Internxt Review
Features - 90%
Usability - 93%
Security - 95%
Support - 89%
Pricing - 93%
92%
Very Good
Internxt is an impressive cloud service, one providing a great level of privacy and data security functionality alongside a good set of cloud related features up to and including secure file sharing and backup
Internxt is a highly secure and privacy focused cloud storage service. It is a service which places great emphasis not only on providing a great set of cloud related features (including smartphone apps and synchronisation), but also in providing highly secure, zero-knowledge encryption with many enhanced privacy features also built-in and enabled by default!
Security aside and it is clear that Internxt have been working very hard to deliver what is becoming a top-rated service with many of the features commonly associated with leading cloud storage providers available across all accounts. This great feature set includes open-source desktop drive software for Windows, Linux and MacOS devices, iOS and Android apps, file synchronisation and backup features, private file sharing functionality plus much more on top!
So far, Internxt looks like a very promising cloud storage service, one which will undoubtedly temp many people away from more established cloud providers with, amongst other things, a very generous 10GB free account and always-on secure file encryption. Time to sign-up for Internxt for myself and see what this cloud storage has to offer, let’s go!
Are you looking for practical help and advice in choosing cloud storage? If so, then be sure to check out our various guides including our Top 10 Free Cloud Storage guide, our guide to the Best Free Cloud Storage Services plus our guide to the Best Cloud Storage for Photographers amongst several others!
Key Features
- Cloud backup, synchronisation and file sharing built-in
- Desktop drive software for Windows, MacOS and Linux
- iOS & Android apps (with auto photo uploads)
- Web-based interface and account management
- Zero-knowledge, end-to-end encryption
- AES 256-bit secure encryption
- 2FA / multi-factor authentication
- Unlimited bandwidth on all plans
- No support for WebDAV!
- 2TB Plans from just €8.99 / month
- 30-Day money back guarantee
- Get a 10GB Free account today!
Internxt Usability
In this section I will be signing-up to Internxt, installing the desktop drive software and making use of the various cloud services including the built-in backup tools and the file sharing functionality for myself. This all begins at the official Internxt website where a 10GB free account is available for all new users to the service!
Signing-up to Internxt
Signing-up to Internxt begins at the official Internxt website where a very generous 10GB free account is available to all users of the service. All that is required initially is an active email address and a strong password to get started, a good starting sign that Internxt is committed to only keeping the bare minimum personal information to maintain an account and protecting user privacy in the process!
NB – When signing up to Internxt (using the form seen above) remember to keep your password extra safe! This is due to the service making use of zero-knowledge encryption which means Internxt as an organisation have no access to your data and won’t be able to restore access should you forget it!
Upon creating a new account, the service will automatically take us to the Internxt web portal, a central place where we can easily manage files as well as access the other parts of the service including backups, shared links and also download the desktop software (which can be used across Windows, Linux and MacOS devices).
Clicking the cog icon (found towards the top right of the page) is where the Internxt account itself can be managed:
As can be seen above, Internxt does not require too much configuration nor personal information from its users to operate. In-turn, this means the system is, more-or-less, ready to operate from the moment of first login with additional settings including adding a name and verifying an email address all optional thereafter.
Another important aspect of the Internxt account management section is found under the “Security” tab, it is here that (if required) the account password can be changed and multi-factor authentication (2FA) can be set-up on the account.
It is also important to note a very important aspect to this service is also available on this page, this is the backup key which can be exported for safe keeping and can be used to help recover an account should the main password ever be forgotten. Be sure to note you will not be able to recover data should an Internxt password be forgotten (or this backup key not been used), this is due to the highly secure zero-knowledge encryption employed throughout the service meaning only the holder of the password can decrypt any data!
Downloading the Internxt Desktop Software
With the sign-up and initial configuration process complete, it is time to have a look at the Internxt desktop software which makes accessing the cloud storage from within a Windows, Linux or MacOS desktop device really easy!
A download of just over 65MB at the time of writing this review, this desktop software is a fairly quick download meaning I had the installer running on my own PC just a few moments later. Installation was very quick and required no user input up to and including the final step which is logging into the Internxt service.
Once logged into the Internxt drive application it will, by default, select the current users profile folder (within Windows, as per my testing) as the default Internxt folder and then minimise itself to the Windows system tray whilst in operation. To open up the drive application for, amongst other things, viewing file upload progress and changing preferences can be done by clicking on the Internxt icon in the (bottom right) system tray.
Once in the preferences window, as can be seen above, we can see this default location used as the Internxt synchronisation folder and change it to another folder should we wish. We can also (from the same screen) change the current device name as well as specify that the Internxt software be started automatically with Windows should this be required (something which is, strangely, turned off by default).
Other settings available within the desktop app include those under the account tab (for logging out of the app and viewing the account storage quotas) and the backup settings (which I will be looking at in the next section of this review).
Backup and Synchronisation
Having seen what is a fairly straightforward and easy to install piece of desktop software in action, it is now time to see how well it handles the core task of file synchronisation between the chosen sync folder and the Internxt cloud. In addition to this, I will also be looking at the additional backup functionality which becomes available when installing and running the Internxt desktop software.
