What are the Best Free Online Backup Services?
By on April 26th, 2011

The worst possible time to make a backup is probably right after a computer crash, but that’s precisely the time when most computer users stop and consider doing so.

For most users backup isn’t a top priority, so they often forget to create regular scheduled backups, in case the worst happens.

document-save-as-3However, with the introduction of online backup services, it’s now possible to create and upload backup of your files automatically, the software program runs in the background and uploads all your files onto the server whenever they are saved. This means you have a current and reliable backup to restore from.

There are numerous free online backup services out there, and in this post I will review 4 of the best.

SugarSync

sugar-syncFormerly known as Sharpcast, offers 5GB of online backup space, free for life, it supports automatic file synchronisation which allows you to keep your libraries updated across all your computers. Storage space is upgradable to 10GB if you refer friends, both gaining 500MB each.

Dropbox

dropbox_logo_homeDropbox offers 2GB of free storage space, and is popular amongst computer geeks due to its support for Linux. While 2GB isn’t a lot of storage space, you can upgrade your free account by referring your friends; students get 500MB for each referral, and non-students get 250MB. The max free storage space allowed for students is 16GB and for non students it’s 8GB.

OpenDrive

overdrivelogoOpenDrive offers 5GB storage space for free; it has features similar to SugarSync and Dropbox with automatic backups and synchronization abilities. Although it does provide ample space for free account holders, the space is not upgradable by referring friends. I also don’t like the fact that OpenDrive places a watermark on your images if you decide to share them on forums.

Mozy

mozy-logoMozy is one of the most popular online backup companies out there, and offers 2GB of free storage space. We like the clean interface of Mozy, which is very easy to use. It has bandwidth throttling features to prevent it from clogging up your internet connection.

Out of all of these services, which I have personally tested, SugarSync is my favourite as it has a good 5GB storage space, straight out of the cuff, and is expandable to 10GB which is an impressive amount of storage space.

=== About the Author ===

Guest post written by Abdul Karim, a tech enthusiast, Windows fan and writer for the online backup services website

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  • http://cyberduck.ch/ Daniel

    Cyberduck!

    Although not an online sync service, it does sync in its’ way and can come in quite handy for other services than those mentioned above.
    http://cyberduck.ch/

  • http://pragith.net/ Pragith Prakash

    Did you forget Microsoft’s Skydrive? 25GB free. Plus 5GB for Live Mesh (dropbox like sync).

    No need for begging people to join (referral) to get extra space in peanuts.

    Maybe it might not be the best, but in terms of feature, it’s much better than what you’ve listed above (excluding dropbox)

    • Donna Ible-White

      Sky Drive and Mesh have been integrated as one. Mesh has been discontinued and Sky Drive is now 7 GB instead of 25 GB, but the good thing now is that it now has a desktop app which syncs your files, so you don’t have to wait long for your files to upload via the web.

    • Donna Ible-White

      Sky Drive and Mesh have been integrated as one. Mesh has been discontinued and Sky Drive is now 7 GB instead of 25 GB, but the good thing now is that it now has a desktop app which syncs your files, so you don’t have to wait long for your files to upload via the web.

  • karim

    Pragith, you’re quite right, Windows Live Mesh does offer very good sync space (5GB). However it doesn’t support Mac, which is a dealbreaker for a lot of people. Which is why I didn’t include it.

    Skydrive is pretty good, I would have mentioned it if I had more space to write in the article. If you’re a skydrive user you should consider getting SDExplorer, which allows you to view you skydrive files like a drive in your computer.

    • samandjt

      About SkyDrive and Live Mesh, I think it does support recent OS X for Mac.

      http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=8e8b1286-8965-4029-a846-75dcd4cd9857

    • Gabriel

      I think the majority of people haven’t come a cross such an online backup as SafeCopy Backup. It’s pretty cheap, secure, reliable. I call it hassle free. They offer a whooping free 3GB account for life. I believe am in love with this service. They have saved my digital life from disaster.

  • http://www.backuplineup.com Danny

    Just gave SafeCopy backup a spin and it just works great.

  • http://www.backuplineup.com Danah

    This is a very great review and it offers a great option for choicing a right online backup service.Well personally i never for get to use an online backup service to backup all crucial files.

  • Lynx

    I use SugarSync for over half a year. So far I am very pleased. The interface is very intuitive, it has also versioning (or whatever it is called – you have access to old versions of files).

    For free they offer 5 GB of disk space that can be enlarged by recommending friends. Both user and his friend get the additional 500 MB. There is no limit to the amount of additional storage so in theory you can build really big account.

    If someone want to try and get 500 MB of additional space here is my referal link where you can register:
    https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=drt9r8hcim6z4&utm_source=txemail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=referral

 
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