What's the best online backup service?

[StarTech15]

I'm thinking of storing my stuff in the cloud, but I have 3 concerns:

1) Money

2) Privacy

3) Need to backup up many devices

Does anyone have experience with a cloud backup application that is affordable, heavily encrypted and doesn't charge for each device you backup?

Thanks!

 

[smakme7757]

I use Jotta Cloud: https://www.jottacloud.com/

It's a Norwegian company based in Norway. All their equipment is in Norway, including datacenters. The reason I'm pointing this out is that Norway has some of the best privacy laws right up at the government level.

I pay around $120USD a year for unlimited storage and devices. I backup all my phones and my file server with it. I'm quite happy with the service.

I'm currently using 950GB of storage.

Check it out when you get time. They also have a free version where you get 5GB if you want to give it a go.

 

[lxskllr]

I use Jotta Cloud: https://www.jottacloud.com/

It's a Norwegian company based in Norway. All their equipment is in Norway, including datacenters. The reason I'm pointing this out is that Norway has some of the best privacy laws right up at the government level.

I pay around $120USD a year for unlimited storage and devices. I backup all my phones and my file server with it. I'm quite happy with the service.

I'm currently using 950GB of storage.

Check it out when you get time. They also have a free version where you get 5GB if you want to give it a go.

I'm not a big fan of security through policy. Policy can change in a stroke of the pen. I like SpiderOak's model of "We can't see what you're storing". Jotta looks decent, especially when compared to professional rats like Dropbox, but I think it could be better.

 

[smakme7757]

I encrypt everything that's stored on Jotta. So its not a concern for me.

I tried spider oak but it was slow as buggery for me. I got like 300Kb/s no matter what I did. Even their websites doesn't load for me. No idea why. So I just dropped it.

Seems down now as well .

But policy is as good as it gets for most people. Certainly much better than companies based in the USA.

https://Spideroak.com is down according to: http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/. So yea, same problems i had when i was looking into it a year or so ago.

 

[lxskllr]

https://Spideroak.com is down according to: http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/. So yea, same problems i had when i was looking into it a year or so ago.

Hmm,,, Yea, the server timed out this morning when I updated my system. I guess I never noticed downtime with the way I use it. I deal with small quantities, and flexible syncing. Happening /sometime/ is good enough. Data I've needed has always been there, and slow is good enough with the file sizes I use.

 

[smakme7757]

Hmm,,, Yea, the server timed out this morning when I updated my system. I guess I never noticed downtime with the way I use it. I deal with small quantities, and flexible syncing. Happening /sometime/ is good enough. Data I've needed has always been there, and slow is good enough with the file sizes I use.

Perfectly understandable.

It was the holy grail. I tried to use it for about 3 weeks and just gave up unfortunately.

I landed on Jotta and just pre-encrypt everything in individual .Zip files (AES 256) before they get sent up. All scripted of course and automatic, but it achieves my goal of encrypted offsite storage.

 

[StarTech15]

Hi guys. Thanks for the suggestions!

I ended up going with IDrive online backup. They just started offering unlimited backup for up to 5 mobile devices. $4.99/year. Super cheap and I can backup and restore my family's iOS and Android devices from one account.

They also have 256-bit AES encryption with a private key option so no one but me can view my data.

https://www.idrive.com/mobile

 

[Hooobi]

Thoughts on using unlimited OneDrive storage for backups? Also, are security concerns lessened by using it in conjunction with encrypted compressed files?

 

[StarTech15]

Thoughts on using unlimited OneDrive storage for backups? Also, are security concerns lessened by using it in conjunction with encrypted compressed files?

IDrive is not the same company as OneDrive. Sorry for the mix up.

 

[Code42]

Hi!
I work for Code42, so I'm biased, but CrashPlan offers a zero-knowledge, non-escrowed, 448-bit custom key encryption option. Plus, we support local backup, and backup to a friend's computer, for maximum protection.
Our cloud is unlimited and unthrottled, and you can try us free for 30 days! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[KeithP]

Hi!
I work for Code42, so I'm biased, but CrashPlan offers a zero-knowledge, non-escrowed, 448-bit custom key encryption option. Plus, we support local backup, and backup to a friend's computer, for maximum protection.
Our cloud is unlimited and unthrottled, and you can try us free for 30 days! Let me know if you have any questions.

Does CrashPlan still require Java? If so, are they any plans to move away from Java?

-KeithP

 

[Code42]

It does for now, Keith. But we've recently updated our cloud to version 4.1.x (our client is currently 3.6.x) to support the forthcoming native (4.x) client. We're getting very close!

 

[KeithP]

Great news. Thanks for the update and keep us posted.

-KeithP

 

[etherealfocus]

Vote here for CrashPlan Pro. I've recommended it to half a dozen companies now and never had a complaint. It's fast, reliable, compatible with Mac/Windows/Linux, the Linux client actually *works*, pricing is very fair, and you get the option of unlimited storage with per-machine pricing or unlimited machines with per-GB pricing. Bonus: Their website lets you input your number of computers and total storage requirement and suggests the cheaper plan.

I've only had to use their support once (regarding VSS compatibility issues with a Counterpoint POS database) and they couldn't resolve the issue but were courteous, responsive, and technically proficient.

Finally, unlike certain competitors (*coughCarbonitecough*), Crashplan doesn't charge a crazy server tax. My primary company pays $10/mo to back up around 300GB of data from a Windows Server 2008R2 DC. Backs up to a USB hard drive as well as Crashplan Cloud and works like a charm.

I've only come across two use cases where Crashplan isn't the preferred option.

a) Certain database/POS systems, Counterpoint in particular. Crashplan uses VSS which has compatibility issues with some databases. Crashplan can operate without VSS, but then of course in-use files don't get backed up which can be a disaster on a DC. We ended up migrating Counterpoint off the DC to a dedicated box (good practice anyway) and using ShadowProtect through the Counterpoint vendor in this case. Crashplan Pro covers the DC just fine in the absence of finicky databases.

b) My personal setup, where OneDrive is just what the doctor ordered. I sync about 150GB across 4 PCs and OneDrive matches my workflow perfectly. It only offers versioning for Office docs, but that's all I need.

Hope that helps!

EDIT: given my glowing recommendation, I should probably state that I get no kickbacks of any kind from Code42/Crashplan. I'm not a member of any affiliate program; just a happy customer.