Review of Carbonite Online Backup Software

Carbonite is a reliable online backup service that can be used to back up important files. Any computer with an internet connection may utilize the service with no problems. Carbonite offers different subscription plans, each of which provides different levels of storage space. The service also includes a file restore feature, which allows users to restore files backed up online. Let’s start a Review of Carbonite in which we will try to cover all aspects of this best cloud backup service.

Carbonite is a well-known and widely used cloud backup service. Carbonite’s backup services are limitless and feature-rich, making them one of the best cloud storage options.

As a backup service, Carbonite is one of the more well-established companies, having been in business since 2006. Learn about Carbonite’s backup options, current price, and comprehensive feature list.

 

Carbonite Plans and Pricing

Carbonite Plans and Prices

Carbonite’s three Safe plans (formerly known as Personal) are designed for personal computers and small businesses without servers. They range in length from one year to three years. To get an idea of how much it will cost to back up many computers, go to Carbonite’s website and enter the desired number of computers.

The more time you commit to a cloud backup service, the more money you save each month.

Carbonite Safe Basic

Your backed-up data may be stored indefinitely with Carbonite Safe Basic’s unlimited storage.

Safe Basic is as follows: It costs $58.99 a year, $4.92 per month.

Carbonite Safe Plus

For the same price as Carbonite’s Basic subscription, Safe Plus supports backing up external hard drives, default video back up, and the option to back up a system image of your whole computer locally. This is how the Safe Plus plan is priced: $83.99 per year or $7 per month.

Carbonite Safe Prime

Like Carbonite’s other two plans, the Safe Prime plan does not limit the amount of data you may back up. Access to a courier recovery service in the event of a catastrophic loss is one of the benefits exclusive to the Prime tier, which comes on top of the benefits provided by Basic and Plus.

Because of the Safe Prime add-ons, the price has gone up: It costs $104.99 for one year, and $8.75 per month.

If you think one of the Carbonite Safe plans would be right for you, you can test it out risk-free trial for 15 days. On the other hand, Carbonite does not provide a completely free cloud back up solution.

Visit Carbonite Website

 

Review of Carbonite Features

Review of Carbonite

Carbonite is one of the most popular online backup services on the market. It offers a wide range of features, making it an excellent choice for personal and business users. Some of the critical elements of Carbonite include:

1. Automatic Backup – Carbonite automatically backs up your files whenever you connect to the ethernet. This means you don’t have to remember to do it yourself, and you can rest assured that your files are always safe.

2. Secure Backup – Carbonite uses military-grade encryption to protect your data, ensuring that your files are safe from theft or accidental loss.

3. Easy to use – Carbonite is easy to use, even for people who aren’t very tech-savvy. You don’t need special software or hardware; you can access your important documents anywhere.

When you first set up Carbonite’s cloud back up service, it does a large-scale backup before continually backing up your data, including any additions or modifications you make.

Your Carbonite will also provide the following features:

Carbonite Features Safe subscription
Backup From Mapped Drive No
Backup From External Drive Yes, the Plus and Prime plans have this feature
Continuous Backup (≤ 1 min) Yes
Backup Frequency Continuous (≤ 1 min) through 24 hours
Idle Backup Option Yes
Bandwidth Control Simple
Offline Backup Option(s) No
Offline Restore Option(s) only with the Prime plan
Local Backup Option(s) No
Locked/Open File Support Yes
Backup Set Option(s) No
Integrated Player/Viewer Yes
File Sharing No
Multi-Device Syncing No
Backup Status Alerts Email, plus others
Data Center Locations European Union & North America
Inactive Account Retention For as long as you have a subscription, the data will be available
Support Options Chat and self-support
Feature Carbonite Support
File Size Limits No, although files larger than 4 GB must be added manually to the Backup
File Type Restrictions No, however, if you’re not on the Plus or Prime plans, you’ll have to upload video files manually.
Fair Use Limits No
Bandwidth Throttling No
Operating System Support Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7; Mac 10.10+
Real 64-bit Software Yes
Mobile Apps No
File Access web app and Desktop Program
Transfer Encryption 128-bit
Storage Encryption 128-bit
Private Encryption Key Yes, optional
File Versioning Limited to only 12 versions
Mirror Image Backup No
Backup Levels file level, folder, and Drive

 

Carbonite’s Limitations

Carbonite lacks features that personal users may need, such as backup of mobile devices or Linux data. It has server backup capabilities, but image-based backups are unavailable on non-professional plans. Additionally, carbonite has minimal functionality in reducing ethernet use; this feature is only offered in pro-level plans. Overall, carbonite’s limitations may be a deal-breaker for some users.

