Usually, we save all our data on our hard drives or the local network. These backups are quick and easy to restore, but they carry the same risks that our computer does, like hardware failures, theft, virus attacks, and accidental damage. On the other hand, cloud data backup refers to storing your data on a remote server over the Internet. This off-site backup keeps your data safe and allows you to access it whenever you want from any part of the world.

How is cloud data backup better?
The initial backup of your data on the cloud can be a time-consuming process, but all your files will back up automatically after that. Some cloud data backup services make the initial backup easier by first backing up your data on an external hard drive, which can be shipped to the backup vendor to reduce the upload time drastically. Similarly, you can ask for a copy of a hard drive with all your data for faster restoration.

Best cloud backup services
Here are some of our top picks for cloud data backup service providers. Ensure that you do your research before making a choice.

Backblaze
Backblaze provides cloud data backup services for personal as well as business use, and it offers many useful features, including unlimited storage, fast and reliable backups, and affordable packages. It is easy to set up and only requires you to enter a few details, like your email and password. The best part about using Backblaze is that you can also create backups of all your attached external drives, and the company offers automatic or scheduled backups. That said, the unlimited storage is limited to one computer per account. BackBlaze provides economical plans starting at $6 per month per license, and you can also try it free for 15 days.

IDrive
When compared with other cloud backup services, iDrive offers great control over the data backup process. A centralized console enables you to easily monitor data backups, and you can manage the backups of all your remote devices from the dashboard. Plus, IDrive uses military grade encryption to keep your data secure, and activity, backup status, and share reports help you stay informed. The retrieval process is also quick, with physical storage shipment that prevents bandwidth usage.

IDrive plans start at $6.95 per month for 5TB storage, and you can use the storage to back up all your Macs, PCs, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices in a single account. You can also backup your data from external hard drives.

Carbonite
Carbonite offers unlimited and automatic cloud backup and continuously updates your backup so that you never lose any data. Carbonite Safe™ for small businesses is perfect for ensuring safe and easily accessible data backup for enterprises, and it’s easy to use too. You can monitor backups and access your data via a secure, web-based dashboard on any device. Plus, it offers easy data recovery from devices that undergo ransomware attacks.

Carbonite offers three plans for small businesses, which are billed annually. The basic computer backup plan starts at $24 per month, the Advanced Endpoint Protection plan starts at $34 per month, and the Advances Server Protection plan starts at $147 per month.

Acronis
Acronis is another provider that offers plans for personal as well as business cloud data backup. Tests have shown that it saves time when backing up and accessing your files, and the provides uses military-grade encryption to ensure that your data is safe while in transit and storage. It includes features like protection against ransomware, cryptojackers, and fileless attacks. You can get a free 30-day trial before making a decision. Acronis offers various plans for personal, business, and service provider cloud data backup, and the cloud backup services become increasingly cost efficient as your business scales.