The digital age has brought us to a new way to enjoy our experiences, memories and moments. Most modern families now have at least one computer per person. Each storing a lot of important files. Whether it's your precious memories or your important documents, the most secure way to back up these documents is through online backup.
The Free Family Online Backup Solution:
This can be a great solution if you do not really have a whole lot of documents to back up. You are not going to find any free services that give you more than 5GB (gigabytes) of online storage. This will be made specifically for documents or email.
You can get about 8,000 word documents within a gigabyte. For pictures, you will run into more of an issue. It will be around 300 decent sized pictures per gigabyte. If you are trying to store video, using free online backup is not recommended.
Free Online Backup:
Pros and Cons of Free Online Backup
Pros:
- Free
- Convenient for very small files
Cons:
- Online Storage limitation
- Only allow one user account
Read Article Pros and Cons of Free Online Backup
The Paid Family Online Backup Solution:
For any serious users that are looking to ensure they will get the best results when backing up, Paid Service is the way to go. There are many cheap plans to get started with. Online Backup companies typically break down the pricing to computers, users, and pricing.
For storing your files, the first question to ask yourself is, "How much space do I need". A good way to get started is by finding out how much space you are currently using on your computers, then you will start to get an idea of how much space to look for. Only select necessary files to backup. Saving space is key for Online Backup.
Another question is, "How many users am I going to want?" If you are the only one that needs access, there is probably only need for 1 user account. If you do need more than that it's going to start getting into plans designed for businesses.
Then you should ask, "How many computer are you able to backup?" Again, if this number is too high, then it will start looking like a business plan.
We have broken down these categories and found companies that match your needs. Hopefully this will help guide you to which plan will be right for you and your family.
1 Computer & 1 User:
- Carbonite - Unlimited Backup for $54.95/yr for 1 computer
- Mozy Home - $4.95/month ($54.45/ 1 year, $103.95/ 2 years)
- Acronis - $4.95/month ($49.95/year) for 250GB
- Jungle Disk Simply Backup - $2/month for 5GB (+ $.15 per GB After)
- SpiderOak - $10/month per 100GB increments or $100/Year per 100GB increments
Up To 5 Computers & 1 User:
- iDrive Pro Family Pack - $14.95/month ($149.50/year) for 500GB and up to 5 PCs on one account
- Livedrive Backup - $6.95/month - $66.53/yr - Unlimited backup space and computers.
- SafeCopy 300GB - Starting at $70/year (All your computers can be backed up under 1 account)
- Jungle Disk Desktop Edition - $3/month 5GB (+ $.15 per GB After). Allows multiple computer sync w/ one account
- SOS Online Backup - Home Plan: $9.95/month (or $79.95/year) for 50GBs. $99.95/year for 100GB. Up to 5 PCs
Pros and Cons of Paid Family Online Backup:
Pros:
- Secure
- Convenient for average sized files (All document types, pictures and music work best)
- Good prices available
Cons:
- Limited users
- Some space limitations