Additionally, carbonite Safe is not as robust as other encryption solutions. It lacks a block-level algorithm and multithreading, which may hinder the restoration of files.

 

File Backup & Restoration

There are a few things to remember regarding backup and reinstatement with Carbonite. First, the program can back up most of your computer’s files, but some will not back up (like files starting with special characters).

Additionally, you can add files manually to the list of items that Carbonite will back up, but this is a manual process and could result in missing essential data.

Finally, Carbonite offers two restore options: restoring all files or restoring individual files and folders. The former is easy enough to do; go through the carbon desktop client and select restore files. The latter is a bit more complicated but can be done using the carbonite web dashboard or the carbonite backup drive. Either way, you’ll be limited to 5,000 items or 10GB of data per download.

 

Speed

Speed is essential when choosing a backup service, as it can make the difference between a quick and easy process and a slow and tedious one. Unfortunately, our tests of Carbonite’s speed revealed that it could have been better.

back up speed of carbonite

We tested Carbonite with a 5GB folder filled with various file types, expecting the download and upload to take just six minutes and 40 seconds on our 100 Mbps connection.

However, the results showed that the upload speed was mediocre at best, taking an average of 13:09 minutes, while the download speeds was shockingly slow at 1:23:00 minutes. This is far from what we would expect from such a large transfer on such a fast connection. Carbonite must improve its speed to remain competitive in the backup services market.

 

Security

Safeguarding sensitive information is crucial when deciding on a cloud-based backup service. Carbonite is passionate about data security and provides robust encryption and two-factor authentication. SSL/TLS encryption is used to guard data while in transit so that no third-party may intercept and view it.

Security for carbonite

Files stored on the server are protected using AES 128-bit encryption, which prevents any other party from accessing the data. While not as safe as AES 256-bit encryption, most users should be fine with this.

Carbonite also provides server options that employ the more rigorous encryption standard for customers that require it.

When it comes to keeping your data safe from hackers and other bad guys, Carbonite is a top choice. You may believe that your backed-up data is secure because of the robust encryption and two-factor authentication it employs.

A further safeguard against danger is provided by its secure data centers, which have undergone extensive hardening measures. All these safeguards make Carbonite’s cloud backup option a safe bet for storing sensitive information.

 

Privacy

Security and privacy are two of the most critical factors regarding backup services. Carbonite does well in this regard, offering strong encryption and the option to have an encryption key. Therefore, the authorities won’t be able to demand your data from Carbonite if you keep your encryption key safe.

The downside is that if you lose the key or forget the password, you will no longer have access to the data. To avoid this, it is recommended to use a good password manager.

If you sign up for Safe Pro or one of the server plans, Carbonite will protect your data by GDPR in Europe and HIPAA in the United States. This ensures that all personal data is handled responsibly and securely according to applicable laws and regulations. All in all, Carbonite provides an excellent balance between security and privacy for its users.

 

Privacy Policy of Carbonite

Its privacy policy outlines the type of data it collects from its users, such as name and contact information, payment information, device information, and usage statistics. Carbonite adds that it may provide such information to service providers when legally compelled to do so.

Privacy Policy of Carbonite

Overall, Carbonite handles user data responsibly, and there have been no significant privacy scandals involving the company. However, some users may be concerned about the clause that allows Carbonite to share any of the collected data with a large selection of third parties for unspecified reasons. While none of this data is personally identifiable, it could still be an issue for some people who value their privacy.

 

Carbonite Data Centers

Carbonite is a popular cloud backup solution, but unfortunately, its data centers are located in the United States. This means that users of Carbonite’s services are subject to the country’s digital privacy laws, such as the PATRIOT act.

Carbonite Data Centers

While most cloud backup providers also store their data in the United States, this is not a significant concern, provided the data is encrypted privately.