As can be seen above, when adding files to the nominated synchronisation folder, Internxt will automatically encrypt said files on the device (before transmission) and then synchronise said files with the cloud storage service. In-turn, adding files to this specified sync destination via the web-based interface will also encrypt the data and then automatically synchronise (download) the new items to the device with the software installed.
Moving on from file synchronisation and another interesting addition to the Internxt desktop software is that of the backup client, this can initially be configured using the “Backup” tab found within the desktop software’s settings pages as can be seen below:
One of the first steps in configurating this backup is checking the “Back up your folders and files” checkbox to enable the backup service and then, just below this, clicking the “Select folders to backup” button to specify what will get backed-up.
With files and folders now selected for inclusion in the backup, the final step is to optionally chose a scheduled delay for running the backup automatically or to run it manually by clicking on the “Backup now” button. Should the schedule be set, the Internxt desktop software can run backups automatically every 6 or 12 hours or, alternatively, daily by selecting the chosen value from the applicable drop-down box.
When backups are running, we can see some information on the backup tab itself as to the status of the current operation, something which can also be seen on the main sys tray window (seen below):
Once the backup has completed, any files included in the set can be seen and recovered via the main Internxt web portal, this process is as simple as navigating to the “Backups” section from the left side menu and then selecting the required device from the list:
Unfortunately, despite this backup service been easy to set-up and functioning well overall, one of the main downsides to this particular implementation is that only a single copy of each file is saved with no option to specify customised historic file versioning periods (as is the case with most other backup software). This means, essentially, only the most recent version of a file is stored (i.e., “backed-up”) and reverting to older versions of files is not possible!
NB – Whilst this “sync only” style of backup does help protect against common data loss causes such as hard drive failure or lost devices, it will most likely provide only limited protection against issues pertaining to malware and ransomware (given that any infected files could become the one and only version of a backed-up file when taking such an approach). For more information on how backup software can help to protect data against malware, be sure to read our guide on how backup software can help in protecting against malware!
Overall, despite missing historic versioning functionality as of the time of writing, this backup component remains a great addition to the Internxt desktop software and via the easy to configure schedule can help users ensure their data is always protected. The main synchronisation functionality itself is also very easy to set-up and, once put in place, seemed to work flawlessly during my own testing.
Secure File Sharing
With the desktop software now covered, one of the other core features of Internxt is the secure file sharing functionality which is built into the service and easily accessible via the web-based file management portal. To share a file or folder in this portal, simply select the item(s) to be shared and then select the link icon form the top right menu to open up the sharing set-up box (as can be seen below):
As can be seen above, whilst setting up the sharing link, one of the core features available is that of setting up a secure password to ensure only those with the password can gain access to the file!
Smartphone Apps
In addition to the desktop synchronisation software mentioned above, Internxt also provide smartphone apps for accessing the service via both iOS and Android devices!
Whilst these smartphone apps can be very useful for accessing any files stored upon the Internxt cloud whilst out and about, they also feature automatic camera upload functionality meaning smartphone users can securely and automatically back-up and photos taken on their device to the Internxt cloud!
Internxt Security
Privacy and security are two key concepts upon which the Internxt cloud service has clearly been built with in-mind from the ground up. This approach sees the service offering zero-knowledge, end-to-end encryption for all files uploaded to the service meaning all data is fully and automatically secured against unauthorised access with even Internxt themselves not being able to access user data for additional cloud protection.
Backing-up this strong AES 256-bit encryption which is deployed by Internxt are several other highly effective security and privacy features. These additional measures include multi-factor authentication (2FA) for protecting access to the Internxt account itself, the ability to add passwords to any files which might be shared by the service plus the ability to further protect legitimate access by an exportable backup key file in cases where a password might be lost or forgotten.
Privacy wise and this is another area in which Internxt excels, nothing more than an email address and password is required to make use of the 10GB free account and all data (as well as making use of end-to-end encryption) is stored and transferred in compliance with EU GDPR regulations.
Internxt Support
Internxt have a useful support portal which is accessible via their official website. From this support portal, users of the service can access various product guides and documentation on using and making the most of the Internxt service.
Should additional support be required, Internxt offer all users use of a live chat service which can be accessed via the main website. This live chat is not 24hrs, however, in the event support representatives are unavailable, a message can be left.
Internxt Pricing
Internxt provide all users with a generous 10GB free account in addition to several premium options ranging from 20GB to up to 2TB as of time of writing. It is important to note that the premium options relate primarily to the amount of cloud storage provided given that the full range of functionality (including end-to-end encryption) is turned-on and accessible across all plans (including the free account) by default.
The full Internxt pricing options (as of time of writing) are as follows:
- 10GB – FREE!
- 20GB – $0.89 / month ($10.68 paid yearly)
- 200GB – $3.49 / month ($41.88 paid yearly)
- 2TB – $8.99 / month ($107.88 paid yearly)
Internxt also offer business plans especially suited to teams of 2+ users with between 200GB and 20TB of cloud storage available per user!
