iDrive review 2024: best cloud storage for your needs

Best cloud storage for photos, videos, and files is iDrive. It's cheap, safe, simple, and private.

You may have already heard of IDrive if you’re looking for an online backup service. There are a lot of people who use this cloud backup service, and it works really well. In addition, it’s incredibly cheap for all the backup options it gives you. IDrive is one of the few places where you can get both cloud storage and cloud backup at the same time. You get the same amount of space for both types of backups and storage. Also, it has many backup options, such as disk image backup, NAS backup, and server backup, but the speeds could be faster. IDrive is also very private and safe, which makes it a well-rounded product.

iDrive: Description

There are a lot of great cloud backup and storage services available from iDrive. They come in an easy-to-use package that includes backing up all of your PCs, Macs, phones, and tablets from one account. Personal plans come in 5TB, 10TB, 20TB, and 50TB sizes. Team plans, which give each user 1TB, can have anywhere from five to one hundred users. The Business plan is better for bigger businesses because it lets them have an unlimited number of users and as little as 250GB or as much as 50TB per person. The IDrive Express service is one of a kind that IDrive has to offer.

You can move files to the hard drive that the company sends you, and then you mail it back so that your data is uploaded to the cloud. If you need to upload a lot of data, this service can help. IDrive is a better value for money than other cloud storage services like Google Drive for individuals. If you are a business, Zoolz Cloud Backup has cheaper cloud storage, but you don’t get as many useful features like IDrive Express and mobile app support.

iDrive: Pricing

It used to be that you could store 5GB of files on iDrive for free without a credit card. This made it one of the best free cloud storage options for casual users. You now get an even better deal: 10GB of free cloud storage, which is one of the best free plans of any cloud service. A basic Personal plan with 5TB of storage starts at $59.62 a year. However, an upgrade for $15 that gives you twice as much space (10TB) is likely to give you more peace of mind when backing up multiple devices. For as little as $74.62 a year for 250GB of space, the Business plan lets you have as many users and devices as you want.

For $869.62 a year, each user gets 50TB of space. The Team plan is somewhere in the middle. This comes in different versions, and each one supports five to one hundred users, giving each one 1TB of space. The least expensive plan costs $74.62 a year and goes up to $7499.62. If you choose a business account over a personal account, you also get extra benefits like server backups, the ability to manage multiple users, and faster support.

iDrive Key Features

iDrive is an excellent cloud storage and backup service that offers a broad selection of useful features. It is a good option for both private consumers and commercial enterprises.

FeatureDescription
Secure cloud drive and cloud backupiDrive provides a secure cloud drive for storing and backing up your data. It uses 256-bit AES encryption to protect your data, and you can also enable zero-knowledge encryption for an extra layer of security.
Secure file sharing and device synchronizationiDrive allows you to share files securely with others and synchronize your data across multiple devices. You can also create public and private links to share files with others.
Support for multiple devices per accountiDrive supports up to 10 devices per account, so you can use it to back up and synchronize your data across all of your devices.
File-level backups, disk image backups, and disk cloningiDrive supports file-level backups, disk image backups, and disk cloning. This means that you can back up your individual files, your entire operating system, or your entire hard drive.
Real-time data backup and synchronizationiDrive can back up and synchronize your data in real time, so you never have to worry about losing data again.
Desktop apps for Windows and macOS devicesiDrive has desktop apps for Windows and macOS devices, so you can easily manage your backups and synchronize your data.
Smartphone apps for iOS and AndroidiDrive also has smartphone apps for iOS and Android devices, so you can manage your backups and synchronize your data on the go.
Historic file versioning enabled (up to 10 versions)iDrive keeps up to 10 versions of your backed-up files, so you can easily restore older versions of your files if needed.
Support for Linux backups (script-based)iDrive can also be used to back up Linux devices, but this requires using a script-based method.
Multi-factor authentication (2FA)iDrive supports multi-factor authentication, so you can add an extra layer of security to your account.
iDrive Express (large restores via shipped USB drive)iDrive Express allows you to restore large amounts of data by having a USB drive shipped to you. This is a good option if you need to restore a lot of data quickly.
No monthly plans (annual plans only)iDrive only offers annual plans, so there are no monthly fees.
Premium personal plans up to 50TB availableiDrive offers premium personal plans with up to 50TB of storage space.
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iDrive: Setup

iDrive

You need to make an account before you can use IDrive. If you choose the free version, you can do this without a credit card. After making an account, you’ll get links to the IDrive app for a number of different devices. Every device you want to back up must have the software put on it. Once it’s set up, you log in to your account and pick which files you want to automatically back up. You can back up your whole hard drive, or you can just back up certain folders, like your documents and pictures.

You decide. In the settings, you can turn on Cloud Drive, a service that lets you sync your files. Like Dropbox, any files you put in your Cloud Drive folder are backed up and shared with other computers. It isn’t turned on by default, and the company calls it a “separate service,” which is strange since it comes with iDrive.

iDrive: Features

IDrive lets people back up their files from as many computers, phones, and connected hard drives or NAS drives as they want. There are also SQL, SharePoint, Exchange, and Linux servers that IDrive can back up for businesses. If you turn on sync, any changes you make to your files will be saved in the cloud right away. If you use IDrive’s web app, you can also copy files directly into the cloud.

