SOS Online Backup Service
Summary:
This time around I reviewed SOS Online Backup to see what all the hype was about. Here’s what I found out:
Pros:
- unlimited mobile device backup
- unlimited storage space
- 11 geo redundant data center locations
- 24/7 customer support
Cons:
- no remote wipe
- not the most user-friendly software
- priced a bit high
Overall Score: 90/100
Overall, you definitely pay more to get more with SOS, so the real question is, is it worth it to you?
To get SOS Online Backup, sign up here: SOS Online Backup
To see the highest rated Online Backup Service that scored a 93/100 go here: IDrive Online Backup
——————–
Online backup services are incredibly useful for protecting you from the permanent loss of your files and information.
Viruses, theft, and physical damage to your devices can result in the permanent and devastating loss of irreplaceable memories and important documents.
You need to make sure you’re protected before you wish you were.
Online backup services have evolved a lot, and now go as far as to back up your mobile devices, sync your files, and often even share them with other users.
All of these features though can be a bit overwhelming, so I’m going to give you the lowdown on how to shop smart and get the best deal possible.
In this review, we’ll check out SOS Online Backup, and see what features their service has to offer, and how competitive their prices are.
I’ll explain what all of these features mean, and give you the knowledge to determine exactly what backup services are worth your hard-earned money. Let’s get started.
Will SOS Online Backup Work on My Operating System?
Okay, so let’s start with the basics. The first thing you need to look at when you start shopping around is operating system compatibility.
What devices do you need to back up? Is their software going to work on them?
Most programs are compatible with Windows and Mac at the least, with apps to back up and manage your mobile devices.
SOS’s software is compatible with both PC and Macs, though you won’t be able to use it on any Linux systems.
Of course, keep in mind that one subscription only covers one device (as is the case with a lot of these plans), so you can’t use one subscription interchangeably between the two systems.
Mobile Options
Most companies also offer mobile apps to work in conjunction with their software. These apps vary in what they can do, so be sure to get the specs of exactly what they’re capable of before you sign up.
Most of them offer at least account management and file syncing, while a few allow you to actually back up your mobile devices as well (what you can back up will also tend to vary).
SOS has some pretty sweet mobile capabilities. First of all, they have apps for both iOS and Android devices, so you can access your account on just about anything.
Not only do these apps allow you to sync and share files, but you can also back up an unlimited number of mobile devices with them.
For Android devices, you can back up just about anything, from apps, to contacts, to media files. With iOS, things are limited to photos and contacts only, but it’s still a pretty sweet deal.
Rating: 5/5 – Back up any device
What Kind of Features Does SOS Online Backup Have?
Okay, so now it’s time to get into some technical details. Unlike other web services and software, online backup is all pretty straightforward.
I’ll explain what all of these terms mean, and what you typically get with most service plans out there – then we’ll check out how SOS Online Backup compares.
Feature #1: Storage Space
This feature is one of the most basic, but also the most important.
Your storage space allowance is where it all starts, so make sure you have enough to back up everything you need to protect, with plenty of wiggle room.
Companies will often ding you with fees if you exceed these limits, so when in doubt, err on the side of the more the merrier.
This feature varies a lot from company to company – most tend to offer around 500GB.
However, but many are trying to stay ahead of the competition now and are offering unlimited storage space (hooray for the free market, right).
SOS offers their customers completely unlimited storage space to all of their customers – no premium plans required.
Rating: 5/5 – No storage space caps
Feature #2: File Size/Type Limitations
Thankfully this isn’t something you’ll see a whole lot of, but it is something to look into, as most companies aren’t likely to advertise it one way or the other.
In an effort to keep space on their servers free, some companies have restrictions in place on the types of files you can upload, and even size limits on individual files.
It’s not common, but it does indeed suck.
With SOS’s Online Backup service, there are zero file restrictions of any kind – go crazy kids.
Rating: 5/5 – No file restrictions
Feature #3: File Recovery
This feature is for those of us that suffer from Deletion Remorse – that icky feeling when you accidentally clean house and delete files you probably should have held onto.
Backup services with file recovery allow you to get those files back, typically within a time period of 30 days.
With SOS, there really is no permanently deleting a file from your backups – they have an unlimited window for file recovery, so you can get files back any time, no matter when you tried to remove them.
Rating: 5/5 – Unlimited file recovery
Feature #4: File Versioning
This feature is similar to file recovery, only it actually allows you recover previous versions of files that you’ve edited or saved over.
This is a feature that varies a lot as far as how many versions you can actually recover, but typically it’s between 10 and 30.
With SOS, once again, unlimited is the name of the game. Yea, that’s right, they keep everything.
Every version of every file you’ve ever backed up is permanently stored, and you can get it back any time you want.
Rating: 5/5 – Restore any file version
Feature #5: Continuous Backup
Continuous backup is a mode that most online backup services offer.
