Cheapest Online Backup

Looking for an inexpensive online backup service?

There are many online backup providers out there, but their services wary widely and they all offer a range of prices. We tested the top three for you, and here are our findings. Note that the cheapest online backup service is not necessarily the best. Although it should be noted that the same goes for the most expensive.

Why backup your files to begin with?

You've arrived at this article, so chances are you've lost files or are concerned you might. The truth is, 43% of computer users lose files every year. The files can range from family photos to sensitive documents and irreplaceable emails. It doesn't take long to install and run an online backup service.  Most of the online backup software has come a long way since the services started popping up in the marketplace over a decade ago. Many of them offer secure and seamless integration into your operating environment, and will backup files on the fly without you having to do anything.

Things to look for in an online backup service

The best online hard drive backup service will offer the following:

• Install easily
• Integrate seamlessly with your operating system
• Not slow down your computer while you work
• Securely transmit and store your files online
• The ability to backup network drives and external hard drives, in addition to local hard drives.
• The ability to synchronize data between your backup storage and your local storage. That way backups occur automatically based on file differences (ie. you don't have to manually transfer files for backup).
• Store your files in multiple geographic locations for redundancy (ie. if a snow storm or earthquake destroys a data center, there should be a mirrored backup elsewhere)
• Not conflict with existing software, especially backup software
• Have a high upload speed (this is especially useful when you do your initial backup - our tests show that some services take days longer for a large data load)
• Offer their service at an affordable price (but remember, the cheapest online backup service is not necessarily the best)
• The business should have existed for some time, and have a strong customer backing and client base (ie. you don't want them to go under while your important and sensitive files are backed up with them) 

Spider Oak - CWD Editor's Pick

Spider Oak, a new player in the online backup field, aims to differentiate itself from the other players in the field by offering a combination of the strengths of its competitors. Click here to try them for free, and if you sign up using the banner icon at left, you can use one of the promo codes we list below after you install the service (note that these may expire at any time).

Spider Oak Promo Codes

• reddit - 20% off 100 GB plan.
• spring - 25% off annual services.
• chrispirillo - 10% off all premium plans.
• recovery5 - 30% discount on all plans

Here's a bulleted list of the online backup features you'll get with Spider Oak:

• Access all your data in one de-duplicated location
• Configurable multi-platform synchronization
• Preserve all historical versions & deleted files
• Share folders instantly in web ShareRooms w / RSS
• Retrieve files from any internet-connected device
• Comprehensive 'zero-knowledge' data encryption
• 2 GBs Free / $10 per 100 GBs / Unlimited devices

Now we go over the overall qualities of the Spider Oak backup service based on our experience with the system, and explain why we feel Spider Oak is the best online backup service out there at this time:

• Overall: 4.25 / 5. Spider Oak carries the highest overall score of all the online backup services in our review. Go ahead and give them a try - it's free. What have you got to lose?
• Installation: 5. Spider Oak installs without much difficulty on all the major operating systems. Because it runs as a virtual machine - the installation and interface are identical regardless of the operating system you're running. In addition, you can install Spider Oak on as many different platforms as you choose. You pay only for the amount of data you backup, not the number of installations.
• Backing up: 4. The backup process is relatively simple and very comprehensive. You select the drives and folders you want backed up, and Spider Oak does the rest. It will backup all files (unlike Carbonite, which filters out certain files such as video files, system files, etc.) on all drives (external or network - which most competing services do not).
• Restoring: 5. Due to the platform independent architecture of the Spider Oak system, it's a breeze to restore files on any O/S of platform (an issue with competing services such as Carbonite, where restoring on a different O/S can be a problem). In addition, you can remotely access your files from any Internet connection. You're also able to setup password protected "sharing" areas where colleagues can access data. Files are kept synchronized across all platforms, so you can collaborate on projects and backup the data while you're working on it from multiple locations. A huge plus for business projects with multiple users.
• Compatibility: 5. This is where Spider Oak shines. The platform independent architecture (like a virtual system) makes Spider Oak look and act the same, regardless of the O/S you're working on. You're also able to restore from any system using the same looking and functioning interface, as well as a remote connection that allows you to backup without installing the software on the host machine.
• Security: 4. Spider Oak is serious about security. Not only are the files encrypted during transmission, they are encrypted on the remote drives as well. While this may be standard, they go to the extra precaution of keeping your password and encryption data completely separate from your backup data - so no one but you can gain access to your data. On the other hand, this provides the risk that if you lose your password you may not be able to access your data, so make sure to keep backups of your passwords as well (in fact, you may want to back it up to a separate online location).
• Speed: 4. Spider Oak isn't the fastest of the bunch. It has algorithms used during its synchronization process that make backing up files that are used frequently very efficient, at the same time it needs to work out some kinks when backing up larger quantities of large files. But, with the constant updates we're confident this will be resolved in an upgrade in the near future.
• Cost: 3. Spider Oak is a bit more pricey than the competition, but as is true with just about anything in life, you get what you pay for. And when we're talking about the security of your data, family photos, etc. - why take a chance? With Spider Oak, you literally get what you pay for - and you only pay for what you get. You pay $10/ month per 100GB that need backing up. If you're using less than 2GB, however (which is handy for securing a few very important documents), you can backup your data for free.
• Company: 4. Spider Oak is a privately held company that provides cloud-based personal data management services. They're a new player in the online backup field, but so far they're holding up to their claims and are already establishing themselves as a strong long-term player.
• Cons: Note - these features are due to be resolved in an upcoming release. At the time of this writing, you cannot control the amount of bandwidth used during backup - which can result in sluggish system performance. It appears after further testing that this is primarily an issue in the beginning, when there's lots of backing up to be done - and less of an issue once the initial backup is complete. Another issue - when backing up large files that change regularly - such as your Outlook storage file (.pst) or Thunderbird profile folder, the system can get overwhelmed and hang. Spider Oak claims they will address these problems in an upcoming release due out later this year.

Carbonite - New Kid on the Block

Out of all the services we tested, Carbonite proved to have the second best combination of the above qualities. Click here to try Carbonite for free. That, and while it wasn't the cheapest online backup service, it certainly came close. Here's a quick snapshot profile of pro's and con's for Carbonite online backup. We rate each quality on a scale of 1 - 5, 1 being the worst, and 5 being the best:

• Overall: 3.75 / 5. Carbonite, while very strong in the automated backup and ease of use field, falls short on compatibility and the ability to backup all files from different drives across multiple platforms. In terms of pricing, however, it's bang for the buck.
• Installation: 5 - Installed easily and effortlessly, and was up and running in minutes.
  
• Backing up: 3 - In this category Carbonite leads the pack as far as automation (setup and leave it) goes. The software is so automatic that you barely need to lift a finger. Just point and tell it what to backup (you can backup whole drives at a time), and it will do the rest. It will backup new files, changed files, and even open files (files that you're currently working on). One of the major drawbacks is that it filters out certain file types (details in the cons section below), and will not backup external or network drives.
• Restoring: 3 - The main drawback with Carbonite's restoring features is that they don't integrate into the operating system shell (right-click and voila) the way its backup features do. In order to restore a file or group of files, you need to actually navigate the online Carbonite drive and find your file(s). How far back can you restore files? Up to 90 days.
• Compatibility: 3 - this is one of the areas where users say Carbonite needs a bit of improvement. Apparently restoring files across different operating systems is not the easiest or most reliable task.
• Security: 4 - It doesn't have the crazy 448-bit Blowfish encryption that competitor Mozy sports, but then again, unless you're protecting government files, you probably don't need that. And if you are protecting government files, even Blowfish won't cut it. Finally, you need to actually install the Carbonite software on the PC you're restoring to - and input your access keys. This is important - something that Mozy overlooked when it gave its users the ability to email backup files (not a very secure function).
• Speed: 4 - not blazing fast, but fast enough. And you can check a box that will throttle the bandwidth if you're working on your computer, so your tasks (Internet browsing) won't be slowed to a crawl by the backup service.
• Cost: 4 - While not the cheapest of the online backup services, it comes in very affordable at $49.50/ year for both personal and business account, with unlimited space.
• Company: 4 - While Carbonite is very young (their online backup service launched in May 2006; the company was founded in 2005), the reviews from its rapidly expanding client base are glowing. They sport a database of 2.5 billion files, with a record of 160 million lost files restored and recovered. That's a lot of relieved people. Furthermore, they have clients signed up in over 100 countries.  
• Cons: 
  • One of the main complaints we receive with Carbonite is that it filters out certain file types (such as video files, system files, etc.) by default (aka will not back them up unless you individually select them for backup). This included our Lightning (the Thunderbird) calendar file - we had to purchase hard disk recovery software just go get our calendar data back.
  • One of the cons that came to light with the Carbonite online backup service was their lack of support for external and network drives - an appealing feature for businesses. Hopefully they'll add support in the near future.
  • Another issue some people reported was the ability to successfully restore documents across different operating environments. For example, some users had trouble restoring large database sets (ie. archived email files) from earlier Windows operating systems.

