A short intro to the Best Cloud Storage
The demand for cloud storage services has spiked dramatically in the last decade or so. Cloud storage has become a reliable solution not just among individuals and in households but also among big corporations that are looking to secure or backup their data somewhere else. As you can expect, the continued increase in demand for cloud storage services has also increased the number of providers in the market. The good news from all this is that the competition has helped in reducing the costs of securing cloud storage significantly. We also have several providers that offer free cloud storage services. These are excellent to everyone who can’t spare any budget for the same, but unfortunately, these providers usually have a maximum limit like Apple’s iCloud which gives you free 5GB which once you’ve exhaust, you’ll be forced to get onto their commercial packages to get more space. 5GB is pretty small in today’s digital world and hence if you are looking for more space for free, then we’d recommend that you go for other providers such as Google Drive which offers up to 15GB of free space.
Other than cost and pricing, one vital thing that everyone needs to consider before using any cloud storage is security. This is very crucial, especially if you are hoping to store sensitive information, be it at individual or business levels. Look for Cloud Storage service with an excellent track record on security and privacy and additional features employed towards making sure that no one accesses your documents unauthorized.
What’s the Best Cloud Storage?
Carbonite is the best cloud storage. The provider offers excellent protection to both family and small businesses’ data. They also have competitive prices with some plans going for as low as $6/month. Here is a review of what Carbonite has to offer:
Carbonite
Carbonite offers numerous data backup and protection plans, making them an excellent option for almost everyone. Their plans are well broken down to make sure you don’t end up paying for something you don’t need. For instance, you could choose the number of devices or computers that you want to use Carbonite on. If you are only operating with a single PC, you’ll get a reasonable price, making it very efficient, unlike some providers who bundle up everything into one or two plans.
With Carbonite, you’ll choose between a personal and small business protection plan. Under the personal bracket, you are allowed to choose the number of computers you want to protect or back up and any servers that you might also want to cover. There is also the option of choosing whether the plan should adhere to various regulations such as HIPAA. All of these options allow you to get a proper package not just for yourself but for your entire home. It’s important to note that different options here will come with different features, and this is also reflected in the price tag. For instance, single computer protection comes with 128-bit encryption, automatic cloud backups, customer support, external hard drive backups – which is optional – and the ability to access your files remotely. This basic plan for a single computer costs $6 per month, which is very reasonable, and you can get the Plus or Prime version, which cost more but offer more features. If you are protecting multiple computers, you will get the same features and a few extras, including centralized management and administration controls and HIPAA, GLBA, and FERPA support. All of this will cost you $24/month. Finally, you can protect both your computers and servers for $50 per month and get even more features including 256-bit encryption, databases and applications backups and Bare Metal Restore.
They also offer several plans for their small business clients including the Basic Computer Backup that provides 128-bit encryption, automatic cloud backup, ransomware recovery, customer support and HPAA, GLBA, FERPA support; Advanced Endpoint Protection offering almost the same features except for the 256-bit encryption and protection to not just Macs and PCs but also on tablets and smartphones; finally, you have Basic Server Backup exclusively for windows which is available in both 128-bit and 256-bit encryption and supports various applications including MySQL, SQL, System State, Exchange, and SharePoint.
Other than the excellent packages, Carbonite is also popular for how easy it is to use. Installation is a very simple step, and the software can even automatically detect the files that should be protected, or you could do it yourself. We also liked this provider due to how efficient and light it is. Carbonite can go on backing your data in real-time, and you will barely notice any changes with how your PC or Mac is performing or behaving. The recovery process is also super smooth not just in cases involving accidental file deletion, but even when you are dealing with ransomware, computer crashes, and other complex issues.
pCloud
pCloud is another incredible cloud storage provider offering excellent services for as low as $4.99 per month. Other than their affordable monthly plans, pCloud also has Annual and Lifetime packages. Of course, you will get more value for your money going for a Lifetime plan, but the major issue is coming up with the initial payment. pCloud also has an amazing family package that allows you to share 2TB of storage space with up to 4 people.
pCloud offers a myriad of features enhancing both the security and the general user experience. For instance, all files get 256-bit AES encryption, and they also provide TLS and SSL channel protection. To eliminate the risk of your files getting lost, the files will be backed up in different servers and so even if something was to happen with a single server, there would still be a copy of your file somewhere else. You can also choose to add an extra layer of encryption, and this is really useful when sensitive files are involved.
Through pCloud, you can generate, and even brand links to your Storage and share them with your friends or workmates. They can then download or upload other documents using these links. You could also create a shared folder and invite different users to post their documents or files to the folder.
You can sync pCloud to your smartphone and other devices. This gives you access to HDD extensions, offline access, and even allow your camera rolls to be uploaded automatically. Other than synchronizing pCloud to your devices, you can also backup files directly from other platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and other Cloud Storage solutions such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive. This means that you don’t have to download files to your device before you can upload them to pCloud. This convenience has also been extended to uploading of documents allowing you to do so remotely by just pasting the URL.
One of the most interesting things about pCloud is the in-built media player for both video and audio files that allows you to stream videos from pCloud directly!
A few other notable features of pCloud include Rewind Account which allows you to access and recover the versions of your account that are as old as 30 days.
IDrive
IDrive offers decent data backup and protection solutions for both individuals and businesses. Both of these packages are available at fair prices, and they are currently running an offer of 2TB Storage for just $52.12 for the first year! Meanwhile, the IDrive business is starting at around $74.62, which is reasonable given the features offered.
The provider is available on different operating systems, including macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. Other than being available on different operating systems, IDrive can be linked to several devices allowing you to sync different folders and files in real-time.
This cloud storage also comes with Snapshots which retain different versions of your files (up to 30). This is a good thing in various ways like say you want a copy of your file from two weeks ago and not the current one that you updated. Through the Snapshots and versioning, IDrive will supply you with that file. It’s also a good thing in that if your files were to be affected by a crash or ransomware, you will still have copies of your work, and this should save you from having to create your work from scratch. You can also retrieve files from trash provided that they haven’t been deleted for more than 30 days.
IDrive also performs really well in the security front. The cloud storage uses 256-bit AES encryption with a user-defined key. This key is never stored on the servers, and hence you’ll never have to worry about the security and privacy of your documents.
IDrive allows its users to back up entire drives, and the best part is how fast this is executed. The provider compresses the files, thus boosting the network bandwidth, allowing your files to be uploaded superfast. Accessing these files is very easy and can even be done remotely through their mobile apps. In case you want to delete the files permanently, you will have to run the Archive Cleanup function. This minimizes the risk of accidentally deleting the files you still need. IDrive also provides notifications on backup status, share reports, and other essentials to keep you updated on what’s going on with your cloud storage.
The IDrive Business package offers even better features including a server cloud backup for running servers and databases for Exchange, SharePoint, Oracle, SQL, Oracle, Linux, and Office 365. User will also get the new IDrive Thin Client which supports backups and account management through the web. You can also: backup physical data and they provide three free transfers every year; create several sub-accounts and manage them from an administrator console, Onsite Bare-Metal Disaster Recovery, and compliance with various regulations such as HPAA, GLBA, FINRA, and SOX.