What would you do if your hard drive crashed, your phone was lost or stolen, or your computer went up in flames in a home fire? Backing up everything you care about is one of the best ways to protect against data loss. At PCMag, we used to differentiate between local backup software and online backup services. The difference is that the former copies your data to a location you choose, such as an external hard drive. The latter securely sends your data to the backup company's servers for off-site storage. However, backup companies frequently let you choose your preferred method—or use both. As a result, we now look at the best local backup software and online backup services, including top picks IDrive and ShadowProtect SPX Desktop, in this single article. Here are the services we recommend.
Overview
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![IDrive]()
Best ValueIDrive
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![ShadowProtect SPX Desktop]()
Best for Disk ImagingShadowProtect SPX Desktop
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![Acronis True Image]()
Best for Backup FlexibilityAcronis True Image
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![Backblaze]()
Best for Unlimited BackupsBackblaze
You Can Trust Our Reviews
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
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Credit: IDrive
![IDrive]()
Best ValueIDrive
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
IDrive is by far the best bang for your buck when it comes to online backups. The affordable Personal plan gives you 5TB of storage space to protect as many devices as you wish, including mobile phones and tablets. The software is reliable and simple to set up.
Who It's For
People with lots of gear: With support for every major operating system and no limit on the number of devices you can back up, IDrive is a great way to prevent data loss.
People on tight budgets: IDrive's low price (starting at $2.95 per year for 100GB of storage!) makes it perfect for anyone who wants to back up multiple devices without breaking the bank.
Specs & Configurations
Android App Emphasis Backup File Sharing File Size Limit 2GB File Versioning Folder Syncing Free Storage 10GB iOS App Number of Computers (Base Plan) Unlimited Private Key Encryption Storage (Base Plan) 100GB Versions Kept 30 Versions Period Unlimited Windows App Learn More IDrive Review -
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Credit: Arcserve
![ShadowProtect SPX Desktop]()
Best for Disk ImagingShadowProtect SPX Desktop
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
When it comes to backups, nothing matters more than reliability, and ShadowProtect SPX Desktop is reliability incarnate. The software does one thing—make a complete image of a disk partition—and it does it exceptionally well. ShadowProtect SPX can restore a complete system after a hardware failure or a malware attack, and nothing matches the sense of security you get from a physical backup stored on a removable USB drive or network-attached storage. If you're serious about backing up your data and protecting your system, this is the service to use.
Who It's For
People who need full PC backups: ShadowProtect SPX Desktop differs from many rival apps because it creates both image and file backups. As a result, it can restore a complete system after a disaster strikes.
Backup veterans: ShadowProtect SPX Desktop is for Windows and Linux users who want a local full-disk backup they can set up and then not think about. It's a strong recommendation for people who are at least a bit tech-savvy, as the setup can be slightly complicated. But it's rock solid.
Specs & Configurations
Free Storage N/A Number of Computers (Base Plan) 1 Private Key Encryption Storage (Base Plan) N/A Versions Kept Unlimited Versions Period Unlimited Learn More Arcserve ShadowProtect SPX Review -
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Credit: Acronis
![Acronis True Image]()
Best for Backup FlexibilityAcronis True Image
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
A veritable feast of features and options—probably more than you'll ever use—makes Acronis True Image the most flexible backup tool on the market. Its options include local backups, cloud backups, full-drive imaging, and individual folder syncing. There's also protection from ransomware, a vulnerability scanner, and a pretty good antivirus.
Who It's For
People needing backup flexibility: Acronis True Image's many options cater to users who know exactly how they want their backups to work and are willing to take the time to configure them.
Security-minded users: Acronis True Image isn't just a backup app; it also protects against ransomware and malicious URLs, giving your PC an extra layer of defense against bad actors.
Specs & Configurations
File Sharing Folder Syncing Free Storage None Number of Computers (Base Plan) 1 Private Key Encryption Protection Type Local Backup Ransomware Behavior Detection Recover Files Storage (Base Plan) 500GB Versions Kept 999 Versions Period 99 months Learn More Acronis True Image Review -
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Credit: Backblaze
![Backblaze]()
Best for Unlimited BackupsBackblaze
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Backblaze can back up your entire computer to the cloud in just a few clicks. There's no limit to the amount of data you can upload, though each subscription only covers a single device. The company can physically mail you a hard drive with your data if online recovery would take too long.
