CrashPlan Review

CrashPlan has unlimited file versioning on all of its plans with no limit, so you’ll never have to worry about losing older versions. File versioning lets you revert to an older version of a file, which is important for many different user types. Additionally, you can set a limit on file versioning, giving you control over your versioning policy.

You can manage the files and folders included in a backup by selecting “manage files” in the desktop app. Add or remove folders and files by selecting or deselecting each item.

One element you can’t change is the system and application backup; CrashPlan will back up these items whether you want it to or not. For most, this won’t be an issue. However, for those who want total control over what gets backed up, CrashPlan only offering partial customization may be an issue.

CrashPlan has robust bandwidth settings that let you manage the send rate when performing backups. Stick with the preset values, such as 100 kbps to up to 2 Mbps, or set a custom sending rate limit.

Other network settings let you restrict network interfaces, though you’ll need to have an advanced understanding of interface addresses, as the options that populate do not have conventional names. The network address resembles a hexadecimal string. You can also enable a proxy server if you have one.

With CrashPlan, you are not limited to only using the cloud to back up your data. If you have an external hard drive or a network-attached storage device, you can connect them to your CrashPlan account and back up your data to either option. NAS is only available on Mac and Linux.

CrashPlan supports Windows servers, but only for small businesses, Ubuntu operating systems and virtual desktop interfaces from Amazon WorkSpaces.

You need to be logged in to an account not only to use the desktop app but also to download it in the first place. Only after you log in do you have access to the desktop app. If it is your first time using the app, you’ll have the option to create a new backup or replace an existing one.

Regardless of which option you choose, CrashPlan will automatically begin backing up your data. You’ll need to pause the backup if you don’t want it to run. In addition, if you are idle for any longer than a few minutes, you’ll need to log back in to the desktop interface. This is a decent feature for security, but from a user experience perspective, it quickly becomes tiresome.

Visually and functionally, there is no difference between the Mac and PC desktop apps. You can manage your files, adjust settings and restore your data the same way using either one. There are some differences in the folders that are required for a backup, which we will cover in the section on file backup and restoration later.

CrashPlan no longer offers mobile apps for iOS or Android. If you want backup services for your mobile devices, you’ll need to find a different provider.

Unfortunately, CrashPlan does not have a money-back guarantee for any of its plans.

CrashPlan has three plans: Essential, Professional and Enterprise. Each plan comes with a 14-day free trial. There is no free version of CrashPlan. When signing up for an annual plan, you have the option to pay a lower price by committing to two years with the Essential and Professional plans.

The Essential plan costs $2.99 per month and is not available as an annual plan. This plan is only for one user, with connections for up to two devices. The backup capacity is capped at 200GB, and it costs $1 per month for each additional 100GB.

The Professional plan costs $8 per user per month, $88 per user per year or $158 per user for two years. It has unlimited backup capacity and supports connections for two devices per user. The Professional plan increases data retention to 90 days, includes role-based access control and supports single sign-on.

The Enterprise plan costs $120 per user per year and is only available annually. It has unlimited capacity and supports up to four devices per user. Features include unlimited deleted file retention, individual user encryption and open API access.

Yes, CrashPlan’s Professional and Enterprise plans have unlimited backup storage capacity for each user. However, based on some anecdotal social media posts, any storage capacity over 50TB seems to have reduced speed and prompts a warning from CrashPlan to reduce the capacity.

We reached out to confirm this with CrashPlan, and we were informed that there is technically a limit. Backup archives can’t go beyond 60-80TB. CrashPlan defines a backup archive as a storage folder that contains a complete backup.

CrashPlan Essential

• Storage & price is per user Up to 2 devices per user 30-Day Deleted File Retention
• 200GB

1-month plan

$2.99/month

CrashPlan Professional

• Price is per user Up to 2 devices per user 90-Day Deleted File Retention
• Unlimited GB

1-month plan, 1-year plan

1-month plan

$8/month

1-year plan

$7.33/month

$88 billed every year

Save 8%

2-year plan

$6.58/month

$158 billed every 2 years

Save 17%

CrashPlan Enterprise

• Price is per user Unlimited Deleted File Retention
• Unlimited GB

1-year plan

$10/month

$120 billed every year

CrashPlan creates an image-based backup by capturing your OS, system data, applications, folders and files. It has options for full, continuous and incremental backups. CrashPlan supports automatic backups, which run every 15 minutes, even if you use an external HDD or NAS. However, NAS is not supported on Windows.

