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Best Cloud Backup for Windows in 2025: Keep Your PC Files Safe

If you're using Windows as your OS, finding the right cloud backup provider is important to protect your data. In this best cloud backup for Windows article, you'll have five excellent options that can fit your needs.

Aleksander HougenBranko VlajinAleksandar KochovskiAndrea Babic

Written by Aleksander Hougen (Co-Chief Editor) & Branko Vlajin (Writer)

Reviewed by Aleksandar Kochovski (Writer)

Facts checked by Andrea Babic (Editorial Assistant)

Last Updated:

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

Best cloud backup for Windows

It’s no secret that Windows operating systems, which are the most used in the world, have had their fair share of bugs over the years. The latest version, Windows 10, takes care of many of them, but you’ll still benefit from data backups. We can help you with a list of the best cloud backup for Windows, where IDrive leads.

Key Takeaways: Best Online Backup Service

When you backup, no hardware malfunction, fire or theft will be able to compromise your data. Backup won’t make more room on your hard drive, though. If that’s what you want, you should look at our best cloud-based storage list. Here, we’ll give you our picks for the best cloud backup for Windows, but before we do, let’s review the criteria we used to make our list.

  • 08/24/2022

    Updated IDrive’s pricing information.

  • 10/26/2022

    Updated Carbonite’s prices.

  • 05/23/2023

    Updated to remove information on IDrive’s free plan and add its new free 30-day trial.

  • 01/07/2024

    Updated IDrive’s pricing information, including the free plan that is active again.

  • 06/19/2025 Facts checked

    We updated the article to account for changes in different backup services.

  1. 1
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    100GB - 5TB$0.25 / month(All Plans)
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    Unlimited GB$7.88 / month(save 12%)(All Plans)
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      2TB$4.17 / month(save 24%)(All Plans)
    • 4
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      50GB - 1TB$4.17 / month(All Plans)
      Visit Acronis Cyber ProtectReview
    • 5
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      • : Yes but not on Basic plan (all other plans)
      • : Yes but only on Safe Backup Pro plan
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      250GB - Unlimited GB$6 / month(All Plans)

    What Makes the Best Cloud Backup for Windows

    Supporting Windows is obviously essential, but you’ll have to look long and hard for a backup service that doesn’t fulfill this criterion anyway. Besides that, crucial factors include a clean and easy-to-use interface, support for various backup types and reasonable prices. Speed is also important, but there’s less variance in this category, so it makes a smaller impact.

    Good security and privacy is also a huge bonus, which a service can achieve with strong encryption, zero-knowledge policies and two-factor authentication. Some services also include extra tools to heighten security, such as anti-virus tools and ransomware protection.

    1. IDrive — Feature-rich backup with great prices
    2. Backblaze — Easy-to-use unlimited backup
    3. pCloud — Secure cloud storage with backup tools and flexible lifetime pricing.
    4. Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office — Secure backup focused on ransomware protection
    5. Carbonite — Simple backup software with unlimited storage

    All five services are excellent options for cloud backup, but which one is right for you depends on what factors you value most. If simplicity and unlimited storage space are your priorities, then Backblaze and Carbonite are excellent options. On the other hand, if you like to have more control over the backup process, then IDrive or SpiderOak One Backup is ideal.

    At the same time, if security is your primary concern, then you can’t go wrong with IDrive, Acronis or SpiderOak One. All of these score top marks in both security and privacy, while the two remaining entries on our list have flaws in these areas.

    All of our picks, except Carbonite, offer mobile apps compatible with both iOS and Android. However, only IDrive and Acronis’ apps actually let you backup your mobile device using the app. 

    All five services also offer a free trial. Backblaze, Acronis and IDrive offer 30 days, while SpiderOak’s trial is a bit shorter at 21 days and Carbonite’s is even shorter at 15 days.

    The Five Best Cloud Backup Services for Windows

    Without further ado, let’s get to our list of the five best cloud backup services for Windows. Since all major online backup services are compatible with Windows anyway, it should come as no surprise that our top pick in general, IDrive, leads the pack here as well, so that’s where we’ll start.

    1. IDrive — Feature-rich Best Cloud Service

    Best Windows backup IDrive
    IDrive is full of features, yet cheap and easy to use.

    More Details About IDrive:

    Pros:

    • Unlimited device backup
    • Inexpensive plans
    • Private encryption

    Cons:

    • No unlimited backup

    IDrive is a service chock-full with features that support both full disk images, plus continuous or scheduled backups of individual files and folders. Every kind of device can be backed up as well, from servers and network drives (or NAS for short) to desktops, mobile devices and external hard drives. Despite being so full of functionality, it’s also very easy to use, which is a common problem with services who try to do it all.

