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Best cloud storage of 2019

1. IDrive
2. pCloud
3. Zoolz Cloud Backup
4. Degoo
5. Mega

Businesses and consumers are increasingly reliant on cloud based storage solutions instead of in-house, on-premise local storage hardware.

Your files are stored in the cloud, which is a simplified view of what is essentially someone else's infrastructure (data center, server, hard drive, connectivity etc).

Ever since Amazon popularised storage online with S3 (Simple Storage Service), 13 years ago, Google data shows that interest for 'Cloud Storage' alone has increased by 40x over the past decade. So much so that people less frequently refer to it as 'online storage'.

Given the multitude of cloud storage providers out there, one has to wisely choose a provider who will offer the maximum amount of low-cost storage and bandwidth, while still keeping your data safe.

This list represents our top picks for cloud storage: most offer a free tier allowing you to see if they're right for you before handing over any hard-earned cash.

Business users will need to consider carefully what their needs are as terms and conditions as well as quality of service is likely to differ significantly from their consumer alter ego.

Go straight to your desired option through the jump links below:

1. IDrive cloud storage

Storage solution which extends to cover network drives

IDrive offers continuous syncing of your files, even those on network drives. The web interface supports sharing files by email, Facebook and Twitter. Cautious or click-happy users will be pleased to hear that files deleted from your computer are not automatically deleted from the server, so there's less danger of removing something important by accident. Up to 30 previous versions of all files backed to your account are retained.

Another thing to note is that IT admins have access to IDrive Thin Client application, which allows them to backup/restore, manage settings, and more for all their connected computers via a centralized dashboard.

For photos, you have a neat facial recognition feature that helps you to automatically organize them as well as syncing them across all your lined devices. IDrive also offers IDrive Express which sends you a physical hard disk drive if you lose all your data, allowing for the swift restoration of all your backed up files. That applies to the newly introduced disk image backup feature.

A business version exists and offers priority support, single sign-on as well as unlimited users and server backup.

EXCLUSIVE iDrive 2TB plan$69.50 $13.90 for 1-year (80% off)
As an exclusive to TechRadar readers, IDrive is offering the chance to save a huge 80% on the cost of a 2TB backup plan for the first year. Normally, this would cost $69.50 for the year, but you can now pick up the 2TB plan for only $13.90. That’s an unbelievably cheap price for that amount of cloud storage. Here areIDrive’s personal plans and prices in full:

2. pCloud cloud storage

While some bandwidth limits apply, there seems to be no limit to the size of files you can upload, so feel free to sync large media files with pCloud. The service is available for all desktop and mobile platforms – users can also log in via the website. The company itself is registered in Switzerland which has strong privacy laws and you can also pay a premium of $4.99 a month for pCloud Crypto to lock (and unlock) individual files with passwords.

Note that it is one of the very few cloud services that offer lifetime subscriptions. The latter come with 30 days trash history and unlimited remote upload traffic (you only need the URL of the file); you are - as expected - limited on the download link traffic: 500GB for the Premium package and 2TB for the Premium Plus package.

3. Zoolz cloud storage

An established cloud player with a strong pedigree

There are lots of things to like about Zoolz Cloud Backup for both personal use and business deployment. It offers an easy to follow interface with excellent web management options, and the ability to combine cloud operations with local external storage.

This UK-based company leverages Amazon’s Glacier infrastructure to deliver a compelling price/performance ratio, with prices far cheaper than the competition. With 20PB of data stored for three million users for more than a decade, Zoolz is also not as ephemeral as some of its rivals.

Exclusive Zoolz 5TB cold storage backup$124.99 $49.95 for 1-year (60% off)
Zoolz has teamed up with TechRadar to deliver one of the best cloud storage packages ever. Get 1TB of cold storage on AWS for only $19.95 per year. This offer is limited to one user and includes file versioning and unlimited external drives. That’s a saving of more than 53%. Need more storage? Then grab 5TB of cold storage for a mere $49.95. Unlike the competition, these prices stay low even after the promotional period.

4. Degoo cloud storage

Swedish outfit Degoo is not a household name, and therefore it comes as a surprise that it has managed to carve itself a niche inside the ultra-competitive cloud storage market.