Who It's For
Backup rookies: Backblaze is ideal for novice users who want a full backup of a single Windows or macOS computer without a lot of complicated options. Power users who like to tweak their backups' performance might be frustrated.
People with lots of multimedia: Are you a podcaster or vlogger? Do you buy digital music or movies? Regardless, you'll appreciate BackBlaze's unlimited storage, which safeguards your big files.
Specs & Configurations
File Sharing Free Storage None Number of Computers (Base Plan) 1 Private Key Encryption Storage (Base Plan) Unlimited Versions Kept 30 Versions Period 30 days Learn More Backblaze Review -
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3.5 Good |
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3.5 Good |
Best For | Best Value | Best for Disk Imaging | Best for Backup Flexibility | Best for Unlimited Backups | Best Value | Best for Disk Imaging | Best for Backup Flexibility |
Free Storage | 10GB | N/A | None | None | 10GB | N/A | None |
Storage (Base Plan) | 100GB | N/A | 500GB | Unlimited | 100GB | N/A | 500GB |
Number of Computers (Base Plan) | Unlimited | 1 | 1 | 1 | Unlimited | 1 | 1 |
Private Key Encryption | |||||||
File Sharing | |||||||
Folder Syncing | |||||||
Versions Kept | 30 | Unlimited | 999 | 30 | 30 | Unlimited | 999 |
Versions Period | Unlimited | Unlimited | 99 months | 30 days | Unlimited | Unlimited | 99 months |
Buying Guide: The Best Backup Software and Services for 2026
Why Should You Back Up Your Computer?
All technology is subject to sudden and unexpected data loss. Glitches happen, and so do hacks, theft, and physical damage to a device. And don't get us started on ransomware. Your business documents and files, as well as your photos, videos, and music, all deserve protection. Backup software and services do just that.
Both Windows and macOS have beefed up their built-in backup tools in recent years. Windows 10 and Windows 11 include a File History feature and a full disk backup feature, and macOS includes Apple's Time Machine software. Both also offer some cloud backup with iCloud and OneDrive. These features and services are all well worth using, but they have limitations and don't offer the extra benefits you get from running a standalone backup solution.
How Does Backup Software Work?
The concept behind backup software is pretty simple: You make a copy of your files on storage separate from your main hard drive. That storage can be another drive, an external drive, a network-attached storage device (NAS), a rewritable disc, or the cloud—meaning someone else's servers. Should you lose your local files, either due to disaster or simply by deleting or overwriting them, you can restore them from the saved copy.
For this to work, your file copies must be updated regularly. Most backup solutions let you schedule scans of your hard drive for new and changed files daily, weekly, monthly, or continually (or at least every 15 minutes or so). Typically, you can also instruct the backup service to monitor your drive for newly created or changed files and back them up as they occur.
More granular options include whether backups are full, incremental, or differential. A full backup copies all the information you've selected for backup. Incremental backup saves system resources by backing up only the changes in files since the last incremental backup. Differential backup saves all changes from the last full backup. With incremental backups, you need the latest full backup and all the intermediary backup data to restore a file to its original state, whereas with differential backup, all you need is the last set of differential backup data and the first full one.
What's a Disk Image Backup?
A step further than simply copying files is copying the entire hard drive, including system files, known as a disk image. A disk image contains every bit of data on the drive and provides stronger protection, enabling you to restore the entire system after a hard drive failure. Some backup services can even update a disk image nearly continuously. However, that extra protection comes at the cost of increased complexity in setting up and restoring. Usually, you need to run a pre-boot environment from startup media to restore a system image since doing so from within your main OS isn't possible.
The Pros and Cons of Cloud Backup
As mentioned, you can create local backups or online backups, also known as cloud backups. With an online backup, a company securely sends the data it wants to back up over the internet to remote file servers in encrypted form. The major advantage of this option is that the backup copy is off-site, so it's not susceptible to any disasters that may occur at your premises. The downsides are that uploading and downloading backups are slower than loading local copies, and you're tied to an annual or monthly fee.
