---
id: comparisons.data-backup-encryption-vs-filevault
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/data-backup-encryption-vs-filevault
category: "Comparisons & alternatives"
subcategory: "Backup and cloning tools"
question: "If FileVault is on, do I still need Data Backup's encryption?"
alt_questions:
  - "filevault vs data backup encryption"
  - "are backups encrypted if filevault is on"
  - "does filevault protect my cloud backups"
  - "encryption for backups mac"
  - "filevault and storage studio backups"
short_answer: "Yes. FileVault protects your Mac's own disk; it doesn't cover copies on other drives or in the cloud. Data Backup encrypts cloud backups on your Mac before upload with your passphrase, and local backups automatically."
tags: ["filevault", "encryption", "backup"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/online-backup-services-vs-data-backup", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/copying-folders-to-a-drive-vs-data-backup"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# If FileVault is on, do I still need Data Backup's encryption?

Yes — they protect different things. **FileVault** encrypts your Mac's startup disk, so someone holding your Mac can't read it without your password. It doesn't protect copies of your files once they're on another drive or uploaded to a cloud account.

**Data Backup** protects the backups themselves:

- backups to a cloud account are encrypted on your Mac **before** they upload, with a passphrase you choose — the provider only ever sees scrambled data;
- backups to a local drive are encrypted automatically.

Keep your cloud backup passphrase somewhere safe: if it's lost, those backups can't be recovered by anyone, including us. We don't publish the technical details of the encryption, but that's what it means for you. See [Data Backup](https://storagestudio.us/manual/data-backup).