Best Online Backup Service for Mac Computers
Summary: While Mac computers are some of the most secure around, they’re still vulnerable to hackers and physical damage.
Once your system becomes compromised, your files can be lost forever, or corrupted beyond recovery. With an online backup service, you never have to worry about losing your file again.
This software will automatically make sure every file in your system is stored privately and securely in a remote server.
For ultra-secure backup of your Mac computer, use the best in the biz – iDrive.
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Why Are My Files at Risk?
We’ve all heard the horror stories, and many of us have been unfortunate enough to have the experience firsthand.
In a split second, a virus corrupts our entire system, a cat kicks a glass of water onto our laptop, or our smartphone gets stolen out of our car, and suddenly, it’s all gone.
Think about how many photos you have on your smartphone. Think of how many important files you have saved on your computer.
Are any of them backed up somewhere else? External hard drives are great for clearing space on your devices, but they’re just as vulnerable to the same problems as the devices themselves.
To protect your files from permanent loss, you need a failsafe – you need an online backup service.
How Does Online Backup Work?
Online backup is similar to cloud storage, but it’s designed to be a failsafe to protect your files, not a replacement for their storage.
When you download backup software, it essentially copies everything that’s on your device, encrypts it, and sends it to the company’s servers, where it’s kept securely stored.
This way, if your device is ever lost, stolen, or damaged, your files aren’t, and can be easily retrieved and uploaded to your new device.
Top 3 Online Backup Services for Mac Computers
There are a lot of backup services to choose from, and some of the features can get pretty technical.
Here’s where I’ll explain what they mean, and which one is going to be your best option for backing up your Mac computer.
#1 Choice: iDrive – 9.5/10 – Mobile device backup included, great prices
Not only does iDrive have every feature you could want in an online backup service, but their prices are some of the lowest you’ll find.
For just over $44 a year, you get 1 TB of storage space, external hard drive backup, and even mobile device backup.
iDrive’s program is completely comprehensive. While it’s great for file backup, you can also use it to share files you specify discreetly and securely.
Plus, with their mobile apps, you can literally access every file you back up and store anytime, anywhere.
If you do run into problems, iDrive’s team is available via live chat and e-mail to answer all of your questions, and their customer support is always top notch.
If you have concerns about the privacy and security of your files, iDrive is one of the few that can actually put your mind at ease.
Their backup completely geo redundant (meaning your files aren’t lost even if their servers are damaged).
You also get the option of using a private encryption key to protect your files, so that even they don’t have access.
For a backup with remote wipe feature for theft protection, and a user-friendly interface for backing up your Mac computer, get iDrive now.
#2: CrashPlan – 7.5/10 – Unlimited storage space, but it’s not geo redundant
One terabyte is a massive amount of storage space, and should be enough for just about anyone to back up their entire system with.
If you’re worried about running over that limit though, CrashPlan is a good option since they offer completely unlimited storage space, with unlimited file versioning to boot.
This means that not only is your storage space unlimited, but you can even recover deleted or modified files for an indefinite period of time.
Of course, there’s a reason CrashPlan doesn’t score as high as iDrive here.
For starters, even though they have mobile apps to sync all of your files, you can’t actually back up your mobile devices with them. You also can’t share files – this is strictly a backup service.
iDrive offers the most access and ease of sharing the files you want with friends and family.
Next, it’s worth noting that though CrashPlan does own and operate all of their data centers, their backup service is not geo redundant, meaning all of your files are stored at one location.
If that center goes down, your files go with it. Stick with iDrive to have your files backed up in multiple locations – this is much better protection for your data.
However, with their military grade encryption and remote wipe feature, CrashPlan is exactly what their namesake suggests – a good basic plan if your system crashes.
CrashPlan can be found here.
#3: Acronis – 5/10 – No geo redundancy, much more expensive for Mac
Let me just preface this with saying, I am not a fan of Acronis. Their service is compatible with all systems, yes, but this is a company that absolutely nickel and dimes their customers.
Though Acronis’s plans start at $50, this price is only for PC backup. If you want to back up a Mac and PC system, or even just a Mac, it jumps to a whopping $75.
If that’s not enough, Acronis dangles 24/7 support like a carrot over the heads of their customers, which I find to be cheap and pretty disdainful.
You only get access to round the clock support with their premium, more high dollar plans.
While it is nice that their plans come with unlimited storage space, the bigger problem is definitely that you can’t recover deleted files – once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.
Though Acronis has all the basic features of a decent backup service, they lack geo redundancy, and there is no remote wipe feature with their service.
These points would be negligible if their prices were better, but considering their fees, there’s just no better way to say it:
Acronis is kind of a rip off. You can get a lot more for your money with iDrive.
Acronis is here.
Conclusion: Use iDrive for Secure Backup Anytime, Anywhere
If you’re looking into backing up your Mac computer, good for you.
There’s no time like the present to start making sure your files are secure and protected, and online backup services make it easy, with convenient features like:
- file syncing: access files on the go
- file sharing: share files privately and securely
- bandwidth throttling: control how much bandwidth the backup software uses
- incremental backup: schedule backups when it’s convenient for you
With these programs, it’s never been easier to make sure your files are protected against physical and virtual threats.
For the very best protection, at a price that won’t break the bank, back up your Mac computer with iDrive.