Don't confuse online backup with cloud storage and file syncing, which are what services like Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive offer. Those services do store files in the cloud, but they aren't designed to automatically protect all important documents, media files, and system files. Their strategy is generally to sync just one folder (and all its subfolders) to the cloud and, in some cases, offer collaborative document editing. Backup software and services do more, though having copies of your most important files in the cloud via a syncing service certainly doesn't hurt.
Home backup users have different needs than businesses. If you need a larger-scale cloud solution for your company, check out our list of the best cloud backup services for businesses. These plans typically cover many more devices and include more robust administration features at a higher cost.
Why You Should Create a Backup Set and Schedule Uploads
Backup services vary widely in how they set up and perform backups. For example, the totally hands-free Backblaze automatically encrypts and uploads all your important files with no input required. Acronis True Image and IDrive let you choose specific files from a file tree. Note that some services restrict you from backing up specific file types or from using particular sources, such as external or network drives. Make sure the backup solution you choose supports all your data sources.
There are three main practices for configuring when your backups should occur. The most common option is a fixed schedule, such as once a day, a week, or a month. The second, which we prefer, is for the service to monitor file changes and upload them as they occur, also known as continuous backup. A third way is simply to upload files manually. Some users may appreciate having such fine-grained control, but this method is only effective if you remember to run backups regularly.
(Credit: Acronis/PCMag)How Secure Are Online Backup Services?
Many online backup services let you encrypt your files with a private key (basically a password you choose and need to decrypt your backup files). If you choose to manage your own encryption key, be aware that you are responsible for remembering it. The online backup app and company won't be able to help you reset the password if you forget it. That may sound frightening, but it's actually ideal from a privacy and security standpoint because it means no one—including employees at the company and law enforcement officials—can unlock your backups except you. Use a password manager to store your private encryption key, especially if you think you might forget it.
Some services go beyond file encryption. Acronis, for instance, includes security features such as active ransomware protection. Several backup applications, including Backblaze and IDrive, support multi-factor authentication.
We also prefer services with clear, easy-to-read privacy policies. If an online backup service claims to sell your information to a third party, you may want to consider a more privacy-respecting option. So, be sure to review the provider's privacy policy.
Can You Restore Folders and Files With Backup Software?
A backup service is of little use if it doesn't make restoring or recovering your data quick and simple. Backup services should offer search tools for finding files in your backup, for example. It's also desirable to be able to replicate an entire folder tree, so you can recover from larger data losses.
Remember that if you buy a plan that covers just one computer, you may have to transfer the account to a new PC if you ever switch your main device or need to restore data from a damaged computer to a replacement.
Many services offer versioning, which saves incremental changes you make to files as recoverable snapshots. It's useful if you need to retrieve information from an earlier version or if your latest file save becomes corrupted. The number of versions kept in backup and how long they're kept vary. Many services limit you to a set number of versions within a time limit, such as 30 days.
A few backup companies offer bulk upload and restore services, also known as courier services. When you need to restore your data, the company sends you an external drive containing your data, allowing you to plug it into your machine and retrieve your files quickly. IDrive, Backblaze, and Carbonite all offer courier services, but charge different rates.
Should You Use Web and Mobile Backup Apps?
One of the biggest advantages of having online backups is that you can access your files from anywhere, at any time. Most online backup providers let you view and download files from a web browser and mobile apps, but that should be the bare minimum. Many also include file-sharing options, the best of which even let you specify a password for access and an expiration date for the shared item.
The quality and utility of mobile apps vary widely. Some just offer simple document and media file downloads from your existing backups, but the most feature-complete options let you back up data on your mobile devices and even remotely control backups on other systems.
Back Up Your Data!
There's a saying that there are two kinds of people: those who back up their data and those who haven't yet suffered a data loss. You don't want the first time you think about backing up your data to be after a catastrophe.
For more information, read our guide on choosing a backup plan you'll actually use to determine which backup method best suits your needs. For instance, you might use local backup software to protect your files on an external hard drive rather than—or in addition to—a cloud backup solution. You don't necessarily have to choose, as several products offer both online and local backup.
Michal Muchmore and Justin Pot contributed to this article.