15 Best Tools to Back Up Your Windows or Mac Computer to the Cloud

January 13, 2023

The importance of backing up our data cannot be overstated.

This is one of those things that is the most important but always neglected. I lost a lot of data in the past due to my carelessness, but now I won't let that happen again. I've made it a habit to back up my computer from time to time, and you should too.

With these backup services mentioned in this article, you can avoid losing your important Windows or macOS data.

By the way, backing up your computer to the cloud is different from cloning hard drives. Cloud backup gives you the ability to restore data anytime, anywhere over the Internet, where cloning creates a backup on another hard drive or device.

Before I get into listing them, let me tell you why you should back up your data regularly.

Instant Recovery

There can be hundreds of reasons for data loss, for example:

Server failure/failure
human error
Hacking
Failed hard drive
Natural disasters

In all these cases, you can restore all your data if you have previously made a backup. Having a backup of your data is literally like hitting the "Cancel" button when something goes wrong. In just a blink of an eye, you can get all your important data back.

Insensitive to ransomware

If you've been using the Internet for a long time, you know what ransomware is. Basically, it is malware that can be installed on your system and can block all your data until a certain amount of money is paid out. In this case, a backup can protect you because you already have a copy of everything.

Peace of mind

Regularly backing up your data eliminates unnecessary stress due to the fear of data loss. It happened to me and I decided I didn't want to live in that fear anymore. I'm not even kidding! Backing up your data gives you a sense of relief and security, which can give you peace of mind.

Acronis

Combining backup and anti-malware in one powerful solution is what makes Acronis True Image truly unique.

It provides complete digital protection through a simple interface that backs up photos, files, apps and other data instantly. Recovery is also very convenient, allowing you to recover data on demand with just a few clicks.

It has a built-in real-time security and protection system that can prevent any cyber attack that can compromise your data, identity and confidential information. Best of all, this solution takes the saying "prevention is better than cure" literally, as it prevents attacks before they cause any damage.

It will also run regular antivirus checks on your files and your entire system to rule out any malicious infections.

Polarback

Super affordable yet powerful, Polarbackup uses cutting-edge technology that includes automatic "set it and forget it" backups.

You can back up local and external drives to a secure system, protected by your own AES 256 encryption password. All files will be kept forever for as long as you want, and if in the case of similar files, you can distinguish between them using file versioning.

The whole process, including the interface, is quite convenient and intuitive. You can sort, manage, find, view and restore your data with just a few clicks.

It is also important to note that Polarbackup complies with GDPR privacy laws and regulations to ensure that your information is never manipulated.

Uranium backup

Uranium Backup is a backup software for Windows operating systems. The free version provides full/incremental/differential file and folder backups with the ability to schedule backups and enable reporting with email notifications.

Uranium Backup can run as a Windows service and allows you to backup and restore entire systems such as files/folders, system images (disk image backup), databases and virtual machines to local and remote storage including hard drives, NAS, FTP Servers and Cloud Destinations. To start using the free version, just go to a special page and simply click "Download" (no registration or credit card required).

pCloud

pCloud is not the oldest cloud storage service, but definitely one of the most reliable.

This makes it easy to securely back up files and folders without any size or speed limits. You will also be able to restore older versions of files, even if they are already 1 year old. All your files will be protected from theft, ransomware and hard drive failure.

According to your preference, you can either choose to back up manually or let pCloud run in the background all the time to drag any new file onto your system.

Files stored in this cloud storage service are accessible from any device at any time.

Backup of my PC

A great automated backup service, My PC Backup can download and store your files in the cloud even when you're not doing anything. It runs in the background and gives you the ability to sync data across multiple different devices.

The service is completely secure and encrypted thanks to the Google-powered cloud. From the moment you upload it to the vault, you can be sure that your data is securely stored.

You can even share your data with friends and family via email and social media. You can start with a free 1GB account and then upgrade to a paid plan for only $8.19 per month billed annually.

