Cloud Backup Options Compared: Online Backup Comparison for 2026

How long are old versions and deleted files kept?

This is the most important difference between cloud backup options. Many free plans keep deleted files for about 30 days, which is not long if you only notice a missing folder at the end of a quarter. Dedicated backup services and higher plans keep versions for longer, sometimes indefinitely.

Is the encryption end to end?

Every serious provider encrypts data on its servers. End-to-end encryption goes further: your files are encrypted before they leave your device, so the provider cannot read them. MEGA does this on every plan; IDrive and pCloud offer it as an option or add-on.

How many devices does one plan cover?

Some plans cover one computer, some cover a whole household, and Dropbox Basic stops at three devices. Count your laptops, phones and external drives before you compare prices.

How do restores work for a lot of data?

Restoring a single file is easy everywhere. Restoring a whole computer over a home connection can take days. Check whether the service lets you restore a folder or a point in time in one go, and whether it can ship a drive when the download would take too long.

What does the space you need cost per year?

Work out how much you have today and add room for a year of growth. Then compare the yearly price of that tier, not the monthly price of the smallest plan. If you are not sure how much you need, the calculator on our free cloud storage guide shows the cheapest way to get there.

Google Drive

Google Drive is the cloud backup option most people already have, because every Google account comes with 15 GB. The desktop app can watch folders such as Documents or Pictures and copy them up automatically, and Drive keeps older versions of a file for a while, so an overwritten spreadsheet can usually be brought back.

The catch is that the 15 GB is shared with Gmail and Google Photos, so a busy inbox eats your backup space. Drive is also a sync service at heart. If you delete a file on your laptop, it disappears from Drive as well and sits in the trash for 30 days. That is fine for documents, but it is not the same as a backup that keeps deleted files for months.

IDrive

IDrive is the only service in this comparison that was built as a backup product first. One account can protect several computers, phones and even external drives, and it keeps previous versions of each file rather than mirroring deletions straight away. If your connection is slow, IDrive can ship your data on a physical drive, which matters when you have to restore hundreds of gigabytes.

The free tier is small, so IDrive makes most sense once you pay for a yearly plan. You can also set a private encryption key, which means IDrive cannot read your files, but it also means nobody can help you if you lose that key.

Dropbox

Dropbox is still one of the easiest tools for keeping files in step across devices and sharing them with other people. It has a computer backup feature that copies your Desktop, Documents and Downloads folders, and paid plans keep a version history so you can roll a file back.

For backup on a budget, though, Dropbox is the weakest choice here. The free Basic plan has 2 GB and only syncs on three devices, and the paid plans are priced for sharing and collaboration more than for cheap storage.

MEGA

MEGA gives you the most free space of the six, 20 GB, and encrypts everything end to end, so the provider cannot read your files. The desktop app has a backups section that copies chosen folders in one direction, which is closer to real backup than plain sync, and file versions are kept as well.

Bonus storage from MEGA's achievements expires after a year, so plan around the 20 GB base. Because the encryption keys are tied to your password and recovery key, losing both means losing the data, so store the recovery key somewhere safe the day you sign up.

pCloud

pCloud works well for personal files, photos and media, and its desktop app can back up chosen folders from your computer. A feature called Rewind lets you look at your account as it was on an earlier date, which is handy after a mistake or a ransomware scare.

Only 2 GB is available when you sign up; the rest of the 10 GB comes from finishing a tutorial and inviting friends. Client-side encryption is a paid add-on called pCloud Encryption, so the free plan is not private in the way MEGA is. pCloud also sells lifetime plans, which some people like and others avoid because nobody can promise a company will be around forever.

OneDrive

OneDrive is built into Windows, and its PC folder backup can protect Desktop, Documents and Pictures with a couple of clicks. Version history lets you restore earlier copies of Office files, and Personal Vault adds an extra sign-in step for sensitive documents.

The free 5 GB fills up quickly, so most people end up on Microsoft 365 Basic at $1.99 a month for 100 GB, or Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month, which adds 1 TB and the Office apps. Like Google Drive, OneDrive syncs deletions, so treat it as a convenient first copy, not your only one.

Backing up phone photos

Use the backup built into your phone's ecosystem first, Google Photos on Android or iCloud on an iPhone, because it runs without you thinking about it. Once you pass the free allowance, a 100 GB plan is usually the cheapest step up. Every few months, copy the originals to a computer or external drive as well, so one account problem cannot take every photo with it.

One laptop with work files

Turn on OneDrive or Google Drive folder backup for convenience, then add a second copy that does not sync deletions. A dedicated backup service such as IDrive, or MEGA's one-way backups, covers the day you delete something and only notice weeks later.

A family with several computers

Pay for one plan that covers several devices instead of juggling free accounts. Check how long deleted files are kept, because family members delete things by accident far more often than disks fail.

A small business

Look past consumer plans to services with admin controls, separate user accounts and retention you can set. Keep at least one copy that ransomware cannot reach, such as immutable cloud storage or an offline drive, and test a restore before you need one.

A homelab or NAS

Back up the NAS itself, not just your laptop. Tools like Proxmox Backup Server, ZFS snapshots and replication, or an occasional LTO tape copy give you local restores, and a cloud bucket gives you the offsite copy in the 3-2-1 rule.