Carbonite Safe is a very simple to install and cost-effective cloud backup solution, one which is ideal for anyone wanting to get their devices backed-up with the minimal of time spent and fuss!
Whilst Carbonite is undoubtedly very easy to set-up and get an initial cloud backup in place with, there are numerous other useful features helping the software to stand out within a crowed cloud backup market. These features include Carbonite offering plans with unlimited cloud storage included from just $4.75 per month, real-time and schedule-based backup modes, good encryption and security considerations plus additional features such as status-dots to quickly indicate a files backup status amongst many other things.
In this guide to Carbonite alternatives, I will be covering some of the key features of Carbonite, including those mentioned above in more depth, as well as also highlighting some of the drawbacks of the service and how Carbonite compares with several close competitors overall.
Remember – if you are looking for cloud backup then take note that Carbonite are currently offer all new customers a 15-day free trial of their cloud backup service, a great way to see the software in action and try it out for yourself!
- Unlimited cloud storage
- Real-time backups
- AES 256-bit encryption
- From just $9 / month
Why Consider using Carbonite Safe?
Two of the biggest reasons for considering Carbonite Safe are for how easy it is to install and use as well as the fantastic value it provides, this sees the carbonite service providing unlimited cloud storage for any backed-up devices from just $4.75 per month (per device).
One of the main reasons for highlighting ease of use when it comes to Carbonite Safe is down to how easy the device software is to install, configure and get an initial backup set running. In-fact, when installing Carbonite for the first time, the software will automatically scan the device it is being used upon and select any important files to be backed-up by itself!
Top 5 Carbonite alternatives:
Below is a quick look at the top 5 Carbonite alternatives mentioned in this guide, scroll down further for the full and detailed list of alternatives.
| Provider | Cloud Storage | Pricing | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 |
Unlimited | From $9 / month | |
| 2 |
 |
Unlimited | From $2.99 / month | |
| 3 |
 |
Up to 5TB | From $49.99 / year | |
| 4 |
 |
(3rd Party cloud storage required) | From $18 | |
| 5 |
 |
1TB | From $59.99 / year |
NB – Whilst Carbonite will attempt to select all files automatically, additional files outside of commonly used locations (such as the current user’s “my Documents” folder) can still be added manually to the backup!
Of course, whilst this software is very easy to both install and initially configure thanks to the automatic set-up explained above, there is still the option to manually configure certain aspects of the Carbonite desktop software should you so require. Manual configuration of Carbonite allows other features of the software to come into play, this includes allowing device users specify to set a fixed schedule for backups instead of using the real-time mode, the optional setting of a private encryption key instead of allowing Carbonite to manage such encryption itself and the selecting of files and folders which might be in unusual locations for backing-up (from locations which otherwise might not have been picked-up by the automatic scan).
NB – Given that Carbonite offer unlimited cloud storage across all of their plans, there is little need for most users to worry about selecting too much data for backup and the default approach of allowing Carbonite to select for itself what to backup will be suitable for the vast majority of users!
With the key points of automatic, real-time backups, unlimited cloud storage and easy to configure software now covered, some other useful features found within the Carbonite Safe service include:
- End-to-end encryption (with options for uploading a private key)
- Web-based file restores (restore from anywhere)
- “Status Dots” – easily see any file’s backup status
- Apps for both iOS and Android
- Courier delivered restored files (for Prime plan users only)
NB – For more information on Carbonite Safe and its full set of features, plans and pricing, be sure to check out our in-depth Carbonite review right here on BestBackupReviews.com!
Why Consider an Alternative to Carbonite?
Whilst Carbonite Safe is undoubtedly an easy to use and cost-effective solution for getting a Windows or MacOS device backed-up to the cloud, it does (as do most cloud backup services) have some limitations and, in certain circumstances, this could mean there might be better solutions available!
It is important to note that external hard drives can be backed-up within Carbonite, however, this does require that a higher (and more expensive) plan be used – these being the Plus or Prime plans as of time of writing. The same situation also applies the automatic selection of video files meaning that the Plus or Prime plan must be in-use for such files to be selected automatically for backup by the software itself.
The Carbonite pricing plans are currently as follows:
- Basic @ $4.75 / month (per device, paid annually)
- Plus @ $6.58 / month (per device, paid annually)
- Prime @ $8.08 / month (per device, paid annually)
Moving on and another aspect of Carbonite to be aware of is concerning the security of files, whilst the set-up applied by default from Carbonite is very good, users should be aware that, as of time of writing, Carbonite only make use of 128-bit strength encryption. Again, this will be more than sufficient for the majority of use cases, however, many competing backup solutions now make use of AES 256-bit encryption (or even stronger solutions) meaning this is (in comparative terms at least) not the strongest cloud storage encryption which is readily available in the cloud backup market.
