Due to remote work, many companies have shifted their data storage strategies from on-premises to the cloud. In fact, even companies that have traditionally leveraged local backup have moved to the cloud, since a chunk of the workforce—and their data—have left the building. Years ago, cloud storage was mainly used by small businesses with limited IT resources that needed a fully managed service; nowadays, it's the go-to solution for businesses of all sizes. If you're interested in making the move, check out our top picks for cloud-based backups, including Editors' Choice winner Acronis Cyber Protect, along with a buying guide to help you choose the one that best fits your company's needs.
Overview
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![Acronis Cyber Protect]()
Best for Security-Focused BusinessesAcronis Cyber Protect
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![Backblaze Business Backup]()
Best for Unlimited BackupsBackblaze Business Backup
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![iDrive Team]()
Best for Small TeamsiDrive Team
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![MSP360]()
Best for Flexible Backup ArchitecturesMSP360
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![CrashPlan Endpoints]()
Best for End-to-End EncryptionCrashPlan Endpoints
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![Carbonite Professional]()
Best for Backup NovicesCarbonite Professional
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![Livedrive (for Business)]()
Best for Companies in the EU or UKLivedrive (for Business)
You Can Trust Our Reviews
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
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![Acronis Cyber Protect]()
Best for Security-Focused BusinessesAcronis Cyber Protect
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Acronis is notable for evolving its cloud backup capabilities into a full-fledged security suite with anti-ransomware protection. In addition to other data security features, it can scan data located in third-party public clouds for malware.
Who It's For
Security-focused businesses: Acronis' three-pronged approach to the modern threat landscape focuses on cybersecurity, integrated protection management, and, of course, backup and recovery. If you need multi-faceted protection, this is your software.
Mid-size businesses and enterprises: Acronis is relatively expensive, which might place it out of range for the smallest companies. However, the software's security and scalability are exactly what larger companies need.
Specs & Configurations
Apple macOS Client Audit Logs Business Continuity Features Encryption At Rest (Provider Managed Private Key) Encryption At Rest (User Managed Private Key) HIPAA Compliance ISO 27001 Compliance SOX Compliance Support (Audit Trail) System Image Backup Learn More Acronis Cyber Protect 17 Review -
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![Backblaze Business Backup]()
Best for Unlimited BackupsBackblaze Business Backup
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Whether you're accessing data or restoring it, Backblaze gives you a robust set of options, including downloading from the cloud, saving to or copying from cloud storage, or having the company send you an external hard drive. We like the Backblaze USB or hard drive backup options because, as long as you return the drive, it's basically free—and even if you don't, it's not terribly expensive.
Who It's For
Freelancers and solopreneurs handling large files: A Backblaze license covers just one PC but includes unlimited data backup. That makes it a good pick for extremely small businesses, particularly those that deal with multimedia.
Smaller teams within a company: Need more protection? Backblaze's team-based Group system lets you create backups for specific employees and set the version history length (30 days to 1 year). Each group can contain up to 5,000 accounts, and each account can manage up to 1,000 Backblaze backups. In a nice touch, you get unlimited backups.
Specs & Configurations
Apple macOS Client Audit Logs Business Continuity Features Cloud Storage Without Local File System Sync Encryption At Rest (Provider Managed Private Key) Encryption At Rest (User Managed Private Key) File Conflict Management Group Permissions HIPAA Compliance ISO 27001 Compliance Local File System Sync Partial / Differential Sync SOX Compliance Support (Audit Trail) System Image Backup Team Folders Learn More Backblaze Business Backup Review -
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Credit: IDrive
![iDrive Team]()
Best for Small TeamsiDrive Team
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
In bang for the buck, it's hard to beat IDrive Team. The backup service makes managing a team or micro-business a breeze. It backs up macOS and Windows computers, Android or iOS mobile devices, and network-attached storage (NAS) drives. All this is managed via a centralized web console that IT staff can access from anywhere.