CrashPlan performs an initial full backup. After that, it performs incremental backups for data already present and only updates changed elements and new additions. Additionally, you can schedule your backup to run continuously. Hybrid backups are possible, as CrashPlan supports onsite and offsite backups.

During the initial full backup, CrashPlan begins backing up your data based on the default configurations. If you want to change your backup data, you’ll need to go to “manage files” on the desktop app. There are a few options you won’t be able to change, depending on your operating system.

CrashPlan on a Mac requires you to back up the “applications” and “home” folders. You can pick and choose what else to back up from your “library” and “users” folders. The PC version has more requirements and includes items like “PerfLogs” and “program files.”

CrashPlan makes it very easy to restore your folders and files when needed. You can use the desktop app or restore from your web account. Both methods work the same way. From the desktop app, click the “restore files” button and select the items you want to restore.

The process is the same from the web. You’ll need to access the “devices” tab from the “administration” dropdown menu. The “restore” option is to the right of your backups. Clicking on it pulls up a menu similar to the one in the desktop app, letting you select which folders or files you want to restore.

You can recover deleted files using the “restore” feature by selecting the option to “include deleted files.” The web app has the option to include deleted files from the restore page. The Professional plans hold deleted files for 90 days, while the Essentials plan offers 30-day deletion retention. The Enterprise plan holds deleted files indefinitely.

Upload Speeds

Download Speeds

Notes From the Lab: Our Detailed Speed Analysis

We conducted speed tests using a virtual server located in Ireland with speeds capped at 100 Mbps to ensure a consistent test environment. We uploaded and downloaded 5GB of mixed content twice to find the speed average. Uploads were slower at 5 Mbps but didn’t tax the CPU. Downloads were very fast, hitting 90-100% of the speed capacity.

One element that CrashPlan mandates is two-factor authentication; there’s no way to turn this off. In almost all situations, two-factor authentication is recommended to protect against unauthorized access to your account. However, making it obligatory takes away some agency from the account holder.

There are relatively few security settings to choose from. You can toggle the option to require a password to open the CrashPlan app, and if you have an Enterprise plan, you can manage your account encryption key. This is an important point, as your encryption key is what you — or others — use to access your account.

Despite CrashPlan articles and marketing material indicating that you control your encryption key, this is only true with small business services and the Enterprise plan. Otherwise, you do not maintain control over your encryption keys, so CrashPlan could theoretically access your account. This means that CrashPlan is not a true zero-knowledge encrypted service.

CrashPlan uses AES 256-bit encryption and TLS/SSL encryption protocols to protect your data on its servers and when you transfer data. Most of CrashPlan’s servers are located in the United States, with some servers in Ireland.

As we mentioned, CrashPlan does not offer zero-knowledge encryption for every account type. Only the higher-priced plans allow customers to maintain control over their encryption keys. With zero-knowledge encryption, only you can access your account. Without it, CrashPlan could gain access to your account.

Fortunately, it is unlikely that CrashPlan would do so unless they were subpoenaed or faced some other legal requirement. CrashPlan does a good job of maintaining compliance with regulations such as HIPAA and provides plenty of transparency for anyone who cares to take a look at how it handles user data.

As with any cloud-based service, CrashPlan collects data on you based on the information you provide and how you use its services. For a company that places such a premium on protecting personal privacy, CrashPlan collects a lot of user data.

CrashPlan collects standard user data like name, address and billing information. It also collects information on your job and role, which seems odd, as well as any time you engage with its customer support elements.

CrashPlan automatically collects data when you interact with its website, such as information about your device and the network you used to access the website. In some situations, CrashPlan may receive data from third parties.

Most importantly, CrashPlan uses your data to provide its services to you, and it only shares data with its affiliates and business partners. Fortunately, none of this data is personal. However, CrashPlan’s privacy policy and actions are the most intrusive we’ve seen, especially from a company that claims to place a high premium on your individual data privacy.