    Security and privacy are also top-notch, as IDrive offers strong zero-knowledge encryption, two-factor authentication and secure data centers. Unfortunately, these data centers are located in the U.S., which has poor cloud privacy laws, but client-side encryption goes a long way to mitigate this problem.

    Although there’s no unlimited storage, you can backup multiple computers or devices, and the IDrive personal plans are still very generous with 5TB and 10TB of storage for one year priced at $69.66 and $104.65, respectively. You can even use a promo code to get a significant discount on your first year, or the free plan that comes with 10GB. You can read more in our IDrive review.

    Basic
    • No credit card required.
    • 10GB
    Personal
    • One user, multiple computers. Plans starting from 5TB up to 100TB. Big discount for first-time signup.
    • 5TB
    More plans
    Team
    • 5 computers, 5 users. Starting at 5TB up to 500TB. Big discount for first-time signup.
    • 5TB
    Business
    • Monthly Plan storage starts at 1.25TB up to 50TB Unlimited users, multiple computers and servers. NAS devices. 250GB storage. Starting at 250GB up to 50TB. Large discount for first-time signup.
    • 250GB

    2. Backblaze — Easy-to-Use Best Cloud Backup

    Best Windows backup Backblaze
    Backblaze is the best unlimited backup service on the market.

    More Details About Backblaze:

    Pros:

    • Unlimited backup
    • Inexpensive
    • Easy to use

    Cons:

    • Limited to 1 computer
    • Inflexible

    Backblaze is our second pick, and in many ways, it takes the opposite approach to backup when compared with IDrive. You can only protect a single device, but you get unlimited online storage to do so. There aren’t very many features included, which can make Backblaze a bit inflexible, but what’s there is easy to use and works exactly like you’d expect.

    It uses AES 256-bit encryption at rest, and the TLS protocol in transit, which is great for security. Unfortunately, its implementation of client-side encryption is fatally flawed, as you need to hand over your encryption key via the web interface to restore files. Backblaze claims to delete your key after you’ve recovered your files instantly, but there’s really no way to verify this. Read more details in our Backblaze review.

    If all you’re looking for is a simple and cheap way to backup all of your files on a single device, then Backblaze is undoubtedly the optimal choice. That said, anyone looking for a more fine-tuned experience that gives you more control over the backup process will be disappointed.

    3. pCloud — Mix of Cloud Backup and Cloud Storage Solution

    pcloud backup e1750108240614
    pCloud straddles the line between cloud storage and online backup.

    More Details About pCloud:

    Pros:

    • Cloud storage features
    • Lifetime storage plans
    • Optional zero-knowledge encryption

    Cons:

    • No unlimited backup
    • No disk imaging

    pCloud is primarily a cloud storage service, but it also offers a solid backup tool. Making a backup is as simple as going into the backup tab, choosing the folders to backup and clicking start. Sadly, pCloud lacks a scheduling feature, so all backups are continuous. We’d normally recommend a continuous backup for most users anyway, but having the option would be nice.

    If you want to add zero-knowledge encryption, you’ll need to buy and use pCloud Crypto. This acts as a password-protected sync folder. You won’t get access to any backup tools while using it, but pCloud Crypto is still an easy place to store sensitive files. Note that it’ll cost an extra $49.99 per year or $150 for a lifetime subscription.

    On the note of lifetime subscriptions, pCloud offers 3 lifetime storage plans. The middle option costs $399 and give you access to 2TB of storage indefinitely. If you have the money to pay upfront and plan to keep your files long-term, the lifetime subscriptions are a great value. However, if you want to learn more before paying upfront, try out the 10GB free plan or read our full pCloud review.

    4. Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office — Secure Backup Cloud Service

    Best Windows backup Acronis
    Acronis offers a full suite of antivirus and ransomware protection tools.

    More Details About Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office:

    Pros:

    • Ransomware protection
    • Fast backup
    • Feature rich

    Cons:

    • No two-factor authentication
    • Expensive
    • Relatively complicated

    If you value security at any cost, then you can’t do much better than Acronis. Although it’s on the expensive side of things, it essentially packs the features of a dedicated antivirus suite and an online backup service into one package.

    The extra protection doesn’t come at the cost of actual online backup features, either, as in terms of functionality, Acronis rivals IDrive — which holds the top spot largely due to its extensive feature set.

    The only thing missing from a security point of view is two-factor authentication, but this is an acceptable trade-off for strong zero-knowledge encryption and extensive ransomware protection. Acronis is also among the fastest online backup services out there, with both download and upload speeds pushing against the theoretical limit.

    Besides its price, the biggest flaw with Acronis is its somewhat complicated interface that can take some time to get used to. Even worse, it has a tendency to lag, often taking several seconds to respond to an action. That said, its wealth of features, great speed and strong security easily earns it the fourth spot on this list. Read more in our Acronis review.

