Carbonite Online Backup Review

Pros

• Unlimited storage space
• Reasonable pricing
• Fully automated back-ups of new and changed files
• Data is completely encrypted and guarded
• Home and Business plans
• 15-day free trial

Cons

• Some features require upgraded plans
• Upgraded Home plans are not available for Mac users

Our Score

The Geek’s Take

There are quite a few online backup solutions that use the cloud to house and store your computer’s data. With its unlimited data storage and reasonable $59 annual fee, Carbonite is the best all around package that we’ve found to protect your files and give you peace of mind. Unfortunately, some of the more advanced features are only available at the mid and upper subscription levels though. Still, Carbonite is our Editors’ Choice for this category.

Full Review

Ease of Use

Carbonite has done everything possible to make backing up your data simple and easy. Initial setup involves signing up for an account, downloading the Carbonite application, and following the step-by-step process of choosing which folders and files should be backed-up. Carbonite does the rest, copying your files to the cloud, encrypting them for security, and storing them securely.

After that initial setup is complete, Carbonite works around the clock in the background, syncing files you’ve edited and copying new files to your back up folders. The entire process is automatic and seamless, which is just what you want from a cloud based backup solution.

Should the worst happen, restoring files from the Carbonite system takes just a few clicks via the Carbonite RestoreManager application. Perform a full system data restore of everything you’ve backed up, or pick and choose specific files or folders. In just minutes, you’ll be on your way to recovering all of your sweet data, though keep in mind, a complete restore could take several days depending on your ISP and the amount of data being restored.

Features

Carbonite is pretty feature rich, although some are only available with upgraded subscription plans. Unless otherwise noted, all features outlined below are available with the $59 basic Home subscription.

• Unlimited storage – No need to worry about running out of space with Carbonite – even the basic Home subscription comes with completely unlimited storage.
• Automated backup – As we mentioned in the previous section, Carbonite does its backing up automatically. Just let it do its thing and new and changed files will be safe and sound, synced up to the cloud automatically.
• Web/Mobile Access – Carbonite offers access to your files not only from any online computer, but from any mobile device as well, anytime.
• Courier Recovery Service (available with Home Premier plans) – Carbonite will mail you a physical copy of your backup data should you need it. Handy if you have an unusually large recovery size.
• External Hard Drive backup (not available with basic Home subscription) – backup external hard drive data just as you would local data
• Local Disk Mirroring – Carbonite will let you create an exact mirrored copy of your entire hard drive (data and programs) to keep on a local secondary of external hard drive for easy access.

Support

Carbonite really excels when it comes to support. They offer live chat, email, and phone support options seven days a week, if you need help setting up or performing a recovery, and it’s all US-based. Carbonite.com also provides an extensive knowledgebase of how-to articles and videos to get you up and running.

Value

At $59 a year for the basic Home subscription and unlimited storage, Carbonite is the best value for the home user that we’ve found. Upgraded Home and Business plans can get a little pricier, topping out at $149 for the HomePremier plan and $599 for the BusinessPremier plan, but for the most part, they’re much more than what the average home user needs in an online storage solution.

Summary

With a nice balance of features and value, Carbonite is the best online backup solution that we’ve found, especially for users that can really take advantage of the unlimited storage. Their extensive knowledgebase documentation and US-based support options just sweeten the deal. For us, Carbonite is the clear choice in this category.

Can’t decide on a cloud-based backup storage solution? Check out our handy comparison chart!

*Where does this rating come from? Check out How We Review