Who It's For
SMBs: Part of a relatively small crew? Check out IDrive Team, a dedicated backup solution you can quickly deploy. After all, not every company needs a backup solution that scales to enterprise levels. However, larger and growing companies should investigate the IDrive Business tier.
People pressed for time: IDrive Team lets you preview documents without downloading them, saving you precious time during a busy workday.
Specs & Configurations
Apple macOS Client Audit Logs Encryption At Rest (Provider Managed Private Key) Encryption At Rest (User Managed Private Key) HIPAA Compliance ISO 27001 Compliance Local File System Sync Mobile Apps Partial / Differential Sync SOX Compliance Support (Audit Trail) System Image Backup Team Folders Learn More IDrive Team Review -
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![MSP360]()
Best for Flexible Backup ArchitecturesMSP360
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Formerly known as CloudBerry Lab, MSP360 lets you select from a variety of third-party cloud storage providers, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Backblaze B2. Of course, you can use any local storage you might have available.
Who It's For
Backup veterans: If you've got the IT chops, especially if you're a managed service provider looking to get into the storage and backup business, this is exactly the kind of open and configurable solution you need. On the other hand, if in-house IT talent is scarce at your organization, particularly if your staff is small, you might want to look elsewhere.
People working on different jobs: MSP360 lets you create a custom backup schedule (with different backup frequencies) for individual projects.
Specs & Configurations
Apple macOS Client Audit Logs Business Continuity Features Encryption At Rest (Provider Managed Private Key) Encryption At Rest (User Managed Private Key) HIPAA Compliance ISO 27001 Compliance Mobile Apps SOX Compliance Support (Audit Trail) System Image Backup Learn More MSP360 Review -
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![CrashPlan Endpoints]()
Best for End-to-End EncryptionCrashPlan Endpoints
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Thanks to its bulk uploads and unlimited continuous backups, CrashPlan makes it easy to implement the service into your business. Plus, its end-to-end encryption helps safeguard data.
Who It's For
Security-minded companies: CrashPlan employs robust security protocols to protect your data, including end-to-end encryption during transit and storage. You can also improve file security by requiring an encryption key to be entered before a data restore.
Businesses focused on desktops and laptops backup: CrashPlan lacks mobile apps, so it's a recommended tool for companies looking to protect PC data.
Specs & Configurations
Apple macOS Client Audit Logs Business Continuity Features Encryption At Rest (Provider Managed Private Key) Encryption At Rest (User Managed Private Key) HIPAA Compliance ISO 27001 Compliance Mobile Apps SOX Compliance Support (Audit Trail) Learn More CrashPlan Endpoints Review -
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![Carbonite Professional]()
Best for Backup NovicesCarbonite Professional
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Carbonite Professional is a well-known name among business cloud backup solutions. The service lets you backup desktops, laptops, and servers, and it also offers continuous backups for extra peace of mind.
Who It's For
Backup novices: Carbonite is a good choice for organizations that value a polished, easy-to-use UI that doesn't require a dedicated IT staff to manage. In fact, you can use Carbonite's valet installation service (included with the subscription) if you're less technically inclined or too busy to figure it out yourself.
Specs & Configurations
Apple macOS Client Audit Logs Encryption At Rest (User Managed Private Key) HIPAA Compliance ISO 27001 Compliance Mobile Apps SOX Compliance Support (Audit Trail) System Image Backup Learn More Carbonite Professional Review -
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![Livedrive (for Business)]()
Best for Companies in the EU or UKLivedrive (for Business)
Pros & Cons
Why We Picked It
Despite being a cloud solution theoretically capable of global reach, Livedrive is focused on data protection in the UK and EU. The EU regions it currently supports include France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, although it is expanding into more countries. An intuitive UI across the desktop and mobile platforms makes backup and recovery a snap.
(Note: Livedrive is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag.com's parent company. For more, see the ethics policy in our Editorial Mission Statement.)
