Sponsored: Carbonite vs. IDrive, what’s the difference?

October 10, 2017

By Kim Komando

Recently, we had an interesting question from one of our readers regarding the state of computer data backup services:Question: Dear Kim, just curious. I took your advice a few years ago and signed up with Carbonite to back up all my files with no problems to speak of. Recently, you are advising users to use IDrive! My question is “why?” What’s the advantage since Carbonite I believe can back up all devices, not just a computer’s files?Answer: That’s a great question! As a regular listener of my national radio show, reader here at Komando.com and subscriber to my newsletters, you know my top goal is to keep you informed of the ever-changing landscape of cyberthreats and ways you can protect yourself.One of those critical steps is backing up important files that could easily be lost if your computer crashes, or if you’re hit by ransomware.After a very long and successful run with Carbonite, the company has changed its focus and is now moving into the business enterprise space. Because of this, and because backing up your files on not only your computers is so essential, I’ve found another solution that I believe will meet the diverse needs of consumers and small businesses.

After thoroughly evaluating numerous backup services, I welcomed IDrive as a new sponsor of my show and Komando.com. This decision was not made lightly. Let me share what sets IDrive apart from the rest, and why I’m recommending you make the switch or signup.

IDrive advantages

All your gadgets and data under one accountDid you know that most backup services charge per computer or device? Carbonite is no exception and they only back up computers. If you have a family with multiple computers you will need to purchase a separate subscription for each one.That can get pretty expensive and it doesn’t even include backup for your tablets and smartphones.On the other hand, IDrive lets you backup data on every internet enabled device in one account.This means you only need one account for backing up your family’s computers, laptops, tablets and phones.Not only that, IDrive knows that your computer, laptop, and mobile devices aren’t the only things holding your data these days. This is why IDrive also offers the option to backup your social media accounts such as Facebook and Instagram data!

IDrive Express

Another advantage that sets IDrive apart is IDrive Express. While many other services clog your bandwidth, IDrive Express jump starts your initial backup, using a shipped USB physical drive method!

IDrive Express service is included one time per year with no extra charge whereas Carbonite’s courier recovery service is only available on their Prime plan at $149.99/year.

IDrive Snapshots

IDrive also allows you to recover your data from a specific point in time via IDrive Snapshots. With this feature, you can view a historical timeline of your backups and select a specific date to recover from.

This is critical for protecting your systems from threats like ransomware. If your files get encrypted, just select a restore point before the infection and you will get all your data back.

Better yet, your Snapshots have no impact on your IDrive account’s available storage space.

Price Comparison

Price-wise, IDrive offers the most protection for the lowest price, which makes the value of the product incredible. 

Here’s a chart to help you compare IDrive and Carbonite:

	IDrive	Carbonite
Starting Price:	Basic is free (up to 5GB of storage)IDrive Personal starts at $69.50 for 2TB on the first year and $99.50 for 5TB on the first year	15-day free trialCarbonite home prices start at $60 a year for the Basic plan, $75 for Plus and $150 for Prime
No. of devicesper account	All of your devices including Windows, Macs, Android and iOS under a single account	One Windows or Mac computer per subscription
Social media account backup	Yes including Facebook and Instagram	No
Office 365 backup	Yes	No
Courier service	Yes, included once a year free of charge through IDrive Express. Subsequent physical backup requests are $59.95. Subsequent recovery is $99.50.	Yes but for emergency recovery only.Included in the $149.99 Prime plan with $9.99 per shipping cost.Basic and Plus Plans charge $99 for each recovery.
Multiple file version recovery	Yes via IDrive Snapshots with provision to recover deleted files from Trash within a period of 30 days.	Old versions of changed files are kept up to three months; No snapshot recovery.
Encryption	Yes	Yes
Batch restore	Yes via IDrive Backtrack	No
True Archiving	Yes	No
Web-based console	Yes	No
Mobile apps	Yes	Yes

Can’t see the feature comparison chart? Click here to visit the page at Komando.com.Note: As a listener of my show you can save even more! Click here to save 50 percent on 2 TB of cloud backup storage!As you can see, whether you’re an individual who just needs to back up a single computer or a small business with servers full of customer data and financial records, IDrive offers a solution for you at an affordable price, with all the features you need.

Canceling Carbonite and getting a refund

If you’ve just signed up for Carbonite, you have up to 30 days to cancel your subscription if you’d like to receive a full refund. If you cancel your subscription beyond those first 30 days, no refund will be issued. However, if there are any discrepancies on your account for fees billed, you may contact Carbonite within 60 days of the occurrence.

Once your Carbonite account has been canceled, sign up for IDrive and begin your first backup. Don’t leave your data unprotected for another minute, click here to save 50 percent as a listener of my show!