Online Backup Review

Options for online backup and storage

Experts agree that all computer owners should use some kind of backup solution to protect against data loss or corruption. Online backup services can be a good alternative to backups on CDs, DVDs or additional hard drives, all of which are subject to physical damage and may involve a time-consuming backup process. These online services allow users to store their most important or bloated files (such as music and videos) on a secure remote server. Some even allow file sharing with friends, family members or coworkers. Reviews warn that online backup is not a replacement for traditional backup strategies, but it can be good secondary protection against unforeseen issues such as fire, theft or sudden hardware failures.

We found a number of good reviews for online backup services, but details can get outdated quickly. Online backup companies fix old problems or develop new ones and change policies and prices. PC Magazine offers the most comprehensive reviews with comparisons to competitors and a detailed description of what it's like to actually work with the service. PC Pro, a British computer magazine, updated its online backup roundup in September 2008, giving five out of eight services a four-star (out of six) rating. The reviews at InformationWeek and Ars Technica are older, but each offers an excellent roundup of five online backup services based on hands-on tests. Consumer Reports tests online storage services, but that review is also older and much shorter on details.

We didn't find an up-to-date source of user reviews for online backup services, but we found many blogs and forums advocating or disparaging specific online backup companies. Most only cover one online backup service, and the opinions are typically based on the writer's most recent experiences with the service. It's not unusual for a blogger to sing a service's praises until they run into a glitch three months later and then make strong recommendations to their readers to avoid the service. We did find some bloggers, however, who compared two or more services and have included them in the Our Sources section.

Lots of reviewers report upload and download speeds, but those figures can vary widely from your own experience. Many factors can impact data transfer speeds, including your computer, the nature of the Internet connection and the distance to the backup server. As an example, Michael Muchmore of PC Magazine says IDrive (free for up to 2 GB) had the fastest upload and download times of all those he tested. In contrast, Steffen Nielsen of Danish magazine Komputer for Alle complains the service was slow. You may not be able to control upload and download speeds due to one factor or another, so it's best to be prepared for a long initial upload on the first backup. Subsequent backups are a breeze, however, because these services only back up changed portions of files, sometimes within minutes of the change being made.