However, suppose location is an essential factor for you when choosing a cloud backup provider. In that case, we recommend Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office instead. This service allows you to choose from various storage locations, so you can rest assured that your data is safe and secure no matter where it’s stored.

 

Customer Service

Carbonite provides excellent customer service for its users, with quality support available over the phone and through email. Reaching out to the Carbonite support department is easy; you can either fill out the detailed support form or contact them through the support phone number.

Customer Service

This makes it simple to get help in the event of a problem, allowing customers to rely on Carbonite’s customer support for assistance.

However, one area where Carbonite could improve is by providing a live chat option. Most cloud backup services offer this feature, which can be great for more straightforward issues that don’t require a lengthy conversation.

Unfortunately, suppose you’re a Carbonite Safe user and need to talk to the support team in real time. In that case, you’ll have to do so between 8:00 a.m. and midnight CET, Monday through Friday.

 

Carbonite: Our Experience

backup service

We realize that choosing the finest cloud backup service may be challenging. Depending on your perspective, they may all seem the same.

On the other hand, Carbonite is one of those services that We find extremely simple to promote to many other people. You will have no difficulty utilizing it, regardless of your technological or computer abilities. It also allows you to backup all of your crucial data without costing you an excessive amount for the privilege.

Please continue reading to understand what we like and dislike about Carbonite cloud backup and how you can.

 

Carbonate Features that we like

Our preference is cloud backup providers that only offer a single subscription. It’s not necessarily terrible to have a wide variety of possibilities, particularly if you’re looking for options—and many people are.

As a result, We favor Carbonite since it offers three affordable options, given that you can backup an infinite quantity. Another feature We like is how simple it is to create a Carbonite backup. It’s good they’ve made this simple since it’s the most critical part of backing up.

Find the files and folders on your computer that you wish to backup rather than going through the program’s menus. If you right-click them, you may choose the option of adding them to your backup plan. A tiny colored dot on the file icon identifies files that have previously been backed up and those that have not yet been backed up.

Carbonite’s first Backup was a success, with a backup time compared to most other providers. The bandwidth you have at your disposal will significantly influence what you see and hear. Carbonite’s ability to recover your data is also a big plus. Restoring should be as simple as possible, and Carbonite facilitates this process.

Even if you’ve deleted data, you may still recover them online and back them up using the application as if they were still on your computer. Carbonite stores at least three copies of each file, so you can immediately restore a previous version from any point in time. It’s also possible to download your backed-up data to a new computer using a browser.

Besides the fact that Carbonite allows you to backup your data automatically when changes are detected, you can also schedule the backups to occur once a day or at certain times. It’s possible to schedule backups when your computer is not in use, such as at night. Backing up continually seldom causes a sluggish computer or a busy internet connection. Even if you don’t, you have this convenient choice.

 

Carbonate Features that we Don’t like

We found Carbonite annoying since it didn’t backup all the data in the directories. We specified for Backup because, by default, it backs up just specific file types. Even if you’re backing up photos and documents, this might be an issue if you have anything else.

Right-clicking the file type you wish to back up and continuously backing up certain files will let you adjust this setting. In the case of Carbonite, the reasoning behind not automatically backing up all sorts of files is to avoid potential complications if you need to transfer all of your data to a new workstation.

Since EXE files might potentially create problems, omitting them is a good idea. Another issue with Carbonite is that you have no control over how much bandwidth the application may use to upload and download your data, which is a significant drawback. Network use can be restricted using a primary option, but there is no distinct set of advanced choices that we would want to see.

Carbonite Review: A Final Observation

For those who don’t need to back up external drives or more than one internal disk, Carbonite is an excellent option. Their cheapest plan, which is also quite affordable, is ideal for you.

If you’re still unsure whether or not Carbonite is the right backup option, check out our evaluation of Backblaze. In addition to Carbonite, it’s one of my go-to products. ‘ Many people can’t live without a particular characteristic. Please share your comments about the Carbonite Review in the comments below.

Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo serves as the dynamic editor and talented author at Paktales.com, consistently demonstrating a strong passion for business and technology. Kokou stays abreast of the latest news and insights in the Startup ecosystem to ensure his readers are always informed. An alumnus of the University of Sienna, Italy, and Rennes, France, he holds a Master's Degree in Communications and Political Science. In addition to writing, Kokou is also responsible for managing all editorial operations.

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