Who It's For
Companies that require GDPR: Livedrive supports strict compliance with the EU's data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Specs & Configurations
Apple macOS Client Authenticated External Sharing Business Continuity Features Cloud Storage Without Local File System Sync Encryption At Rest (Provider Managed Private Key) File Conflict Management ISO 27001 Compliance Local File System Sync Mobile Apps Partial / Differential Sync Public Sharing Team Folders White Label Branding Learn More Livedrive (for Business) Review -
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Best For | Best for Security-Focused Businesses | Best for Unlimited Backups | Best for Small Teams | Best for Flexible Backup Architectures | Best for End-to-End Encryption | Best for Backup Novices | Best for Companies in the EU or UK | Best for Security-Focused Businesses | Best for Unlimited Backups | Best for Small Teams |
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Buying Guide: The Best Cloud Backup Services for Business in 2026
What Is Cloud Backup?
The widespread shift toward remote offices, distributed teams, and hybrid work calls for IT to take a new approach to data security. Rather than storing data locally in a centralized office, this scenario calls for effective and reliable cloud backup services that provide customers access to shared, software-defined storage infrastructure—essentially, storage managed as a virtual resource.
A virtual, software-defined architecture lets providers create a large storage pool and parcel it out among their customers. They can then manage the whole resource down to the byte level and use multi-tenant architectures to ensure that accounts are entirely separate. That way, one customer's data doesn't bump into another's.
Suppose your backup provider lets you choose a third-party storage target. In that case, you'll find that many storage providers sell infrastructure as a service (IaaS) options, like Amazon Web Services (AWS). Although you can create servers in these clouds and use them as backup targets, most have dedicated storage services that resemble network drives. That's great from a flexibility standpoint. However, be sure to factor the cost of these services into your overall backup pricing expectations.
A cloud backup vendor's management tools are generally based on the customer's size and demand, changing bandwidth conditions, security requirements, and, in some cases, even variable data retention requirements. That last one means that the cloud vendor automatically drops versions of a file or folder that are older than the time set by your IT administrator: any version older than six months, for example.
Cloud backup providers can also let customers store frequently used data in fast-access locations. This can be anything from a data center owned by the provider closer to the customer's office to a local storage resource at the customer's site that can act as an intermediary for backups. Like a network-attached storage (NAS) device, this resource can store the most popular files and serve them up across a much faster local network than the internet.
Each storage tier is differently priced, and the backup tools provided by the cloud storage vendor can automate how your data moves between these tiers based on policies your IT staff controls. This is similar to the hierarchical storage strategies of old, but it's much easier and happens entirely as a managed service. All you need to do is go through an initial setup process, and you'll be able to get your organization's data from any internet-capable device. There's no need for dedicated physical or virtual servers, expensive tape drives with proprietary (and often arcane) backup software, or off-site warehouse space where you store crates of essential tapes.
There’s been a fair amount of consolidation in the cloud backup space. Some new vendors primarily focus on all-in-one solutions aimed at small to midsized businesses (SMBs) that want to cover as much data protection ground as possible with a single purchase. Our Editors' Choice winner, Acronis Cyber Protection, has moved in that direction. It now combines its excellent backup features with endpoint security and device management abilities.
(Credit: Acronis/PCMag)Follow the 3-2-1 Backup Rule
For small to midsize businesses (SMBs), the cloud lets IT administrators perform multiple backups more effectively than clunky tape drives. Keeping multiple copies of critical company data is a no-brainer, especially if it's easier and costs less. However, you should still follow best practices, and one of the most popular is the 3-2-1 rule.
The 3-2-1 rule states that you should always have three copies of your data, keep those backed up on at least two different types of storage, and at least one copy of that data is stored off-site. In the past, those aforementioned cumbersome tapes and hard drives made this difficult or, at best, tedious. Business cloud backup services make it much easier because they provide a separate and off-site target at a much lower price than, for example, renting warehouse space to store numerous shelves worth of old tapes. The more advanced players even let you choose between different data center locations or multiple data centers, which means you can implement a 3-2-1 architecture using only one vendor.