With only two offerings, this outfit has managed to attract more than 15 million users globally since its inception earlier in 2019 – an estimated 20,000 people join Degoo every day. It is one of the few cloud storage companies worldwide that encrypts stored files and disperses them across four different continents. It also supports two-factor authentication via the Google sign-in.

Exclusive Degoo 10TB cloud storage backup$239.76 $99.99 for 2-years (58% off)
TechRadar and Degoo have partnered to provide a one-off exclusive. You can get a staggering 10TB of storage for just $99.99 for two years. That’s a 58% saving compared to the standard price of $9.99 per month, and is exclusive to TechRadar. It's a price that's far less than the cloud storage competition. That price is a locked-down one as well and will not change.

5. Mega cloud storage

With an insanely generous free tier and a simple drag-and-drop interface, New Zealand-based Mega is one of the cloud storage heavyweights. There's a handy mobile app to allow you to upload files and photos, as well as sync clients with desktop machines. The company also has business tailored plans.

Mega claims that all data stored in its cloud is encrypted on your device before it reaches the firm’s servers. As the company has released the source code to its sync client, experts can check that there are no vulnerabilities.

Price: 50GB free. 200GB for $6 a month (£4.50, €4.99, around AU$7.50). 1TB for $12 a month (£9, €9.99, around AU$16). 4TB for $23 a month (£17, €19.99, around AU$30). 8TB for $35 a month (£26, €29.99, around AU$46).

6. OneDrive cloud storage

OneDrive is integrated into Windows 10's File Explorer. You don't have to download an additional app – it's there to use out of the box, which is obviously very convenient for those who have made the jump to Microsoft’s newest operating system.

Microsoft's Photos app can also use OneDrive to sync pictures across all your devices. As of late March, Autodesk AutoCAD has been integrated with OneDrive which is good news for anyone using the software's drafting tools. There's an app for Android and iOS devices, and there's even one in the App Store for Mac users (although it has received mixed reviews).

Price: 5GB free. 100GB for $3 a month (£1.99, around AU$4). 1TB for $7 a month (£5.99, around AU$11). Unlimited (as part of Onedrive for Business) for $10 a month (£7.99, around AU$14)

7. iCloud cloud storage

If you want to back up your iPhone to iCloud, you'll need more than the free 5GB allowance Apple gives you, but compared to rivals iCloud prices are very reasonable.

The Mac Finder app integrates iCloud Drive, where you can store any files you wish. Documents created in the iWork office suite are also saved to iCloud and can sync across your devices. Windows users can also sync their files with iCloud Drive using the official client, and access the iWork apps on the iCloud website.

Price: 5GB free. 50GB for $0.99 a month (£0.79, AU$1.49). 200GB for $2.99 (£2.24, AU$4). 2TB for $9.99 (£8, AU$13)

8. Google Drive cloud storage

Best Online Backup For Mac

Google Drive is a natural choice for owners of Android devices as it's already integrated, but users of other platforms may appreciate the generous free storage too. You can also store high definition photos on your mobile phone with companion app Google Photos, and make use of Google's own office suite (now known as G Suite). Also, upgrading to paid Google Drive plans is now called Google One (although it might not yet be available, depending on the region).

Downsides include the fact that the web interface isn't very easy-to-use, although Windows and Mac users can download a desktop app to drag-and-drop files easily.

Price: 15GB free. 100GB for $1.99 a month (£1.59, around AU$2.50). 200GB for $2.99 a month (£2.35, around AU$4.10). 2TB for $9.99 a month (£8, around AU$13). 10TB for $99.99 a month (£74, around AU$130). 20TB for $199.99 a month (£148, around AU$260). 30TB for $299.99 a month (£236, around AU$426).

9. Box cloud storage

Well-known service with some powerful business options

Box's website currently seems to be pushing its Business plans as clicking ‘sign up’ takes you to the pricing page where for $15 per user (£11, around AU$19) you can benefit from advanced collaboration options and unlimited storage. But there is a 10GB free option, too.

As Box has been around for a while, it is supported by a number of mainstream apps such as Google Docs and Office 365. It's also integrated with G-Suite, which means Docs, Sheets and Slides are automatically saved and managed in Box. Additionally, like OneDrive, it's also been integrated with AutoCAD. The Box Sync client is available from the Downloads page for Mac and Windows, plus there's also an official Android client.