This basically allows the software to run constantly on your system, backing up files as they are added or modified automatically.
Typically this doesn’t eat up much memory, so your computer still runs smoothly, and most programs allow you to schedule backups as well.
SOS is like this, with continuous backup for users that want to set it and forget it, or a scheduling tool for those that prefer not to run those processes all the time. Either way, SOS doesn’t miss anything.
Rating: 5/5 – Automatic backups
Feature #6: External Hard Drive Backup
Most of us have seen one of these little bricks before, and a few of us have the misfortune of watching them get utterly destroyed or had them stolen.
External hard drives are great for freeing up storage space on your computer, but they’re only as secure as the environment they’re in.
With external hard drive backup, you can double up your protection while still keeping those files off of your computer.
Most companies offer this feature, just be sure to check and see if it’s included with the service plan you pick – sometimes they charge extra for it.
SOS includes external hard drive with their personal backup plan, so there are no extra fees to protect your files on these devices.
Rating: 5/5 –EHD backup included
Feature #7: File Sync
It’s nice to be able to access your backed up files on the go, so companies created this cool little feature that lets you do it.
Typically file syncing goes hand in hand with mobile apps, so if they have one, chances are they have the other.
With SOS, you can sync all of your devices up with your account and access your files anywhere and on any device, so it doesn’t matter what you had the originals on.
Rating: 5/5 – Apps make file syncing a breeze
Feature #8: File Sharing
Social media has become a great tool for sharing photos and files with each other, but file sharing with online backup services offers a bit more privacy, and a lot of convenience.
Not all companies offer this feature, but some make it really easy for users to share files via links or e-mails, keeping your files secure, and only sharing the content with who you specify.
SOS seems to have it all – you can not only sync your files with all of your devices, but you can securely share them with anyone you want, without worrying about third party involvement.
Rating: 5/5 – Convenient for sharing files
Feature #9: Throttle Controls (Bandwidth)
If you have a lot of files to back up on a regular basis, the bandwidth demands can bog down your system sometimes.
With throttle controls, you decide how much of your internet connection your backup software gets to use, and you can choose to speed things up, or slow them down while you do something else.
This is a very handy feature, and almost all companies are offering it now to help their users avoid frustrations while they back up their files. No surprises here – SOS also includes throttle controls.
Rating: 5/5 – You control the bandwidth usage
Feature #10: Free Trial
Most companies have figured out that if you can try before you buy, you’re more likely to buy in the first place. Free trials are pretty common, with most of them around 30 days.
There are some companies that let you use stripped-down versions of their software indefinitely though, and just slap a low storage space limit on it instead.
With SOS, you only get 15 days to try them out, but it’s more than enough time to get a feel for how the program runs, and whether it’s going to be something you’ll want to stick with.
Rating: 4/5 – 15 day free trial
How Secure Is It?
One of the biggest problems people have with using an online backup service are the security concerns – how do you know if your data will be truly private?
While you’re inevitably compromising a certain degree of your privacy by using online backup, here are a few things you can look into to make sure your data isn’t going further than you bargained for.
Feature #1: Geo Redundancy Backup
This feature isn’t one I see very often, but it’s a strong indication that your data is going to be safe and secure, no matter how unlucky you are.
What geo redundancy means is that even if the company’s data center is destroyed, another facility exists in a separate location with copies of your files, so nothing is lost forever.
Most companies only have one data center, but SOS blew me away when I learned that they actually have 11 of them, in locations all around the world.
Your data isn’t stored on all of them, but on clusters, so that there are multiple redundancies in place to protect your files from being lost.
Rating: 5/5 – 11 data center locations
Feature #2: Data encryption
Most companies go that extra mile to protect your files by encrypting them in route to their servers, and storing them in an encrypted state as well. This way, if they’re ever stolen, they’re completely unreadable to the thief, and your personal information is secure.
There are two basic standards of encryption – 128 and 256 bit, with the latter of the two being stronger. While both are pretty adequate at securing your files, 256 bit is the same grade used by the US military, so it’s tough stuff. SOS uses 256 bit encryption to protect your files both during transfer and storage, and they also transfer them over an ultra-secure SSL connection for an added layer of security.
Rating: 5/5 – Strongest security
Feature #3: User-Owned Encryption Key
With standard encryption protocols, typically the company that stores your data has the means of decrypting it with their standard key. With a user-owned encryption key, only you can. This unique key that you set is something even the company you store with doesn’t have access to, so your data is truly private, even from them.
SOS allows their users the option of creating their own encryption key – just make sure you don’t lose it. If you can’t remember your key, they have no way to retrieve it, and therefore no way to decrypt your data.
Rating: 5/5 – True privacy with a personal key
Feature #4: Server Ownership and Third Party Involvement
This isn’t a topic you’ll see discussed much on a company’s website, but it’s pretty important that you look into it. A lot of companies hire third parties to handle their data storage and encryption, and ultimately the more people that are involved, the less secure your data is. If they don’t specify it on their site, contact their customer support, and ask them if they own their own data centers.