It’s pretty easy to set up backups from your devices with IDrive. You can set backups to run every day or only on certain days of the week. You can also choose when they should begin. You can also choose to be notified by email or a desktop icon when backups are done. It also lets you set up different backup times for various groups of files. You can set up daily backups for projects you’re working on, and weekly backups for folders that don’t get changed very often.

IDrive lets you share files by using links. You can set an expiration date (up to 30 days) or a maximum number of downloads (up to 25 times) for each share link. To protect share links, you can also add a pin code. It does not, however, allow sending files directly by email. You have to make a share link and send it to the person yourself. The IDrive dashboard lets you keep an eye on all of your active share links.

iDrive: Sync and File Sharing

IDrive is really different from most of its competitors because it has features that are usually found in cloud storage plans. You can create “sync folders” that automatically sync their contents across devices. This gives you twice as much storage space because you get the same amount of space in the cloud and in your online backup plan.

You can put your sync folder anywhere you want, and you can also turn on selective sync to stop certain files or folders from sync to certain devices. Aside from that, the folder doesn’t need to be backed up regularly. IDrive makes it simple to share the files you’ve backed up or the ones you’ve synced. It’s easy to share a file or folder. In the web client or desktop app, just right-click on it and choose “share.” You can decide whether people who receive a shared file can only view it or make changes to it.

Snapshots and Versioning

The IDrive Snapshots and Versioning features let you see how data has changed over time and keep up to 30 copies of all the files you back up to the cloud. If ransomware attacks your system, IDrive Snapshots let you recover your most important files from a certain point in time. If your data does get infected, IDrive Snapshots lets you choose a time before the infection and bring it back.

IDrive Versioning, on the other hand, lets you keep older copies of all the files you back up. Even if you back up your files on more than one computer, the Versioning feature can help you get back whole folders to their earliest versions. IDrive also makes it easy to get back to these versions. Just click on the “Restore” tab and you can get back your data with just a few clicks.

iDrive: Security

In addition to two-factor authentication, iDrive encrypts all of your data from beginning to end. Watch out: you need a private key that only you know, so don’t lose it or you won’t be able to get anything back. You also won’t be able to share folders and files with other people because that would break the end-to-end encryption. Standard encryption is another choice.

It’s not quite as safe, but it will still keep your data safe from most possible breaches. In this case, iDrive stores the encryption key and can help you get your data back if you need to. It can also help you hand over your files if the police ask you to. Plus, you can use the sharing options for files and folders with this setting, which is another plus. Before you upload any data to the cloud, you should use the best encryption software to keep it safe if you still want to share files.

iDrive: Mobile App

IDrive can back up more than just your computer. It can also back up your phone. It can back up your contacts, calendar, photos, and videos on iOS. Android users have even more choices because they can back up all of that and also see their full SMS and call log history. Users of Android can also back up music and other files that are stored locally.

Even though it’s not always necessary, IDrive’s mobile app is very useful for people who want to back up their files across multiple platforms. The IDrive mobile app can be downloaded on both iOS and Android. It lets you back up your phone’s data, organize it with dates and locations, and sync files while you’re on the go. You can also see and get to any synced files from either your PC or Mac, and you can share and restore files with other people.

At the moment, the following systems are needed to run the IDrive mobile app:

  • iOS: at least 11.0. Works with both the iPhone and the iPad.
  • Android — at least version 4.0.3.

Speed and Performance

We used the IDrive web app to upload and download a 1GB file to test how fast it was. With a 95Mbps connection, it took one hour and 57 minutes to upload the file. It took three minutes and ten seconds to download the same file. When compared to other services like Zoolz, IDrive’s upload speed is slow. It is possible to send a lot of data to the cloud with IDrive Express if you are willing to wait a few days for a hard drive to be sent to you.

It takes a while to download things from IDrive, but it’s about the same speed as most of the cloud services we’ve tried. It’s important to know that IDrive syncs files from your devices to the cloud at the block level. This should make future backups go faster since only the changed parts of the files need to be uploaded again.

IDrive: Pros and Cons

IDrive is a cloud storage and backup service that comes with a lot of different features for both home and business users. It’s known for having low prices, lots of storage space, and lots of different features.

Pros

  • Unlimited devices per account
  • Works on a whole range of devices
  • Choice of backup methods
  • Physical hard drive service

Cons

  • No real-time collaboration tools
  • Limited Linux support

Final Words

If you just want a second backup of your data in the cloud, IDrive has a lot of features and benefits that can help you. You won’t find a better deal on backup software. It’s a full backup service that uploads files quickly and gives you a huge amount of value. Still, depending on your needs, you might also want to check out other apps. For most people, IDrive is the first backup option they’ll think about.

Amy Hinckley
Amy Hinckley
The Dell Inspiron 15 that her father purchased from QVC sparked the beginning of her interest in technology. At Bollyinside, Amy Hinckley is in charge of content editing and reviewing products. Amy's interests outside of working include going for bike rides, playing video games, and watching football when she's not at her laptop.

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iDrive is a cloud backup service that you can trust, is cheap, and has a lot of useful features. It has an easy-to-use interface that makes it simple to use. iDrive can save copies of all your important files, like music, photos, videos, documents, and more. It can also back up your whole system, which includes your settings, apps, and operating system. iDrive gives you several backup choices, such as scheduled backups, on-demand backups, and continuous backups.iDrive review 2024: best cloud storage for your needs