When it comes to the actual management of the backup set itself and the files contained within, there are (again) a couple of small things to be aware of when using Carbonite Safe. The first thing is that Carbonite only allows for a fairly limited set of historic file versioning limits to be maintained (this being the last 12 versions of a file being kept for up to 2 months with the latest 3 versions being kept regardless of timeframe). The second issue is that Carbonite is currently a file-level only backup solution (meaning that disk and full system image backups are not currently possible like they are in some alternative solutions).
Whilst the historic file versioning policy is reasonable, it should be noted that other leading cloud backup solutions offer much longer retention periods as well as some solutions, including Crashplan and Backblaze (amongst others), going even further and offering unlimited historic file version retention to those that require it!
Top 10 Best Carbonite Alternatives
Finally, in this section we will be listing 10 of our favourite Carbonite Safe alternatives as reviewed here on BestBackupReviews.com. These are all cloud backup solutions which, like Carbonite Safe, are quick and easy to install and use whilst offering strong cloud storage options and a very reasonable initial cost!
Remember, any of the ratings shown below reflect our own opinions and are intended only as a guide. Always be sure to always check the details of any potential backup solutions before making a purchase and, whenever possible, try and take advantage of any free trials before making a decision!
1) Backblaze
Featuring unlimited cloud storage, web-based restores and a very easy-to-use piece of desktop software, all from just $9 / month, Backblaze remains our number one top choice for a dedicated cloud backup solution and a great alternative to Carbonite Safe!
With both Backblaze and Carbonite Safe offering unlimited cloud storage by default, one of the key areas in which Backblaze steps ahead is in allowing for the backing-up of video files automatically as well as allowing external drives be included in the backup set (something only available on higher level plans when using Carbonite). There is also an option to make use of extended (1-year) or unlimited historic file version history when making use of Backblaze (albeit at additional cost) versus a limited 12 versions over 2 months offering from Carbonite.
Other features of Backblaze include a very easy to use piece of desktop software (with automatic set-up after installation), support for secure AES 256-bit end-to-end encryption, always-on (real-time) backups, apps for iOS and Android and the option to make use of a mail service for shipping larger restores on USB drives (additional costs applicable).
Backblaze is priced at just $9 / month per device with unlimited storage included, the option to make saving is also available when taking out a 1-year pre-paid plan at $99 or $189 for every 2 years upfront. More information on Backblaze pricing options and the 15-day free trial can be found at the official Backblaze website.
- Unlimited storage
- Real-time backups
- Easy to use software
- AES 256-bit encryption
- 15-Day free trial
- From $9 / month
2) Crashplan Professional
Crashplan Professional is another excellent cloud backup alternative to Carbonite Safe. Not only is the Crashplan software itself very easy to install and use across Windows, MacOS and Linux devices alike, but with unlimited cloud storage and unlimited historic file versioning included by default for just $8 per month (or $88 / year), it offers excellent value to anyone seeking a more powerful cloud backup solution.
Whilst costing a notable amount more per month at $8 per month versus Carbonites starting price of just $4.75 per month, Crashplan does differentiate itself from Carbonite by also offering more functionality in certain key areas. Differences include not enforcing restrictions on automatically backing-up video files (like Carbonite does), keeping of unlimited historic versions of any included files as well as also allowing the backup of an unlimited number of external hard drives (without the need to keep them plugged-in regularly either).
Other notable features of Crashplan include support for 2 devices per subscription, strong AES 256-bit end-to-end encryption which is turned on by default, both web-based and device-based retore options, email-based backup reports and warnings and real-time (always-on) backup in place by default.
Crashplan Professional is priced at a simple $8 per month (for 2x devices) with unlimited cloud storage and historic versioning included. Also available is an annual plan bringing the service down to just $88 per year alongside the Crashplan Essentials plan with 200GB of cloud storage for just $2.99 per month. More information on the Crashplan service itself plus the 30-day free trial can be found at the official Crashplan website.
- Unlimited storage
- Unlimited versions
- AES 256-bit encryption
- 30-Day free trial
- $10 / month
3) Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office
Cyber Protect Home office is the leading backup and security solution from software experts, Acronis. A solution which, amongst many other useful features, provides options to backup devices locally, to NAS or network folder locations as well as directly to the Acronis cloud!
What makes Acronis really stand out is its ability to offer both file-level and full system image backups alongside the leading antivirus and anti-ransomware technologies which are built into the software itself. Also notable is that Acronis now has its own cloud storage service integrated directly into the solution itself (and is available on all plans except for the Basic plan).
Other useful features of Cyber Protect Home Office include support for multiple backup sets and potentially unlimited historic file versioning, dual protection (local and cloud combined storage), universal restore technology, disk cloning and system migration tools, recovery media building tools and device synchronisation options amongst many other features!