Price: 10GB free. 100GB for around $10 a month (£7.50, around AU$13)

10. NextCloud cloud storage

NextCloud isn’t an online cloud storage provider itself, but offers free software to download and install a cloud storage service on your own server. Using a server on your home network for cloud storage is much faster. You can also enable encryption and make sure the information never leaves your home network, which is far safer.

If you've no server or IT experience, you can even purchase a preconfigured NextCloud Box (if you can find one) which comes with a 1TB hard drive and will work with an inexpensive Raspberry Pi board to keep your data synced. Unfortunately, NextCloud Box is sold out but you can check out the alternatives on their website

Price: Free to install and use. Self-hosting so storage costs vary.

11. SpiderOak

SpiderOak is part of a new trend of zero knowledge cloud storage providers. The website claims that after installing the client your data is encrypted before syncing. Unfortunately since SpiderOak hasn’t made the client source code public, there's no way to confirm this.

The SpiderOakOne client is available for Windows, Mac and Linux as well as Android and iOS (although, both Android and iOS are read-only apps, meaning you can only view files, and can't upload or sync anything). You can also log in via the web interface but privacy lovers may prefer not to as it exposes your password to SpiderOak employees.

Price: 21-day free trial.150GB for $6 a month (around £4.5, AU$8.25). 400GB for $11 a month (around £8.4, AU$15). 2TB for $14 a month (around £10.7, AU$19.25). 5TB for $29 a month (around £22.1, AU$39.9)

How to choose a cloud storage service?

Florian Malecki, International Product Marketing Senior Director at StorageCraft gives us his thoughts

Organisations are often unclear about the best way to keep their files and systems safe, but there are plenty of preventative measures that can be taken to avoid the costly risk of downtime. Arguably the most important factor is backing up and recovering data quickly and efficiently. That is where cloud storage comes in.

With most cloud services providers, companies can tailor coverage to meet unique recovery and budget requirements while enjoying access to data anytime, anywhere, with instant failover in a cloud built specifically for disaster recovery.

The cloud combines low setup, management and overhead costs with high flexibility. The important thing is protecting and securing backups offsite and giving businesses peace of mind knowing that data is safe and secure.

Key factors organisations should consider when moving to the cloud are:

● Keep backups on-site and off-site. With any data, redundancy is the key. Data copies should be kept both on-site and off-site. Off-site could be in the cloud, but it could also be backup images stored on a hot-swappable hard drive that you can take to a secondary location (i.e. a “poor man’s cloud”).

● Choose a cloud with recovery options. If it’s not possible to recover data locally, organisations need to have a backup strategy in place. Some cloud services will allow you to spin up a Virtual Machine (VM), even if local recovery is impossible. For systems that have zero tolerance for downtime, a cloud-based recovery option is the best option.

● Mirror critical data. 99.999% uptime is exceptional, but nothing is infallible. It is important to remember that, while uptime is great, errors do occur, and data can be accidentally deleted or somehow corrupted. For extra critical data, it’s wise to not only backup data in the cloud, but to mirror it to a geographically disparate region for extra assurance.

Best cloud backup services of 2019

Read on for our detailed analysis of each service

If running regular backups is important for home users, it's essential in business: losing even a small fraction of your most important data, for a brief period of time, could still be a real disaster in 2019 especially with GDPR around.

You could try to protect yourself by copying files to local drives, but that takes time and effort. It also leaves you vulnerable to fire, theft and hardware failure, which is why automatically uploading your files to a cloud backup service is often a better idea.

Choosing the right backup solution can seem tricky, as there's a lot to consider. How much storage space do you really need, for instance? Must the service support versioning (where multiple versions of documents are kept)? How should this be managed?

Security is important, too. What sort of encryption options do you get? How is access to your data managed? What options are there for managing your users, seeing what they're doing, making sure they're complying with your policies and procedures?

You're probably not going to get by with a free Dropbox account, but there are plenty of business providers ready to deliver the extras you and your company need. Here, in alphabetical order, are seven of the best.

• Also have a look at the best cloud storage services

• Want your company or services to be added to this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to desire.athow@futurenet.com with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.

1. IDrive Small Business

IDrive Small Business is a versatile cloud backup service which does its best to cater for just about every possible need.

