Alternatives to Mozy: Which backup service is right for you?

 "43% of people lose irreplaceable files every year"

Updated as of March 2011: Mozy.com is one of the most popular online backup services for individuals. The main reason is due to it's low price point (now $5.99 a month for 50GB of storage). They recently changed their pricing and no longer allow for unlimited storage. In addition to the 50GB plan, they also offer 125GB for $9.99 a month. 

I use the service personally and while it currently suits most of my needs, it lacks two main functions I would love to have. First, it doesn't have mobile access so I can't retreive my computer files or photos on the go. I recall seeing an announcement that it will be available when I subscribed six months ago and I'm still waiting. The second is the constant number of unsuccessful backup attempts I’ve experienced. Without fail, the application stops updating once a month and I have to contact Mozy and provide them with remote access to fix the issue.

I opted for the Mozy annual plan when I signed up because I saved ten percent. Will I stay after my subscription is over? Unless things change, probably not. I’ve explored other solutions in the meantime and found the top four Mozy alternatives available using an Internet and Twitter search. If you'd like a quick overview by comparing backup solutions side-by-side, check out this chart.

Note: These Mozy alternatives are in no particular order and have been pre-screened to ensure they meet standard security specifications.

1. SugarSync.com – Close to Mozy’s monthly subscription at $4.99 (for 30GB of storage), the most notable features of this service include:

• A 30-day free trial of any plan from 30GB to 250GB of storage
• It is compatible with PCs and Macs
• Multiple computers can be backed up using one account
• SugarSync offers mobile applications. (Nice twist: photos and music are automatically synced to your computer without needing to download them)
• They allow file sharing 
• You can restore documents for up to 5 versions

2. ElephantDrive -This service offers plans specifically for individuals and families starting at $9.95 for 100GB of storage or $19.95 a month for 500GB of storage. See below for a list of their top features:

• A free 2GB trial
• It is compatible with PCs and Macs
• Up to two PCs can use the personal account and 5 devices can use the family account
• Mobile access is provided
• File sharing is available
• File versioning is offered for the last 30 days (for the personal account) or one year for family account)

Bonus: This ElephantDrive coupon link is currently offering two months for free when you purchase their annual plan.

3. Carbonite - Carbonite used to be a top contendor as a Mozy alternative because they were so similar in featuresets. However, that has changed with Mozy's new pricing scheme. Carbonite only offers unlimited storage so you're not limited by size constraints (a big appeal to their service). Another difference is they don't have a monthly subscription. Their annual plan starts at $54.95 (about $4.58/month) for one computer. Some of their noteworthy features include:

• A free 15-day trial with unlimited storage
• They are compatible with PCs and Macs
• Mobile applications are available
• File versioning is offered
• Email & phone support are provided

4. Dropbox - Boasting more than 6 million users, Dropbox had to make this list. They offer two plans - 50GB for $9.99/month or 100GB for $19.99/month.  In addition:

• A free 2GB trial with an extra 250MB for each referral you provide
• Compatability with PCs, Macs and Linux
• Multiple computers can be backed up using one account
• Mobile access is provided
• File sharing is available
• File versioning for the last 30 days or you can upgrade to their pack rat feature which saves your history forever

What are your favorite backup options and why? Are there other Mozy alternatives you want us to know about? Leave us a comment and we’ll add it to the list.

 

By: Yasmine Mustafa

Yasmine is a former Team and a Dream-er. She is currently the Founder of 123LinkIt.com. The Company creates tools for bloggers to help them monetize their sites. A free affiliate plugin for WordPress is now available.

Comments

[FC Barcelona]

Would be nice to know if these different online backup services differs in quality if you are in Europe like me, anybody knows that?

[blairjian blog]

a top contendor as a Mozy alternative because they were so similar in air classic bw featuresets. However, that has changed with Mozy's new pricing scheme. Carbonite only offers unlimited storage so you're not limited by size constraints (a big appeal to their service). Another difference is they don't have a monthly

[CUC]

It’s not that Mozy hasn’t been a great cloud-based backup service, especially for beginners. But the sudden price jump is catching many off-gurad, especially users of the unlimited plan.

[AC]

Check out Crashplan. I've used Mozy for several years now, and while it's helped me through two hard drive crashes, the service was atrocious, and I accidentally lost some data both times; in one case, the UI made it seem like 100% of the data had been backed up, when it hadn't.

What I like about CrashPlan is that it also seamlessly handles local backups. We have a family plan, and have all 3 of our computers not just backed up online (with encryption and versioning), but also to each other over wifi. In case of a crash, we don't have to wait for days to re-download all our data over the net.