Mozy - the Former Champ

The Mozy online backup service was one of the first in its field. Click here to try Mozy for free, and use the promo code corresponding to the current month (ie. if it's June, use JUNE, if it's August, use AUGUST) to save 10% off off annual and biennial Mozy subscriptions. For a limited time, you can get up to $30 off annual and biennial Mozy subscriptions by using promotional code MOZY at checkout. Hurry, offer ends Monday, November 30, 2009.

Home Unlimited and MozyPro sign upsIts parent company, EMC, is one of the most reknown names in data storage. Mozy is very inexpensive (there's even a free account for under 2GB storage space, making it the cheapest online backup service on the market), but there's a catch - you don't get all the backup service with their home product, which retails for $4.95/ month, as you do with their pro service. Thus, while on the surface it might look like the cheapest online backup service, if you're a corporation with relatively complex backup needs, costs will add up quickly. Here's the low down on Mozy:

• Overall: 3.5 / 5. Mozy was one of the first players in the online backup arena. They do a good job, and offer a solid product, but just haven't quite kept up with the new features the competition is now offering.
• Installation: 4 - the software installs without too much trouble. But it's not as easy to use, or as flexible as some of the other online backup services.
• Backing up: 3 - not nearly as strong as Carbonite. You're not able to point and click at individual files you want to backup when you browse through them in Windows or Mac OS, but instead have to go through the settings panel to select your files. The control panel, on the other hand, does give you a little more control, and more options, than competing online backup services. In particular, you can filter by file type, which we found useful. However, the interface is old looking and is not very intuitive.
• Restoring: 4 - In the restoration department, on the other hand, Mozy takes an edge over its competition. The flexibility and customization of the files you want to restore is solid - you can search for specific files and create filters based on filenames and extensions. How long are files kept? 30 days back. Not quite as strong as Carbonite's 90 days, and doesn't stand a candle against HP Upline's unlimited backup history.
• Compatibility: 4 - Mozy works well and integrates effortlessly into Windows and Mac operating systems. However, you have to pay extra (and get Mozy Pro) for Windows Server and Mac OS X Server support).
• Security: 3 - The blowfish encryption on the server itself is extremely powerful. But Mozy falls short in that it offers users the ability to email backup files - something that the makers of competing online backup services consider to be a serious security flaw.
• Speed: 2 - Mozy did not backup nearly as quickly as Carbonite and competing online backup services in our tests. One nice aspect is that they allow a bandwidth speed test, and they estimate how many GB's you'll be able to backup in a given day. However, the estimate always fell short of the actual upload time.
• Cost: 4 - Mozy offers three different payment plans. The first garners them the honor of cheapest online backup provider, by allowing 2GB of free storage. The second offers users of Mozy home unlimited backup storage for $4.95/ month (which adds up to $59.40/ year, slightly more than Carbonite's $49.50/ year). But finally, if you want all of Mozy's services, you'll need to get the Pro version, which supports:
  • SQL, Exchange, and file servers; Storage pooling; Network share/ mapped drive support; Windows Server and MAC OS X Server support; centralized administration, billing, & phone support; and HTTPS proxy support.
  • Pricing for Mozy Pro is as follows: Desktop Licenses: $3.95 + $0.50/GB per month; Server Licenses: $6.95 + $0.50/GB per month.
• Company: 4 - Mozy was the former ultimate solution in the online backup service provider space, but the entry of Carbonite and HP Upline have given them competition. Like Carbonite, Mozy was founded in 2005 - but brought their backup service online sooner than Carbonite.
• Cons: The backup interface is somewhat complex, and upload speeds can be sluggish. Cost is slightly more expensive than Carbonite, especially if you're in a Server operating environment; and integration and seamlessness fall just short of Carbonite and HP Upline.