* Click Here to visit the official Internxt pricing page for more information on all pricing plans as well as to sign-up for the 10GB free account!
Internxt FAQ
Yes, Internxt offer a 10GB free account to all users. Despite being free, this account still affords users access to all key features of the Internxt service including secure zero-knowledge encryption, iOS and Android apps and the desktop file synchronisation software.
Internxt drive is a desktop application which can be used to create an automatically synchronising folder between the device it is installed upon and the Internxt cloud storage service. This software is also currently available across Windows, Linux and MacOS devices!
Internxt make use of secure, end-to-end AES 256-bit encryption across all data which is transferred to and from the service. This encryption is turned on by default and is available across all plans including the 10GB free service!
Internxt Alternatives
In this section of my review, I will be looking at some close alternatives to Internxt. This will be cloud storage services with a generous free account offering, solid synchronisation software and a focus on providing secure end-to-end encryption alongside other useful security functionality.
Remember, any ratings and opinions given below reflect my own opinions and should be treated only as a guide! When purchasing any form of cloud storage, always be sure to check the details of the offering out for yourself and try and to make use of any free trials, whenever possible, to help ensure the solution is right before committing to a purchase.
1) pCloud
pCloud is a leading cloud storage service, one which provides a great set of features whilst still focusing on delivering a highly reliable and highly secure service.
Amongst the many useful features found within pCloud are the excellent desktop software which includes provisions for both synchronisation and backup (with 30-days of historic versioning), the strong file sharing functionality which allows for password protected links and excellent apps for both iOS and Android amongst other things.
Pricing wise and what really sets pCloud aside, apart from the generous 10GB free account is the excellent lifetime pricing options which sees 500GB+ of cloud storage available for as little as $175 (or $47.88 / year) amongst other plans currently going up to 10TB!
- Lifetime Plans
- Backup functionality
- AES 256-bit encryption
- 10GB free account
- From $49.99 / year
2) MEGA.NZ
Launched back in 2013, MEGA is a leading cloud storage service noted for its great set of features and a clear commitment to providing enhanced privacy and security for its users.
Featuring zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption and a great set of usability features including desktop synchronisation software, secure file sharing, historic file versioning, apps for iOS and Android, secure video calls and a secure chat service (amongst many other features), MEGA is undeniably a great cloud storage choice.
Pricing starts at $4.98 / month (or $49.91 paid annually) for the 400GB plan with the 2TB plan priced at $9.97 / month (or $99.83 paid annually). Other plans exist up to 16TB in total as does a 20GB free account which can be signed-up for via the official MEGA.NZ website!
- End-to-end encryption
- Secure file shairng
- iOS & Android apps
- 20GB Free account
- From $49 / year
3) IceDrive
IceDrive have impressed in recent years thanks to their great pricing, generous storage quotas and an excellent user interface which means making use of the service is simple and hassle free!
Backing up this great usability is desktop synchronisation software for Windows, portable desktop software for Windows, Linux and MacOS devices alongside apps for iOS and Android. Other features include secure file sharing functionality, the option to make use of secure, end-to-end encryption when on a premium plan and the ability to take advantage of lifetime pricing plans for anyone wanting to pay for their cloud storage requirements up-front.
IceDrive is priced from $1.67 / month (paid as $19.99 / year) for 150GB of storage (and use of the encryption components) with plans going all the way up to 10TB for a one-off (lifetime) payment of just $999! A 10GB free account is also available via the official IceDrive website!
- Lifetime plans
- iOS & Android apps
- Twofish encryption
- 10GB Free account
- From $49.99 / year
Internxt Review Summary
Internxt is a very impressive cloud storage service overall, not only does its commitment to providing a top level of privacy and security within the product itself inspire confidence in its use, but the great set of features up to and including the useful desktop synchronisation software means this is a genuinely useful cloud storage account to have!
With the core set of features aside, it is also great to see Internxt making additional functionality available and included within all pricing plans (including the generous 10GB free account). This includes a basic but still very useful backup tool, password protected sharing links, apps for iOS and Android (with automatic photo uploads) and enhanced security features including multi-factor authentication amongst other things.
Pricing-wise and Internxt have plans starting from just €0.89 / month for 20GB of storage up to plans with 2TB of storage for just €8.99 / month. In addition to these premium plans, a 10GB free account (featuring all of the aforementioned privacy and security functionalities) is also available making this a strong, privacy-focused cloud storage service which is genuinely useful for anyone requiring such a service, regardless of budget!
Overall, I have been very impressed with Internxt during my time testing it! It is great to see that privacy and security have been “baked-in” to this service form the ground upwards and that useful features such as desktop synchronisation software and zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption are available across all accounts including the free option – great work so far Internxt!
Are you looking for practical help and advice in choosing cloud storage? If so, then be sure to check out our various guides including our Top 10 Free Cloud Storage guide, our guide to the Best Free Cloud Storage Services plus our guide to the Best Cloud Storage for Photographers amongst several others!