However, not all offerings are created equal. There is a dizzying array of devices that must be backed up. Desktops, servers, mobile devices, and NAS boxes must be protected. Support is varied; no single costing model gets every business to the right price point. Remote work has made this even more complicated if your company lets workers use personal devices, home NASes, and external hard disks. Every backup strategy is unique.
Some vendors, such as Backblaze Backup for Business and IDrive Team, offer more physical capabilities in addition to different levels of transfer performance. For example, they may mail subscribers an external hard drive containing all the data from their latest backup. You can then store that data somewhere safe or use it to restore information to a much faster local drive.
Account for Your Operating Systems
As mentioned, a key consideration for any business is how many devices (and their types) a backup provider supports. After all, an excellent cloud backup service doesn't do much good if it can't protect all your data, no matter where it lives. That means looking beyond just standard desktops and servers. A robust solution should cover macOS and Windows machines alike. It should also be able to handle both Linux and Windows Server to protect your back office assets.
Then there's that ever-growing and ever-changing mobility morass. Protecting data stored on mobile devices is becoming necessary for an effective backup plan. Your provider should be able to handle Android and iOS devices, especially if you're using these platforms for more than just general users. A prime example would be a business that uses phones or tablets as a point of sale (POS) solution.
Virtual infrastructure is another important target for backup and data safety. This will often fall into two categories, even at the SMB level, where companies have virtual servers on-premises and in a public cloud service. The complication is that while it's all virtual infrastructure, cloud versus on-premises virtualized layers often need middleware tools to talk to each other. That might mean different backup clients, too. You must ensure that your cloud backup provider can support these requirements. Citrix Hypervisor, Microsoft Hyper-V, and VMware vSphere are the most commonly used platforms for on-premises virtualization. At the same time, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure are the most common cloud resources. Testing your backup service across whatever services your company is using should be an essential part of your evaluation process.
(Credit: BackBlaze/PCMag)Carefully Configure the Backup Software
One of the major complaints about backup apps of old is that they were cumbersome and difficult to use. Although many business cloud backup service providers have worked hard to change that, many solutions are still stuck in the past. The key here is twofold: First, the service should shield users (meaning your population of general workers) from any form of complexity. Backup clients should be as easy to use as possible, and deploying them to client devices is best if it's an automated, IT-controlled process. Second, complexity should not only be reserved for your IT staff. There should also be robust training tools and technical support to properly train those staffers. It's possible to have too many choices, so evaluate competing apps carefully and weigh their complexity against your organization's needs.
Most solutions offer both offline and cloud volume targets. This can be important if your company employs cloud-hosted software tools from managed cloud services. For example, you can run a Microsoft Exchange email server on-site, so you'll need to back that server up. But you can also use a hosted email service, such as Intermedia Hosted Exchange, that lets the service provider perform internal backups. Even if that's the case, your IT staff may still want to backup the email data hosted in that provider's cloud to give you direct control. That's especially important if your business is subject to certain regulatory conditions, like those imposed by HIPAA or SOX.
You're looking for a complete set of day-to-day management tools for your backup provider's dashboard. Not only for email, but also for that long list of cloud productivity tools so many companies are now using. By that, we're talking about suite solutions like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or Zoho Docs. However, we're also talking about specialized tools that have moved to a cloud service model. That can cover everything from email marketing to your customer service desk. If you're using these or any other cloud resource storing important data, you must test how your backup provider integrates with these services.
How Cloud Backup and Recovery Works
Testing the backup and recovery process needs a performance component. Backup vendors use different approaches and features to improve it. A popular method is called an incremental backup process. It's popular because after the first backup, which is long because it backs up your whole data load to the cloud for the first time, all subsequent backups only store changes to files and folders, not a complete copy. That lowers bandwidth requirements, which prevents your network from choking. This might not be critical for a home worker, but it's practically essential in a central office, especially if you're employing continuous or near-continuous backups.
