See All Online Backup Services

iDrive

*Est. $5 per month for 150 GB

Reviewed

May 2012

by ConsumerSearch

Pros

Free 5 GB storage
Rich features
Windows, Mac compatible
Timeline Restore feature

Cons

Some find it too complicated
Slow
Mac, Windows versions aren't compatible with each other
No unlimited storage options

Where to Buy

Our Analysis
Specs

Reviewers say IDrive offers more features than basic online backup services like MozyHome (*Est. $6 per month for 50 GB) or Carbonite (*Est. $60 per year for unlimited storage). IDrive offers 5 GB of storage for free, or you can opt for more storage with paid subscriptions, which start at $50 per year for 150 GB per computer. IDrive has useful features such as file searching and drag-and-drop file restoration. It also saves the last 30 versions of your files. Reviewers say these features set it apart from cheaper online backup services. Like most of its competitors, IDrive requires separate software, but there's also a Mac version. The interface has been redone, and reviewers say it's less cluttered and easier to navigate. Even so, some reviewers prefer SOS Online Backup (*Est. $80 per year for 50 GB), which offers unlimited file versioning and lots of other additional features.

IDrive gets decent coverage by reviewers. NotebookReview.com and PC Pro have the most recent reviews. Both sources also rate the service, which makes it easy to see how IDrive stacks up against the competition. Slightly older reviews at PCMag.com and CNET are also worth looking at.

Where To Buy

Our Sources

1. Mac Format

Of all the online backup services Christopher Brennan covers in this comparative roundup (originally published by Britain's MacFormat and posted at TechRadar.com, a sister site), he seems to like IDrive the least. He says it's expensive and the sync interface could confuse novice users.

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

2. NextAdvisor.com

IDrive is one of the few online backup services that doesn't receive a perfect score from NextAdvisor.com. The editors found the service to be highly configurable, but found the mobile apps to be largely useless and the interface "clunky" compared to other cloud storage providers.

Review: IDrive Review: Online Cloud Backup, Editors of NextAdvisor.com

3. NotebookReview.com

Charles Jefferies says IDrive has a robust feature set and decent file versioning. However, he would like to see an option for unlimited storage.

Review: IDrive Online Backup Review, Charles Jefferies, Sept. 14, 2010

4. PC Pro

Stuart Andrews at PC Pro says IDrive has a good amount of functionality and a positive user experience. He rates it 5 stars out of 6. However, he does report some glitches when backing up modified files.

Review: IDrive Review, Stuart Andrews, Aug. 19, 2010

5. PCMag.com

IDrive earns a score of 3.5 out of 5 from PCMag.com. Although Michael Muchmore says the online backup service has improved, he prefers SOS Online Backup, which earns the Editors' Choice award.

Review: IDrive (2011), Michael Muchmore, March 10, 2011

6. About.com

Like other reviewers, About.com's Tim Fisher finds IDrive's interface to be less polished than other services'. However, advanced features -- including server and network storage support and continuous backup -- earn it the last slot on the site's list of the six best online backup services. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Review: 6 Online Backup Services Reviewed, Tim Fisher, Updated May 2012

Dropbox Free up to 2 GB

9 picks including: PCMag.com, PC Pro…

Carbonite *Est. $60 per year for unlimited storage

4 picks including: PCMag.com, PC Pro…

Microsoft SkyDrive *Free up to 7 GB

4 picks including: Laptop Magazine, Gizmodo.com…

Livedrive *Est. $8 per month for unlimited storage

3 picks including: PC Pro, NextAdvisor.com…

Apple iCloud *Free up to 5 GB

3 picks by top review sites.

iDrive *Est. $5 per month for 150 GB