You're covered on PCs running anything from Windows 2000 up. There's Mac support, Linux backup scripts, iOS, Android and Windows mobile clients, and backup support for Windows Server, Microsoft SQL, Exchange, SharePoint and Oracle.

The baseline 250GB storage may not be enough for everyone, but hybrid backup support – the ability to save some files locally – allows you to be more selective about which files head for the cloud, and which stay nearby.

Once your data is online it can be accessed via a web interface, synced with computers or mobiles, and there's even a mechanism for sharing files via email, Facebook and Twitter.

IDrive Express is a feature which enables quickly backing up or restoring your system via a physically shipped drive. Unusually, the Business plan allows three free backups per year.

Despite all this functionality, the ability to create subaccounts for your storage space and a straightforward web-based management console helps you keep track of what's going on.

Overall it's a likeable package, and if your budget is non-existent then also consider IDrive Personal. There's no server backup or subaccounts, but the basic features and 5GB of storage can be yours for free.

2. Backblaze Business

Backblaze has been delivering easy, low-cost backup services to consumers for years, so it's no surprise that its business products have the same focus on simplicity and value.

There are no limits on capacity, for instance, or bandwidth. There's no need to browse multiple service levels and try to figure out what's right for you. Backblaze Business is just a single plan which offers unlimited backup space for one computer, at a flat rate of $47.50 per computer per month on a two year contract.

The backup process is just as straightforward, with the program initially backing up all your data – which can even be on external disks and USB keys – and then backing up individual files as they change. Your data is then accessible online via a web interface and mobile app.

Bonus features include versioning, where file changes are kept for four weeks. An anti-theft feature records the IP address of your computer when it connects, and backup data can be sent on a flash drive or USB hard drive for speedy restores, anywhere in the world. Send the drive back within 30 days and they'll refund the price in full.

The service now includes some handy central management tools. Admins can assign users to separate groups for custom billing, view details about their backup status and settings, and receive alerts on problems.

There's even built-in support for BackBlaze's B2 cloud storage, an Amazon S3-like service which backs up servers and NAS for a flat $5 per terabyte per month.

In our experience BackBlaze only delivers mid-range backup performance, but that's fine for most purposes, and we think the service delivers in terms of features and value.

3. Carbonite Safe

Unlike most backup products, Carbonite Safe is licensed to run on as many computers, external hard drives and NAS drives as you need. Sounds good, and although the base price is higher than some – along with the $99 per year per 100GB of extra storage – it's in line with other business backup companies.

However, the service does deliver plenty for your money. Carbonite can manage just about every aspect of your backups, keeping training and other hassles to a minimum. Even the initial backup is largely automatic, and incremental backups then upload changed files only.

Encryption is vital in keeping data safe once it has left your system, and Carbonite uses multiple technologies, including TLS during transfer and 128-bit Blowfish when stored.

All your files are visible from a web interface, iOS and Android apps, and there are various ways to restore them: individually, or all, and everything in-between, along with deleted files or previous versions (for up to a month), or everything that's changed after a point in time (handy if you've been hit by ransomware).

Put it all together and Carbonite Safe is a quality package, although as mentioned, there are cheaper services around.

4. CrashPlan for Small Business

A backup service that aims to deliver on price and features

Some business backup providers try to compete on functionality, others on price, but CrashPlan for Small Business aims to do both. The service combines a low price with a lengthy list of features and controls, including some that are rarely found elsewhere.

The package works on Linux, as well as PCs and Macs, for instance. There's unlimited storage space, including unlimited versioning, and it's easy to find documents by date, time or version (such a useful feature that it could be a reason for choosing this product in itself).

The service is hugely customisable. You can have continuous or scheduled backups. Online destinations, local, or both. And it’s possible to use your preferred encryption or compression settings, retention policies and more.

Some genuinely intelligent features help to enhance reliability. The package can watch for new documents in your chosen folders, for instance, ensuring files are protected as soon as possible.

All this can be managed from a powerful web console. You're able to monitor backup progress and settings, configure clients, enforce policies and more, although notably this is desktop-only – the console doesn't support mobile browsers.