HP Upline Online Backup - the newest and priciest player

Update - UP Upline has been discontinued as of 2/09. We're leaving the review here only for comparison purposes. Out of this group, the advantage UP Upline carries is that it offers potentially the simplest, best looking, and easiest to use interface and functionality of the online backup services. It will serve you well for the basic backing up of files - but you'll notice that the service lacks some of the more advanced and comprehensive features found in Carbonite and Mozy - namely, open-file backup (backing up a file while working on it) and version-saving (saving multiple versions of a file).

• Overall : 3.875. HP Upline was a solid service, but unfortunately has been discontinued.
• Installation: 5 - Installation is a breeze - the installer detects if your Windows operating environment is running the correct software (MS .NET 2.0) and proceeds to install itself accordingly.
• Backing up: 3 - The backing up features HP Upline does offer are solid - you can do local backups (to an external hard drive or DVD, for example - a feature not offered by the other online backup services); you can filter by file extensions; and it's fairly simple browsing for and selecting the files for backup. Where HP Upline falls short, however, is in the ability to backup open files, and to save more than one version of a file. Finally, there is no integration in the Windows Shell - which means you won't see (like you do with Carbonite) which files have and have not been backed up. You need to login to the HP Upline service to see this. Last but not least, you can't resume an interrupted upload. During the initial upload, which takes hours, this could waste you a lot of time.
• Restoring: 4 - Restoring files is fairly simple via the HP Upline web client. And, unlike the other online backup services, you have the option of searching for the files you wish to store - by name, size, etc. - which will help you quickly locate a specific group of files for restoration. If you need to restore everything - you'll need to reinstall the client software on the computer you're restoring to and follow the steps. The thing to note is that only the most recent version of your backups will be restored, because as mentioned, that's all that HP Upline backs up (it does not do version-controlled backup).
• Compatibility: 2 - Restoring individual files from the web client was simple enough, but when we tried to do a full restore on various Windows PC's (running XP and Vista), we ran into some problems. If the PC's aren't exactly the same (running the same operating system) you may have troubles getting everything restored, although reportedly HP Upline is working on this problem.
• Security: 5 - the security here is solid, 448-bit Blowfish encryption on the server, and standard 128-bit encryption during upload (the same your bank uses). Also, they safeguard your encryption key for you, something that Carbonite does, but they also give you the option of safeguarding it yourself, which in our opinion is too risky - leaving the prospect of data loss open to user error.
• Speed: 5 - Upload speeds are impressive, as are download speeds - and local backups are the speediest of all.
• Cost: 2 - HP Upline is one of the pricier online storage options. Which is probably why they failed to be profitable, given the cost of cloud storage, and ultimately had to shut down.
• Company: 5 - HP (Hewlett Packard) is a computer company that has been in the business for decades. However, they're new to the online backup space. We can only hope they put enough resources into their online backup service to keep it updated and with the times, and don't let it grow stale. That said, you don't need to worry about HP going under any time soon, as could be the case with some of the exclusive outfits that rely on online backup as their online service.
• Cons: No version-controlled backup, which means only the most recent version of your files is backed up. This can be especially troublesome if it backs up a corrupted or infected file, or one where you accidentally deleted something - and you need to roll back to an earlier version of the file. Other issues include no open-file backup (which means you can't be working on the file while it backs up), and while you're uploading (backing up) your files you can't let the upload connection get interrupted or disconnected as you'll have to start all over.