I’m happy to report that SOS handles all of your files in house and owns every single one of their numerous data centers – there are absolutely no third parties involved with protecting or storing your data.
Rating: 5/5 – No third party involvement
Feature #5: Remote Wipe
If your device is ever stolen, the person that gets ahold of it is likely to have tons of your personal information. This can be used to empty your bank accounts and steal your identity in no time, so remote wipe is a great feature to have to protect yourself.
With this feature, if your device falls into the wrong hands, you can erase all of your sensitive data from anywhere. Not only is your information protected, but thanks to your backup software, your files aren’t even gone. I was surprised to find out that this is actually one feature SOS doesn’t offer.
Rating: 0/5 – No remote wipe
Is it Easy to Use?
This should go without saying, but don’t be fooled – despite all of these features, online backup software should be very easy to use. The modules should be clean and well organized, features should be easy to find and adjust, and you should be able to set it up with a few clicks.
I set up a free trial with SOS to see how simple their backup software was to use and set up. After entering in some personal information on their site, I was directed to the proper software package for my system, and ran the download, which took less than a minute. F
rom there I just ran the installation process, which was automated and only took a few minutes.
From there, you just login, and choose which type of account you want to set up – standard, UltraSafe, or UltraSafe Max, which differentiate in terms of security standards and encryption keys.
Once you select your account type, the program automatically starts scanning your system for files you may want to back up, and then you can start picking and choosing, or run a full system backup.
SOS’s software is easy enough to use, but honestly, I’m just not really crazy about how it works. You go through a series of prompts and windows to access certain options, like scheduling, instead of it all being on one screen. It works, and it’s easy enough to figure out, but the whole thing just isn’t very convenient to adjust or customize.
Rating: 3/5 – Not the best software setup
What If I Need Help?
Great customer service is absolutely a must for me. No matter what you’re buying, fast and professional support tells you they want your business and want to keep you happy. Here are a couple of things to consider along those lines.
24/7 Support?
First and foremost, how often are they in the office to take your call? If you’re having a problem with account access, not being able to reach them until the next business day at 9 a.m. may not do you a whole lot of good, so keep that in mind if the backup service you’re looking at doesn’t have 24/7 support.
This is a hard feature to pull off, and honestly, I don’t see a whole lot of backup services that come with round the clock support. SOS is one of the rarities, with staff available absolutely any time, day or night to answer your questions.
Rating: 5/5 – Nonstop customer service
Channels
This part refers to the ways you can get in touch with customer service. Typically a company offers at least e-mail support, along with one live option for instant help like live chat or phone support.
With SOS you have all of the options you could ever need – live chat, phone, and e-mail support. This is a company that truly goes above and beyond for their customers’ satisfaction, and it’s written all over their customer service.
Rating: 5/5 – Three ways to contact support
How Much Does SOS Online Backup Cost?
With so many options to choose from, prices for online backup services have never been more competitive. Most people can score a pretty comprehensive package deal for around $5 a month, or about $50 per year, depending on how they price things.
SOS does things on a monthly basis, and I was surprised to see that their pricing is actually bit higher than what most other companies are charging. This is likely due to their large number of data centers and round the clock customer support, but either way, it’s something to be aware of. How much are those features worth to you?
Rating: 3/5 – Prices a little high
Conclusion
Okay, so now that you know pretty much everything there is to know about shopping for backup software, let’s wrap things up and see how SOS did in our review.
Pros:
- compatible with most operating systems
- great mobile apps
- unlimited mobile device backup
- unlimited storage space
- no file size or type restrictions
- unlimited file versioning
- endless file recovery
- continuous automatic backup
- external hard drive backup included
- 15 day free trial
- bandwidth throttle controls
- file sharing
- file sync
- excellent geo redundancy
- military grade encryption
- optional user-owned encryption key
- no third party involvement
- 24/7 support
- live chat, e-mail, and phone support
Cons:
- not compatible with Linux systems
- no remote wipe
- software isn’t very user-friendly
- higher prices than competition
Overall Score: 90/100
Honestly, I wasn’t too surprised that SOS came with a higher price tag than what I usually see. A lot of companies don’t offer 24/7 support, or have more than one data center (let alone 11), so that’s kind of part of the deal with this one. If it’s worth the extra few bucks a month to you though, SOS has an amazing, comprehensive backup service that’s feature-packed and totally secure.
Their software needs some tweaking, but with such well-rounded customer support, I wouldn’t be at all worried about giving them a try.
If nothing else, keep shopping around, and use this feature list to help you make a smart purchase decision so you can get the most bang for your buck, and secure, easy to use backup to put your mind at ease, and your files in good hands.
To get SOS Online Backup, sign up here: SOS Online Backup
To see the highest rated Online Backup Service that scored a 93/100 go here: IDrive Online Backup