For Mac users, the stalwart tool has been the Microsoft Remote Desktop connection. Available now through the Mac App store, it allows users to remotely connect to a Windows desktop. We tested remote access software by installing each app or service on four machines: desktops running Windows 10 and Windows 7, a laptop running Windows 7, and a Mac laptop running macOS. Remote desktop 8 mac. For example, your Windows PC may be a super beefy machine you use to do compiling or rendering. You can use remote desktop to check on a job’s progress or start tasks without actually being physically at the machine. Connecting to a Mac from a Windows PC. Connecting to. 3 Free Ways to Remotely Connect to Your Mac’s Desktop Chris Hoffman @chrisbhoffman January 31, 2014, 6:40am EDT Apple sells Apple Remote Desktop on the Mac App Store for $80, but you don’t have to spend any money to remotely connect to your Mac.

There might be cheaper packages than CrashPlan for Small Business around, but on an overall level, they don't get close to its power and functionality. If you're a desktop user and need anything more than the backup basics, CrashPlan is definitely one for your shortlist.

5. SOS Online Backup for Business

An impressively well-featured backup option

SOS Online Backup for Business may seem expensive, but there's a simple explanation – the standard package includes a host of features which are premium add-ons elsewhere.

There's no limit on the number of devices you can back up, for instance. Servers are supported, too. SQL Server, Exchange, SharePoint? No problem at all.

The core product removes many of the annoying restrictions you'll find elsewhere. There's unlimited versioning, no file size limits, no maximum retention times, and the service backs up just about everything: PCs from Vista up, Macs, iOS and Android devices, flash drives, network drives and more.

SOS Online Backup offers an optional per-user encryption key which is never stored in the cloud, ensuring your data can't be read by anyone else. That's a major security plus, if you can put up with the usability issues. (You can't browse or access files from the web, and if you lose the key there's no way to recover them at all).

In day-to-day use, the SOS Online Backup clients don't always deliver quite as much functionality as we'd like. They're still above average, though, and the service scores where it matters, being both fast and very easy-to-use. There's a 15-day free trial if you're interested in taking a look.

6. SugarSync Business

SugarSync's business spin is a compelling offering

SugarSync Business is a convenient file sync and cloud backup service with one or two handy enterprise-friendly extensions.

Best Backup For Mac Computer

The core of the package is its powerful and configurable sync service. You choose your folders, and they're uploaded then backed up in real-time, giving easy access to your data from PCs, Macs, Android or iOS devices.

There's considerable control over file sharing. You can create public links to share data, invite specific people only, allow file viewing only, or give them editing permission, too.

SugarSync's key advantage over similar services is that it's not just based around a single folder. You're able to choose any folder or folder tree, and have everything backed up and synced in the same way.

Opting for the Business plan takes the package further with 1TB of storage space for up to three users. Remote management enables the creation of user accounts with storage limits and permissions, and there's a bonus option to remotely wipe one of your systems.

Limited versioning support might be an issue for some. SugarSync only maintains the last five versions of a file, not much of a safety margin, and disappointing when some services have no fixed limits at all.

On balance, SugarSync Business doesn't have quite as many features as other products, but the strong sync and file sharing technologies have kept it on our shortlist.

How to choose a cloud backup service

Greg Lissy, VP Products at SolarWinds MSP, shares his views on how businesses can choose the best cloud backup solution

A backup plan for a business is like an insurance policy for your data, so choosing the right provider isn’t something to be taken lightly. Low-priced consumer-grade products may be tempting, but if your business depends on access to your data, reliability is essential.

Check out the backup vendor’s performance and reputation. What do their customers say? How quickly do they get systems back up and running again? If something goes wrong, how much downtime can you afford before your business is seriously impacted?

Best Online Backup For Mac 2017 Keyboard

Another critical consideration when choosing a cloud backup provider is where, specifically, your backups are stored. Many businesses must comply with regulatory requirements about keeping data in country, so be sure your vendor can meet your requirements around data sovereignty.

Finally, it’s important to realize that security is a big part of backup, and that backup is an essential ingredient in your overall security plan. Insist on secure data transfer to and from the cloud storage location, data encryption, and role-based access that ensures only authorized personnel can access or restore data.

While backup is critical, it’s typically your last line of defence. Be sure it’s complemented by a robust defence strategy including managed antivirus, web protection, patch management, and mail filtering. If one vendor offers a full layered security portfolio, you’ll be in an even better position, as you’ll have one trusted partner to rely on in your time of need.