    Essentials - 1 computer
    • Flexible backups: full image to file-level Active disk cloning Universal restore and fast recovery Ransomware protection
    Advanced - 1 computer (50GB)
    • Flexible backups: full image to file-level Active disk cloning Universal restore and fast recovery Ransomware protection + Block viruses and malware Cloud backup and features Automatic replication of data in the cloud Microsoft 365 backups
    • 50GB
    Advanced - 1 computer (250GB)
    • Flexible backups: full image to file-level Active disk cloning Universal restore and fast recovery Ransomware protection + Block viruses and malware Cloud backup and features Automatic replication of data in the cloud Microsoft 365 backups
    • 250GB
    More plans
    Advanced - 1 computer (500GB)
    • Flexible backups: full image to file-level Active disk cloning Universal restore and fast recovery Ransomware protection + Block viruses and malware Cloud backup and features Automatic replication of data in the cloud Microsoft 365 backups
    • 500GB
    Premium - 1 computer (1TB free)
    • Flexible backups: full image to file-level Active disk cloning Universal restore and fast recovery Ransomware protection + Block viruses and malware Cloud backup and features Automatic replication of data in the cloud Microsoft 365 backups + Blockchain certification of files Electronic signatures on files Ability to add up to 5TB of cloud storage
    • 1TB
    Acronis Cyber Protect Standard (Workstation)
      Acronis Cyber Protect Standard (Server/VM)

        5. Carbonite — Simple Backup Software with Unlimited Storage

        Best Windows backup Carbonite
        Carbonite is an excellent alternative to Backblaze if you want client-side encryption.

        More Details About Carbonite:

        Pros:

        • Unlimited backup
        • Great security & privacy
        • Easy to use

        Cons:

        • Slow download speed
        • No monthly subscriptions
        • Lacking in features

        Carbonite is largely similar to Backblaze in that it’s a simple cloud backup solution that lets you backup as much as you want from a single device without bothering you with too many advanced features. 

        Because of this, and the fact that it offers true client-side encryption, Carbonite is an ideal alternative to Backblaze if you like the no-hassle approach to backup but are concerned with the potential privacy problems of the latter.

        The reason Carbonite finds itself three spots below Backblaze, though, is its slow speed and complete lack of monthly subscriptions. Other than this, it shares the same flaws as its more popular cousin, namely inflexibility and a lack of features. Get more details in our Carbonite review.

        In addition to this, its pricing plan is complicated and arbitrarily locks users out of certain basic features like an automatic backup for video files on the cheaper tiers. There’s also no option for monthly billing, which is unfortunate. Nonetheless, Carbonite does its job well and earns its place as our fifth pick by virtue of being a solid, albeit basic, cloud backup service.

        Carbonite Personal Basic
        • Cheaper price with promo link
        • Unlimited GB
        Carbonite Personal Plus
        • Unlimited GB
        Carbonite Personal Prime
        • Unlimited GB
        More plans
        Carbonite Professional Core
        • 250GB
        Carbonite Professional Power
        • 500GB
        Carbonite Professional Ultimate
        • 500GB

        Honorable Mentions: The Best Cloud Backup for Windows

        While the five options we’ve listed above make up our favorite backup services for Windows computers, there are a few others that are also worth mentioning, despite not quite making the cut. First among these is MSP360, formerly known as CloudBerry Backup, which is an excellent option for advanced users who want a lot of flexibility and aren’t scared of a bit of tinkering.

        Best Windows backup CloudBerry
        MSP360 — formerly known as CloudBerry Backup — is an excellent choice for advanced users.

        Next are Zoolz Home Cloud Backup and BigMIND Home, which are both managed by the same company. Because of this, they’re quite similar and offer easy-to-use and intuitive interfaces while not skimping on features. Unfortunately, the former offers mainly cold storage, while the latter is prohibitively expensive.

        Best Windows backup Zoolz
        Zoolz Home Cloud Backup offers an intuitive interface.

        CrashPlan for Small Business is another excellent choice, especially if you want to pay for your backup on a per user basis. Although it’s for professional use (which is why it’s not in the main list), it accomplishes personal backup just as well. Finally, there’s SOS Online Backup, which is an excellent service that suffers from being far too expensive.

        Final Thoughts

        Because of Window’s dominance in the OS market, it’s easy to find online backup services that work with it. We’ve ruled out the bad ones and left you with a choice of five quality services, including our number-one pick, IDrive — which is also our best NAS cloud backup solution.

        To get an idea on how IDrive works, we recommend exploring our guide on how to clone a hard drive. This hands-on tutorial will provide you insights into some of IDrive’s features and its ease of use.

        Do you agree that these services are the best options for backup on Windows? If not, do you use another service that’s not on the list? Tell us about it in the comments below. Thank you for reading.

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