Cyber Protect Home Office is priced from just $49.99 / year with plans containing an allocation of Acronis cloud storage form just $89.99. More information on other features found within the software, pricing options and the 30-day free trial can be found at the official Acronis website.
- Disk image backups
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Malware protection
- Acronis Cloud integration
- 30-Day free trial
- From $49.99 / year
4) Ashampoo Backup Pro 25
Backup Pro 25 is the latest all-in-one backup solution from leading software experts, Ashampoo. This is a backup solution which, amongst many other great features including full disk image backups and pre-made backup templates, provides support for both locally attached and third-party cloud-based storage form many leading cloud storage providers.
One of the biggest features of Ashampoo Backup Pro 25, and a key feature which makes it a great alternative to Carbonite Safe, is the inclusion of third-party cloud storage with the option to integrate cloud storage from one of many well recognised providers (meaning Backup Pro 25 makes it quick and easy to make use of trusted providers including Dropbox, OneDrive, pCloud and Google Drive amongst various others).
Other useful features found within Backup Pro 25 include easy-to-use pre-made configuration templates, the choice of either file-level or full disk image-based backups, strong AES 256-bit zero-knowledge encryption, strong scheduling support (including real-time backups), built-in recovery media building tools plus support for unlimited historic file versioning amongst many others.
Ashampoo Backup Pro 25 is priced from just $18 per year (across 3x devices) or at a one-off cost of just $50 for a perpetual single device licence. More information on Backup Pro 25 and the option to take advantage of the fully featured 30-day free trial can be found via the official Ashampoo website.
- Disk image backups
- Good cloud integrations
- AES 256-bit encryption
- 30-Day free trial
- One-off $50 licence
5) Arq Premium
Arq Premium brings with it a service offering use of the excellent Arq backup software alongside free upgrades to the latest version plus a very generous 1TB of cloud storage from Arq themselves! Best of all, the Arq Premium service can be shared across up to 5x individual devices per customer for a very competitive cost of just $59.99 / year!
Whilst the Arq software itself does support numerous 3rd party cloud storage providers being integrated directly for providing cloud storage, the Arq Premium plan eliminates the need to bring your own storage as a very generous 1TB is provided by Arq themselves. Given that this storage can be shared and used across up to 5x individual devices per account, it could prove a great value alternative to Carbonite Safe, especially so for anyone with multiple devices to keep backed-up.
Other useful features of the Arq software include strong AES 256-bit encryption, strong scheduling options, support for multiple backup sets, potentially unlimited historic file versioning and support for S3 compatible storage services amongst many others.
Arq Premium is priced at just $59.99 / year with 1TB of storage included across 5 devices or the software itself (without the 1TB of storage) for a one-off cost of just $49.99 per device. More information on the Arq software itself and the 30-day free trial can be found at the official Arq website.
- Easy to use software
- Good cloud integration
- AES 256-bit encryption
- 30 Day free trial
- From $49.99 (one-off fee)
6) SpiderOak One Backup
SpiderOak One is a privacy and security focused cloud backup solution with a great set of backup features plus, amongst other things, the ability to make use of multiple devices on a single account (sharing a fixed allocation of storage from SpiderOak themselves).
Whilst the ability to share a fixed allocation of storage between multiple devices could make SpiderOak One a very cost-effective solution (in certain circumstances), it is the huge range of backup and security related features which help make it a suitable alternative to Carbonite Safe.
Some of the more notable features of SpiderOak One include strong AES 256-bit end-to-end encryption, support for Windows, MacOS and Linux devices, potentially unlimited historic file versioning (within account storage limits), automatic file synchronisation between devices and an easy-to-use piece of desktop software.
SpiderOak One is priced from just $6 / month for a 150GB allocation of cloud storage which can be used across unlimited personal devices. More information on plans with larger allocations of storage (up to 5TB) and the 21-day free trial can be found at the official SpiderOak website.
- Unlimited devices
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Sync & file sharing
- 21-Day free trial
- From $6 / month
7) Blobbackup
Blobbackup is a clean, simple and easy-to-use cloud backup solution which comes with a massive 2TB of cloud storage included for just $12 / month.
With an open-source piece of desktop software available for both MacOS and Windows users, strong AES-256-bit encryption, potentially unlimited historic file versioning, automatic operation and strong scheduling support plus email reports and warnings, Blobbackup makes for a great alternative to Carbonite Safe!
Other useful aspects of the Blobbackup service include the very generous 2TB of cloud storage provided by Blobbackup themselves plus the ability include an unlimited number of external hard drives or network shares into the backup set (within the 2TB limit) for no additional cost nor with any artificial limitations (such as having to plug-in external drives every 30 days etc.).
