At a Glance
Our Rating
Price:
- IDrive Basic: $Free
- IDrive Pro for Personal Use: $4.95/month, $49.50/year.
- IDrive Pro for Business: Starts at $9.95/month, $99.50/year.
Pros:
- Drag-and-drop file restore feature.
- Backup set search capability.
- Mapped drive support.
- Phone support for paid users.
- Ability to pause and then re-start the upload of files.
Cons:
- Confusing interface.
- No wizard to help.
- Backup space not unlimited. Overuse charged at $0.50 USD/GB/Month.
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Full Review
IDrive is an online backup service that is getting a few mixed reviews. Overall, the entire system is wonderful for backing up your files, however, many believe the interface is a bit hard to use in the beginning until you get use to using it. Once a user learns the interface it is a wonderful and much needed part tool for any person.
IDrive offers a few features that other online backup services do not offer such as a unique feature known as “sync” function that will allow you to erase old files from their online archive so you will always have up to date folders without the old files getting in the way when you wish to restore your files.
The interface may look a bit confusing, however, it is really unique in that it offers a drag and drop feature that many online backup services do not.
There are three different versions that individuals can choose including a free version that allows up to 2GB of storage, a pro version with unlimited space for $4.95, and a business version for 50GB for $9.95 per month or $99.95 per year. For those that wish phone support the paid versions are the way to go as the free version does not offer phone support.
Downloading and installing the IDrive software is simple like the rest. You can choose to use the default encryption key or use your own key; however, if you use your own encryption key, you will be the only one with this secure key. IDrive does not keep this information, if you lose the key you are out of luck on retrieving your files.
The interface as stated before is a bit tricky. You will see a three-pane window and two folder trees of your hard drive. There is no wizard with the IDrive to suggest what folders or files you should backup as well as no recommendation as to when you should backup your files. You can find a Wizard menu choice, which offers the option of choosing e-mail, music, my documents, so on, and so forth.
Honestly, after learning how to use the interface the backup service is quite nice to use and is easy. IDrive offers drag and drop file restore, web based viewing of the backup logs, and backup set searching.
All the backup data that a user uploads is encrypted for security reasons while recommending a private encryption key to ensure that no one including employees of IDrive will be able to access your files.
The location of the server is secure with features such as raised floors, temperature controls, and other physical features to ensure an up time of 24/7, so all users will have access to their files at any given time.
5 Comments
With IDrive I found what I was looking for. it’s not really “unlimited”, but 150 GB for personal users are enough. My hdd don’t reach that capacity. So, it’s perfect.
I found IDrive for Mac much easier to use than the Mozy (my othere choice) software. With Mozy I wasn’t able to select regular folders like “Documents” “Movies” and “images”
For this reason, I decided for IDrive.
These are my first impressions, I will deeply test and review 3 online backup service on my blog. Bye!
@pluginguy Thanks for your review on IDrive I am sure it will help others.
I am test driving now IDrive and Crashplan. (dissappointed Memopal user)
IDrive is faster, small memory footprint, but has confusing UI; limited storage.
Crsahplan is slower for backup and restore (Crashplan Central), takes ~50MB RAM, unlimited storage, and allows you to backup to other computers.
Otherwise – quite compararble.
Any other inputs re both services?
This is a PIECE OF JUNK. 3 weeks of UNRESPONSIVE and MISLEADING support, 2 reinstalls (per their instructions) and one “update” ended with a phone call in which “Jason” told me “WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FOR $5?”
BUGGY and UNHELPFUL INTERFACE—– “Backup Set Size” is never accurate once you change ANY selection of files. The program stops regularly due to “connection problems” (Note- I have NO OTHER connection problems on my Comcast account). The thing takes HOURS to work through confirming all of the files it has previously backed up BEFORE it starts backing up new files (then stops – see above). Picks files to back up seemingly at random. Since this software takes so long to back things up, you never know what has been backed up and what has not. Long periods (tens of minutes) of seemingly no activity. Tech Support says “it is really doing things while you see nothing”, but they can’t say what.
SLOWER THAN MOLASSES—– 3 weeks of forcing this thing to continuously back up (set schedule to restart 1 hour after it stops due to a “connection problem”) and it is doing LESS THAN 1GB a DAY. So if you have 100 GB to back up you better be ready to wait a HALF YEAR to get a full backup. I monitor my incoming and outgoing data, and after the software finally works through the previously backed up files, it sends a 5 second burst of data at 2mbps (my upload speed is reliably 3mbps) then WAITS 30 to 40 seconds before the next one! THIS APPEARS TO BE PURPOSEFULLY THROTTLING DOWN the data rate. So the whole idea they provide 150GB is a JOKE.
This is JUNK, MISLEADING, and BUGGY garbage. Support is useless and without any idea what they are doing. ZERO STARS if I could give it.
Sorry to hear you are having trouble with IDrive. I know the clients that I have worked with that we installed IDrive with have not had any major problems.