Top 3 Online Backup Services A list of the very best online backup services available today.

Top 3 Online Backup Services
A list of the very best online backup services available today.

Online backup services work much like traditional backup software. With an online backup service, however, your important data is transmitted over the Internet and securely stored on a server in a professional data center instead of being stored on your own CDs, DVDs, or backup tapes.

The reason I list only 3 online backup services, even though there are dozens of choices, is because these few stand so far above the rest. Save yourself some time and check these out.
1. Mozy

Without reservation, Mozy is my pick as the best online backup service. Any exceptional backup service should be easy to use, cost effective, automatic, reliable, and easy to restore from. Mozy is nearly the perfect embodiment of these requirements.

To get started with Mozy, visit their website and sign up for an account. Download and install their software, tell it what files or types of files to backup, and then set it to automatically backup whenever you like.

MozyHome Free is, you guessed it, completely free and gives you up to 2 GB of storage on Mozy's servers.

MozyHome costs $4.95/month and allows for an unlimited amount of data backup. This service sets Mozy above all others.

2. IDrive-E

IDrive-E is similar in most ways to Mozy and other online backup services. Some features that make IDrive-E stand out among the competition include mapped drive support, file sharing, more frequent continuous backup, and support for server operating systems.

I found their software to be a little less user friendly than Mozy's, but if their unique features are high on your priority list, IDrive-E may be just what you're looking for in an online backup service.

IDrive-E Basic is completely free and gives you up to 2 GB of storage.

IDrive-E Pro costs $4.95/month and they advertise "unlimited backup." However, their Terms of Usage page defines "unlimited" as no more than 150 GB.

3. Carbonite

Carbonite's online backup service works in a similar way to the other services - you download and configure a piece of software and the backup is handled automatically in the background.

I found Carbonite's software to be slow and I thought it was integrated too heavily into my computer. Mozy's and IDrive-E's software programs were more independent and feature rich, while Carbonite's became more of a part of my computer by integrating directly into Windows Explorer and my desktop. If you don't mind this type of software, Carbonite may be your first choice for backing up online - many people rave about this service.

Carbonite's service costs $49.95/year and allows for an unlimited amount of data backup.