Updated for 2026 — This article has been reviewed and updated with the latest recommendations.
Your hard drive will fail eventually. It is not a question of if but when. Fires, theft, ransomware, and accidental deletion are real risks too. A local backup protects against hardware failure, but online backup protects against everything because your data is stored off-site.
Backblaze
Backblaze is the most popular unlimited online backup for personal use. For a flat annual fee, you get unlimited backup for one computer with no file size limits, no file type restrictions, and no throttling. Setup takes five minutes. Install the app and it backs up everything automatically.
Restoring is easy: download individual files via web, download a complete ZIP, or have a USB drive shipped. The main limitation is one computer per license. It does not back up system files, only personal data.
IDrive
IDrive gives you fixed storage across multiple devices. A single account can back up multiple computers, phones, and tablets to the same pool. The 5 TB plan covers most households. You get file versioning with up to 30 previous versions, disk delivery for initial uploads and restores, and cloud account backup for Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox.
Carbonite
Carbonite automatically identifies files to back up based on type, working well for non-technical users. The basic plan does not cover external drives or video files over 4 GB. You need Plus or Prime plans for those features.
Acronis Cyber Protect
Acronis combines online backup with antivirus, anti-ransomware, and vulnerability scanning. It does full disk imaging that lets you restore your entire system including OS, apps, and settings. More expensive and heavier on resources, but the most comprehensive option.
What to Look For
- Unlimited vs fixed storage based on your needs
- Multi-device support for phones and tablets
- File versioning for recovering from accidental edits
- Restore options including web download and USB delivery
- External drive support if you use them
- End-to-end encryption for security
For most people, Backblaze is the right choice. For multi-device backup, IDrive is better. For full system imaging with security features, Acronis covers all bases. The worst backup strategy is the one you never set up.