Blobbackup is priced at a simple $12 / month (per device) with 2TB of cloud storage included. More information on the Blobbackup software itself and the 15-day free trial can be found at the official Blobbackup website.
- Open source software
- AES 256-bit encryption
- 2TB Cloud storage
- 15-Day free trial
- From $12 / month
8) iDrive Backup
iDrive is a well-established cloud storage service which, amongst many other useful features, includes cloud backup, file archiving, file sharing, disk imaging-based backups, device synchronisation plus iOS and Android apps.
Some of the key features of iDrive helping to make it a great alternative to Carbonite Safe include a very generous 5TB of cloud storage per account and the ability to share this storage between an unlimited number of personal devices (making it potentially a very good value solution for anyone wanting to backup multiple devices).
Other features of iDrive include strong AES 256-bit end-to-end encryption, a fully functional cloud drive service with great sharing options, device synchronisation software, disk image and disk cloning options plus a good scheduling service including continuous (real-time) data backup.
iDrive is priced from just $2.95 per year for the 100GB (single device) plan with the 5TB plan available for just $69.65 per year for use on unlimited personal devices. More information on the iDrive service itself, additional pricing options, business orientated plans plus the free 10GB account can be found at the official iDrive website.
- Disk image backups
- Secure file sharing
- AES 256-bit encryption
- 5TB+ Cloud Storage
- 10GB Free account
- 5TB From $69.65 / year
9) Backup4all
Backup4All is a compressive Windows backup utility which, amongst many other features, includes great support for integrating 3rd party cloud storage services such as Google Drive and Dropbox plus any S3 compatible cloud storage service amongst many others.
In addition to this great 3rd party cloud storage integration, Backup4all also includes many great backup-related functions including strong AES 256-bit end-to-end encryption, the SMART backup operating mode for ensuring backups are always (automatically) operating at their best, good scheduling options and potentially unlimited historic file versioning options amongst many other great features.
Backup4all is priced at a very reasonable one-off cost of just $49.99 per PC for the professional version of the tool (which includes all functionality of the software). Other simplified editions of the tool are also available at a lower cost as is a 30-day free trial, more information can be found at the official Backup4all website.
- Easy to use
- Great cloud support
- AES 256-bit encryption
- 30 Day free trial
- From $49.99 per PC
10) Duplicati Backup
Duplicati is a leading open-source and free to use backup solution, one which stands out thanks to its great cloud storage integration options with support for leading services including Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive plus any S3 compatible service amongst others.
Cloud storage aside and Duplicati contains many other great backup features making it a good alternative to Carbonite Safe. Notable backup functionality includes strong AES 256-bit end-to-end encryption, support for potentially unlimited historic file versioning, the use of multiple backup sets plus a command-line tool amongst any other great features.
Duplicati is 100% free to use and open-source software. More information of the software itself and the Duplicati community building it can be found at the official Duplicati website.
- Free & open source
- Great cloud options
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Supports S3 storage
- Web-based interface
Carbonite Alternatives FAQ
Yes, Carbonite offer all customers an unlimited allocation of cloud storage for the purposes of backing-up their device, this is regardless of which Carbonite plan they are on.
Yes, Carbonite is very easy to install and configure and makes the process of getting a device backed-up to the could very straightforward. Pricing is also very reasonable starting at just $4.75 per month and support for web-based restores help to make Carbonite Safe a very flexible cloud backup solution.
There are three main methods for accessing (restoring) any files backed-up by the Carbonite Safe backup service. These options include restoring from within the Carbonite desktop application itself, restoring via the Carbonite Windows context menu entries or, finally, data can also be recovered from anywhere via use of the Carbonite web-based portal.
No, Carbonite is a fully cloud focused solution and does not feature any disk imaging or disk cloning functionality.
No, Carbonite only provide support for backing up to their own cloud storage solution.
The Best Carbonite Alternatives Summary
Carbonite is a very easy to use backup solution which, from just $4.75 per month, is very reasonably priced and has some great features up to and including unlimited cloud storage being included for each device!
Some of the main limitations of the Carbonite service include the need to manually add video files to the backup set whilst on the Basic plan alongside external hard drives also having been excluded from this same entry-level plan. As with many other cloud backup solutions, there are also issues involving pricing for the service being based upon a single device being backed-up, this means anyone with multiple devices to keep backed-up might find better value in other solutions which allow for more than a single device to be used without additional fees.
Overall, Carbonite is a solid choice for anyone seeking a very reasonably priced, easy to use and highly functional cloud backup solution with an unlimited allocation of cloud storage included per device.
Are you looking for help and advice on choosing the best backup software for your PC or Mac? If so then be sure to check out our guide to choosing backup software which also contains a list of our favorite choices as tested here on BestBackupReviews.com!
