Backing up your data is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself from hardware failures, ransomware, accidental deletion, and other data loss events. With so many backup solutions on the market, it can be tricky to determine which one is right for your needs. In this article, I’ll review some of the most reliable and highly-rated backup software products available in 2023 to help you choose the right solution.
Carbonite
Carbonite is one of the most well-known and highly-rated cloud backup services for consumers and small businesses. Some key features include:
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Automatic backup: Once installed, Carbonite runs quietly in the background to automatically protect your files without any action required on your part.
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Offsite backup: Your data is stored remotely on Carbonite’s secure servers, protecting you against local disasters like fires or floods.
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File restoration: You can easily restore lost or damaged files and folders. Carbonite keeps 30 days of version history.
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Mobile apps: Android and iOS apps allow access to your backed up files on the go.
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Affordable pricing: Plans start at $72 per year for unlimited backup for one computer.
Carbonite is a great set-it-and-forget-it backup solution for individuals and SMBs. It provides comprehensive protection without breaking the bank.
Acronis True Image
Acronis True Image is a full-disk imaging backup software that creates an exact replica of your PC’s hard drive. Key features include:
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Disk imaging: Backs up entire partitions or disks rather than just files and folders. This allows you to restore the exact state of your system from any backup point.
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Incremental backups: After the initial full backup, Acronis only backs up changed data to save time and storage space.
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Bootable rescue media: Lets you boot your system from the Acronis rescue CD/USB to restore backups when Windows won’t start.
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File sync and share: Syncs files across devices and includes file sharing capabilities.
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Mobile app: Allows remote management and restoration of backups.
Acronis True Image provides very comprehensive system protection for advanced users. Pricing starts at $49.99 for the standard version.
Backblaze
Backblaze is one of the most affordable and easy-to-use cloud backup solutions. Here are some standout features:
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Unlimited storage: Backblaze offers unlimited backup storage for just $6 per month. This is one of the best storage deals among cloud backup providers.
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Automatic backup: Once installed, Backblaze will automatically and continuously back up your data.
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Bootable restore options: You can create a bootable Backblaze USB drive to restore backups to a blank hard drive.
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File restoration: You can easily preview and restore previous versions of files and folders.
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Mobile app: Manage and access backups remotely from iOS and Android devices.
Backblaze is great for those seeking unlimited cloud backup storage on a budget. It offers robust functionality without complexity.
IDrive
IDrive offers both cloud backup and local backup options in one subscription. Key features:
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Hybrid backup: Back up locally to a drive of your choice and to IDrive cloud servers for complete protection.
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Continuous sync: Constantly syncs files across devices and the cloud to maintain up-to-date backups.
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File sharing: Share files and folders via email, Facebook, Twitter and a shareable link.
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Real-time backup: IDrive automatically detects file changes and uploads new file versions in real-time.
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IDrive Express: Seed your initial backup by shipping a hard drive to IDrive and they will load the data to the cloud for you.
IDrive provides great flexibility to protect your data locally and remotely. Pricing starts at $52.12 per year for 1TB of cloud storage space.
Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows
Veeam Agent provides image-based, file-level and cloud backup for Windows PCs. Key features include:
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Image-based backup: Creates entire system image backups to securely restore PCs to a previous state.
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Recovery media: Generates a bootable recovery flash drive to restore images to your PC or other computers.
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Incremental backups: Speeds up backups by only storing changed blocks after the first full backup.
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Compression: Backups are compressed to save storage space and network bandwidth.
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Backup to cloud: Supports backing up directly to public clouds like AWS, Azure and others.
Veeam Agent is a robust backup utility for Windows users looking for capabilities like imaging and cloud backups. The community edition is free for home use.
Conclusion
Reliable backup is critical to protect your important files and systems. I hope these reviews provide some guidance to choose a backup solution tailored to your specific needs and budget. The options covered include set-it-and-forget-it cloud backup, full system imaging, and hybrid models. Take the time to properly implement backup and you can rest easy knowing your data is protected. Let me know if you have any other questions!
