Comparisons & alternatives · Backup and cloning tools
How is Data Backup different from a subscription online backup service?
Short answer: An online backup service keeps your backup in its own cloud. Data Backup sends versioned, encrypted backups to a drive or cloud account you choose and control, with a passphrase only you know.
The main difference is where the backup lives and who runs it. An online backup service usually stores your backup in its own cloud as part of its plan. Storage Studio's Data Backup backs up to a destination you choose — an external drive, or a cloud account you've already connected — and runs from your Mac.
What Data Backup gives you either way:
- versioned, incremental backups of the folders you pick, made automatically as things change;
- cloud backups encrypted on your Mac before they upload, protected by a passphrase you set (keep it safe — nobody, including us, can recover it);
- a set marked Protected only after its latest version passes an integrity check.
If you'd rather someone else manage the storage entirely, a backup service may suit you better. See Data Backup.