It has also launched IDrive 360, a new end-point administration platform for backing up multiple computers to a secure cloud. In April 2021, the company extended its Synology NAS backup application, so that it can be used on more devices. IDrive Online Backup, the core backup product, has also seen incremental updates. With IDrive now selling cloud computing and virtual private servers (IDrive Compute), the answer to “what is IDrive?” isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. IDrive tries to offer a solution to every individual, business, and enterprise need, and it shows no signs of stopping at backup solutions. Its performance on the photo storage side has seen it top our ranking of the best cloud storage for photos, too. Over the last year, it has released IDrive Photos (a photo storage app for iOS and Android), IDrive Mirror (a cloud-based disk image backup), and ZipDrive, a way to create your own personal cloud server. IDrive is a company constantly pushing to expand and move into new areas. You can use this to back up your phone’s images, files, contacts, SMSs, and call logs to your IDrive online account.
IDrive also has an app for Android and iOS devices. All paid accounts include some IDrive Express transfers included for free. The data is then transferred to IDrive’s servers. IDrive will send you a physical storage device to copy your files onto, and you ship the device back to IDrive. If you have a lot of data to back up, you can use IDrive Express. There’s an online web dashboard where you can access all your files and check logs. The additional storage this uses does not affect your data quota.
IDrive retains up to 30 previous versions of your files online. Similarly, there’s a Continuous Data Protection feature that will automatically and continuously back up files under 500MB in size. IDrive includes a sync feature, which can keep the files in a folder on all your devices synced. You can choose exactly when and how often backups are performed, and start backups as soon as the computer is turned on. Set it up correctly, and you have a hybrid backup solution where you can access local backups quickly, while still having a safe copy stored online.īackups can be set to run on a schedule, with optional desktop and email notifications. You can then restore your files from these locations. You can even back up an entire machine, including its operating system, boot files, and program files.īesides backing up to the cloud, IDrive can send your backups to local devices or devices attached to your local network. With IDrive disk cloning, you can go beyond backup files and back up a complete hard drive, with content and information structure kept intact. You can also back up and restore Hyper-V environments and VMware virtual machines. With a Business plan, you can back up servers and databases like SQL Server, Exchange, SharePoint, Oracle, and Office365 data. IDrive offers a useful backup app for Android and iOS (Image credit: iDrive)
You can also back up network drivers and servers. Of course, with IDrive, you can back up files and folders from your computer to the cloud, but that’s just the beginning. Limited customer support - Pay extra for end-to-end encryption - File versioning costs moreĪ feature-packed backup solution, IDrive is the comprehensive, versatile choice for SMEsīackblaze is your go-to for unlimited backups and it’s simple to set up, but it lacks IDrive’s advanced functionality.Ī great-value backup tool, pCloud stands out for its available lifetime plan, but beware that some common features cost extra. Per-device licensing - Lacks advanced features and customization - No mobile backup Slow speeds - Fiddly interface - Limited storage Lifetime plan available - Mobile app - Integrated media player Unlimited storage - Simple to use - Good pricing Unlimited devices - Extensive support for hardware devices and operating systems - Server and NAS backups
How does IDrive compare to its main competitors?