Other controls might include bandwidth throttling, where the backup software can decrease or set the bandwidth it'll use. That will keep bandwidth needs low, too, but it'll directly affect performance. You might also consider running backups over their own virtual LAN (VLAN) or using some form of Quality of Service (QoS). This will manage a backup operation's bandwidth, so you know those backups are happening.
IT professionals often describe backing up to the cloud as filling a swimming pool with a paper cup, regardless of the method. While available bandwidth is rapidly catching up with the demands of enormous data sets, the initial backup is usually the worst, and subsequent incremental backups are much easier and faster. Some vendors make that initial seeding process easier by backing it up to an external hard drive at the customer's site—a much faster process since it's on a local network. Then, the customer ships that initial snapshot to the backup vendor, who deploys it on their local network. Backups then start happening over the internet and are immediately incremental.
The ability to quickly restore data is also critical. Should disaster strike, customers generally need their data back fast. That means regularly testing restoration performance. If it takes days to download missing data from the cloud, that can translate directly to lost time and money.
Some vendors let you hedge your bets in this regard. If you're worried the internet might not be fast enough or even unavailable after a disaster, they will ship you an external hard drive with the most current backup on a scheduled basis, like once per quarter (or more). IT staff can then keep this drive safe and use it if a cloud backup isn't possible.
Cloud Backup Security and Reporting
Just because an app can get your data into the cloud doesn't mean it's doing it safely. Encryption is an industry-standard practice, and you shouldn't consider any product that doesn't take it seriously. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption is the typical choice for all data transfers, whether you send or receive data. It dramatically minimizes the risk that a hacker can intercept and steal information. That by itself isn't enough, however. Once at the destination and deemed "at rest," the data should be encrypted using the most potent form. In most cases, this will be some form of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
Also, you'll likely have to ensure compliance with corporate policy, which is becoming challenging for mainstream IT departments. It's now more important than ever that a quick overview of compliant systems is available to a backup administrator. Ransomware is a growing security threat affecting everything from small businesses to city services. These threats, along with remote workers and disgruntled employees, could wipe data in a heartbeat. It's vital to ensure that you can establish accountability and make sure it's enforced and regularly tested. A well-designed dashboard can help make that difference. In addition, many cloud backup services in our roundup now offer ransomware protection features.
Reporting on the state of your backup process and stored data is another must. Sometimes, out-of-the-box reports might not fit your expectations or needs, so a vendor that lets you design custom reports is a good choice. Although it's not an absolute necessity, this can be key to tying a backup app into a giant data warehouse (and it's also vital if your company has to track any compliance metrics). Again, testing the reporting functionality of your cloud backup provider should be part of your initial evaluation process.
Balancing Your Cloud Business Backup Choices
It takes a lot of homework to pick your organization's best cloud backup service. You must balance the product's reliability, ease of configuration, price, security, and usability. Smaller teams and startups have different requirements than enterprises, and we now see more choices than ever for both camps.
The move to remote and hybrid work certainly complicates things, even more so now that companies realize these measures have become permanent for many workers. Remote work makes backups more complex, not just for saving important documents and files, but for securing them in transit, at rest, and across a more comprehensive array of target devices.
With storage vendors offering backup and a variety of file-sharing features, incorporating your vendor resource into cross-site collaboration is another consideration that'll need testing. It's becoming a popular feature that vendors use to differentiate themselves, but the capabilities can wildly vary. You'll also need to see how those features play with your other collaboration tools.
Although Acronis, our Editors' Choice winner, represents the best overall value for the broadest swath of business customers, it's essential to consider your particular organization's needs and risk profile when you're shopping for a solution. Ultimately, the best cloud backup service is the one that most closely matches your business needs, and the only way to ensure that is to test it directly against those requirements. And not just once, but on a regular schedule that should happen several times a year.
For more about data protection, read The Best Backup Software and Services and The Beginner's Guide to PC Backup.
Neil McAllister and Gadjo Sevilla contributed to this article.