I'm going

Works on Mac, PC, tablets and even mobile phones. I Ride is a very intuitive backup service that is also very affordable. You can get 5TB of cloud backup for only $6.95 in the first year. Don't forget you also have 5 GB free to start with.

The toolbar allows you to change backup sets and other settings in real time on all devices. It does a great job of backing up your data and also protects against ransomware.

BackBlaze

Recommended by Macworld and The New York Times, BackBlaze is another great backup service that's pretty easy to use as well. It can automatically backup your files at super fast speed and also notify you instantly.

Some other features include:

Restore deleted versions of files within 30 days
Possibility to order a USB stick with all your data on it
High speed download
Smart file sharing via BackBlaze B2
Backup external drives
Backup both Mac and PC

Of all the features, this one is the most impressive - with Find My Computer, you can instantly find your stolen/lost computer and get it back. How cool is that!

BackBlaze costs $6 per month, but you can try it for free.

carbonite

With 24/7 support and advanced encryption, Carbonite can keep your data in safe hands. It can back up a lot of things, including:

Music
The documents
A photo
Email the address
Video
Settings

Once you install the software on your computer, it will automatically suggest files to back up, or you can even make your selection manually. After that, it runs seamlessly in the background, automatically storing your data in secure cloud storage. You can quickly restore your data from it when the need arises.

The plans start at $6 per month, but you can take advantage of their free trial to get you started.

Livedrive

Livedrive offers unlimited storage and automatic backup cycles from just £5 per month. Available for both Windows and Mac, it takes a very short time to install and start using this software.

What I like about this service is that they store up to 30 different previous versions of your files. This means that even if you accidentally delete it, you can still go back and restore it. This takes data loss prevention to a whole new level.

It also comes with an application from which you can access your files and do just about everything possible on the computer.

Cloud Backup Norton

Whether you're experiencing a ransomware attack or a hard drive failure, you can count on Norton Cloud Backup to save you the mess. It will automatically back up your files to a safe and secure cloud drive, from where you can restore them at any time.

Norton has been in business since 1990, so you can fully rely on their services. They are responsible for data recovery and protection against nasty viruses for millions of users.

Their pricing plans start at just $11.21 per year.

Ark Backup

With a 30 day free trial , Ark Backup is worth a try mainly because of their super speed. You can create backups in less than a minute thanks to built-in compression and deduplication, which saves a huge amount of time.

This service is well encrypted with a key of your choice. In addition, you can recover deleted files and even backup external drives.

Arq Backup only costs $49.99 per user.

Google Drive

I'm sure many of you are already familiar with Google Drive as it's one of the most popular. You can store any files, be it photos, videos, music, projects or whatever. That's it, as long as your storage is less than 15 GB, you're done. If you go over that limit, you can opt for one of their paid plans starting at just $1.99 per month.

Plus, you can access and share files from any device as it syncs with all your Google accounts.

Zools

Zoolz automatically backs up your data and moves it all to a safe place where you can easily access it. Their artificial intelligence makes it easy to discover, access and back up your data.

Here are some other great features:

Stream audio/video from the cloud without buffering
Face recognition that automatically creates thumbnails for photos
AI-powered photo discovery that can help you find photos even by typing the contents of a photo, such as a cup, tree, or pen.
Military Grade Encryption
Smart filters for quick file search

In addition, you can also download their excellent mobile app. You can register and get 1 GB for free.

Cloudbako

With Cloudbaco , you can run manual and automatic backups at specific times. Just install it once and it will do its job without even lifting a finger. All your data is encrypted with a 256-bit AES randomized key, which is almost impossible to crack.

You can get a 30 day free trial to get started!

iCloud

Another popular service, especially among IOS users. iCloud is an Apple product that works wonders for IOS users, but is also a good option if you're using a Windows PC. It's not my personal favorite from the list due to restrictions, but the security and interface are great.

You get 5GB free to start, then upgrade to a paid plan starting at $0.99 per month if you hit the limit.

What's next?

Choose what works for you. Most of them offer a FREE trial or refund, so feel free to try a few to see what works for you.