options. She also praises the way that the iOS app and the Mac software work together. She says, however, that the initial backup can be slow.

Review: Crashplan+: Reliable Cloud Backup and Online Storage, Leah Yamshon, May 16, 2012

5. Lifehacker.com

Lifehacker.com gives Crashplan+ the crown as the best online backup service available for Windows PCs. (A sister publication's review gives it the same award for Macs.) Crashplan+'s low price for unlimited storage and its multitude of backup options are the deciding factor, although Gordon says that "it's not as simple to set up as some of its alternatives."

Review: The Best Online Backup App for Windows, Whitson Gordon, April 3, 2012

6. MaximumPC.com

Mark Edward Soper evaluates five top cloud storage services, describing basic functionality and the highlights of each. "Crashplan provides the greatest flexibility in backup destinations in its free service, and offers the bonus of cloud and local storage at a flat rate," he says.

Review: The Back-Up Plan: We Examine 5 Cloud-Based Services, Mark Edward Soper, Feb. 24, 2011

7. Arstechnica.com

Andrew Cunningham introduces his review of Crashplan by stating that this service offers better features and pricing than its competitors. He reports that it's easy for regular users to perform tasks such as selecting files and folders for backup, while advanced users can customize the encryption passwords and set limits for the bandwidth and processing time the backup uses.

Review: Hands-on with Crashplan: Cloud Backup for All, Andrew Cunningham, May 18, 2012

8. About.com

Crashplan+ lands at the top of About.com's list of the top online backup services thanks to the strength and flexibility of its software combined with its high-value pricing plans. The review itself is very brief, however.

Review: 26 Online Backup Services Reviewed, Tim Fisher, Updated May 2013

9. JunAuza.com

TechSource's Jun Auza says Crashplan is one of the eight best online backup services available to Linux users, although Crashplan's brief blurb is more of a description of features than a comparative review.

Review: 8 of the Best Online Backup Services for Linux, Jun Auza, June 19, 2010

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