Online Backup Services: Ratings of Sources
Total of 23 Sources
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
Storage & Backup Software Reviews
by Editors of Web User
Our Assessment
Britain's Web User is especially helpful for their comparative reviews. Each year editors review a group of online backup services and award the top three performers a Web User Gold, Silver or Bronze award. While each service receives its own review, editors typically compare services within these reviews.
Latest Online Backup Reviews
by Editors of PC Pro
Our Assessment
PC Pro, based in Great Britain, is a prolific reviewer of online backup services, and many of their reviews have been conducted in the past few months. PC Pro uses a six-star rating system, and several… backup services earn five stars or higher. Some services are designated as "PC Pro Recommended," but the highest-rated online backup -- SugarSync -- receives a "PC Pro Lab Winner" award. Popular services like Mozy get only average ratings.
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Online backup services
by Glenn Fleishman
Our Assessment
CrashPlan Central and Jungle Disk earn the highest ratings in this comparative review from Glenn Fleishman at Macworld. Seven online backup providers are tested, and each receives a rating on a five-point scale. Fleishman discusses pricing, ease of use, interface designs and security. Carbonite and MozyHome are also tested, although they receive lower ratings.
Labs: Online Backups
by Tom Gorham
Our Assessment
This review from the British edition of Mac User offers one of the best comparative reviews we found for Mac-compatible online backup services. Tom Gorham tests six Mac-friendly backups and rates each one.… Each service receives a detailed review and the services are compared within it. BackBlaze is the "lab winner," but Dropbox also gets a high rating. MozyHome and IDrive receive only average ratings.
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Product Guides: Online Backup
by Editors of PCMag.com
Our Assessment
The editors of PCMag.com test and rate a number of online backup services, but few get higher than a four-star rating. We focused on the most recent reviews for this report, but since no online backup… services received an Editor's Choice award for 2009, we included the award winners from 2008 -- SOS Online Backup and Genie Backup Manager Professional 8.0. For 2009, Data Deposit Box gets very good reviews.
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Online Backup
by Editors of Computer Shopper (U.K.)
Our Assessment
There are a good amount of online backup reviews here, and each service is rated. MozyHome and Humyo Premium are deemed "best buys." Each online backup service receives its own detailed review, but editors offer some comparisons between services.
7. Which? magazine
Not Dated
Backup software packages reviews
by Editors of Which? magazine
Our Assessment
Which? Magazine is the British equivalent of ConsumerReports.org. Editors conduct independent testing on a variety of consumer products, including 13 backup software packages, but only a few are online services. One popular online backup service earns a Best Buy award. Another online service is highly rated, but doesn't receive an award.
Utilities
by Editors of PC World (Australia)
Our Assessment
PC World (Australia) has solid, in-depth reviews based on relevant testing. However, only a few backup services have been reviewed recently, including F-Secure Online Backup and ZumoDrive.
Disk Tools and Backup
by Editors of MacWorld (U.K.)
Our Assessment
The British edition of MacWorld has a good number of online-backup reviews. As would be expected, MacWorld only reviews online backup services that work with Macintosh computers. Syncplicity earns an Editors' Choice award, but the company has since withdrawn their Mac beta client.
Reviews
by Editors of PC Advisor
Our Assessment
PC Advisor conducts detailed tests and writes balanced reviews, but most backup services get similar average ratings. Still, PC Advisor has more recent reviews than many other publications.
Backup Software
by Editors of PC Authority (Austraila)
Our Assessment
PC Authority posts a good number of recent backup reviews, and each service is rated on a six-point scale. The best services earn A-List awards. Acronis True Image, Carbonite and IDrive all get high ratings.
12. ConsumerReports.org
Not Dated
Backup Systems
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Our Assessment
ConsumerReports.org doesn't conduct detailed testing on online backup systems, but editors do review several popular services. Unlike most reports, the services are not rated. Two online backup services are listed as "one of the best choices."
Our Reviews
by Editors of BackupReview.info
Our Assessment
BackupReview.info includes reviews from its own tests as well as links to other reviews. The site's own reviews include an overall rating for each service tested, and write-ups are detailed though somewhat uneven in quality. SpareBackup, Data Deposit Box and Carbonite receive the highest ratings.
Latest Storage Reviews & Articles
by Editors of NotebookReview.com
Our Assessment
NotebookReview.com is a good source to check for reviews of online backup services, but since editors don't provide a rating system, it's hard to tell which service is best overall. Several backup services were reviewed recently, including Norton Online Backup, IDrive Online Backup, Mozy Online Backup and Carbonite Online Backup.
Other Software
by Editors of TechRadar.com
Our Assessment
This site is home to a number of British-based computer magazines, and they have a good amount of reviews. Some of the reviews featured here are also available on the individual magazine's website, but we… make sure to only count those recommendations once. Navigation is a nuisance since tons of other types of software and services are also listed. Most of the reviews are based on testing, but they aren't quite as detailed as the sources we rank higher. Several online backup sites get ratings of four stars or better, including Carbonite and SugarSync.
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Utilities Reviews
by Editors of PC World
Our Assessment
PC World conducts pretty thorough testing, but it hasn't posted many recent reviews of online backup services. Most reviews come from a group test that editors conducted in August 2008. While helpful, it is quickly becoming outdated.
Product Reviews: Carbonite
by Kenny Hemphill
Our Assessment
Carbonite isn't included in Mac User's lab test, but this single-product review is helpful. Kenny Hemphill tests and evaluates Carbonite for Mac users. The backup service gets a perfect, five-star rating.
The Dog Ate My Hard Drive
by Farhad Manjoo
Our Assessment
In this article, Farhad Manjoo discusses local and online backup options. He tested both Mozy and Carbonite and bemoans how slow they are, though he found Mozy slightly faster. He also prefers Mozy's interface, but in the end, he recommends users try both and make their own decision.
Latest MobileMe Takes Out Glitches and Eases Syncing
by Walt Mossberg
Our Assessment
This brief article updates an earlier, largely negative report on Apple's MobileMe. Walt Mossberg says that Apple has fixed most issues and the service is now "prompt and reliable," at least for Apple users. Windows users are still in for a bit of a bumpy ride, however.
Software Reviews
by Editors of Laptop Magazine
Our Assessment
While its testing is solid, Laptop Magazine hasn't posted any recent reviews of online backup services. SugarSync won an Editors' Choice award in 2008, but that's the most recent online-backup review we found. This listing is a catch-all for the site's software reviews, so finding those that focus on online backup solutions isn't easy.
2009 Webware 100 winners
by Rafe Needleman
Our Assessment
Each year, CNET compiles a list of 100 "cool web apps" that are recognized as Webware 100 winners. For 2009, Carbonite, Mozy and Windows Live SkyDrive win awards in the infrastructure and storage category. However, it appears that none of the programs has undergone an extensive review.
Software
by Chris Hall
Our Assessment
Pocket-lint.com doesn't review many backup services, but it does have pretty thorough reviews of Carbonite for both Macs and PCs. Reviewer Chris Hall thinks they are both good choices.
Great No-Cost Software
by Mark Spoonauer
Our Assessment
This article isn't solely about online backup, and it's not clear if the author has personally tested the products he recommends. Mark Spoonauer calls Mozy the best free software for automatic backup, but it only receives a short overview and no drawbacks are noted.
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