Best Cloud Backup Solutions for Small Business

Finding a backup solution for your business is critical to preventing data loss. However, selecting the right service isn’t always straightforward, especially with so many options available. I did some research and testing to help you decide, and I’m sharing what I believe are the best backup solutions for small businesses.

For smaller companies, losing critical data can severely impact the ability to scale. The good news is that the best backup solutions are pretty simple to install and run, so backing up data isn’t as hard as some may think. In this selection, I’ve opted for simple solutions with useful features rather than full powerhouses, which would be overkill for many small businesses. 

The 5 Best Online Backup Solutions for Small Businesses 

Service:	Free Storage	Best Price	Server Locations	End-to-End Encryption	Online Collaboration	Advanced Sharing	Security
	10GB	$5.81 per month on annual billing	North America, EU, U.K., Asia		Microsoft Office		AES-256
	0GB	$8.25 per month on annual billing	North America, EU		N/A		AES-128, SSL
	10GB	$7.99 per month on annual billing	North America, EU		N/A		AES-256, TLS/SSL
	0GB	$7.33 per month on annual billing	North America, EU		N/A		AES-256, TLS/SSL
	1GB	$1.67 per month on annual billing (Cloudwards exclusive)	EU		N/A		AES-256 with Kyber-512, TLS/SSL

1. IDrive Business — Best Cloud Backup for Small Business

IDrive offers plenty of features to help tailor your backups. You can run manual backups whenever you need to, or program scheduled backups or continuous backups. You can also use IDrive to back up your operating system, network-attached storage (NAS) device or external hard drive. Restoration options include cloud or computer restoration, or a mail-out disk.

IDrive Hands-On Testing

Downloading the desktop app on my Mac was painless. IDrive did a good job of guiding me through my first backup, leaving me with the simple task of selecting which folders I wanted to back up to my account. The same was true for scheduling my backups — I just needed to select the days and times, and the software automated the rest.

• Demystify cloud storage terminology and key concepts in plain language
• Discover easy-to-implement techniques to securely backup and sync your data across devices
• Learn money-saving strategies to optimize your cloud storage costs and usage

One detail to note is that cloud sync is off by default. If you want to access your files on different devices via the web and mobile apps, you’ll need to activate this option as soon as possible. The web app’s design is a little dated compared to the desktop and mobile apps, but you can still perform functions such as sharing files. 

Notes From the Lab: IDrive Speed Test Results

	1st Attempt (100 Mbps)	2nd Attempt (100 Mbps)	Average (100 Mbps)	Average (1 Gbps)
Upload	0:06:45	0:06:44	0:06:45	0:05:00
Download	0:06:50	0:07:06	0:06:58	0:04:57

IDrive’s upload and download speeds are impressive — it’s the fastest online backup service on the market. It displayed very low CPU usage during testing and maintained stable speeds throughout uploads and downloads.

Notes From the Lab: IDrive Security Analysis

Encryption Type	Encryption Protocols Used
Encryption at rest	AES 256-bit
Encryption in transit	AES 256-bit

IDrive provides industry-standard encryption for your important data, as well as client-side encryption for ultimate privacy. You can activate two-factor authentication (2FA) and set passwords and expiration dates when sharing files.

IDrive Pricing & Value

IDrive prices its services fairly, often providing large discounts on the first year of your subscription. I recommend the 1.25TB plan for small businesses, which you can use on unlimited devices and costs $350 for the first year. Check out our IDrive review for more details. 

Basic

• No credit card required.
• 10GB

Personal

• One user, multiple computers. Plans starting from 5TB up to 100TB. Big discount for first-time signup.
• 5TB

More plans

Team

• 5 computers, 5 users. Starting at 5TB up to 500TB. Big discount for first-time signup.
• 5TB

Business

• Monthly Plan storage starts at 1.25TB up to 50TB
  Unlimited users, multiple computers and servers. NAS devices. 250GB storage. Starting at 250GB up to 50TB. Large discount for first-time signup.
• 250GB

2. Backblaze — Best Backup Solution for Unlimited Storage

Unlimited storage is Backblaze’s main draw. Though it may seem like a lot for a small business, having unlimited storage provides plenty of room to scale without worrying about switching backup providers in the future. You can run continuous and incremental backups, as well as automatic backups. Image-based, server and other backup types are currently unavailable.

Backblaze Hands-On Testing

Backblaze’s desktop app is small and compact. You may think it offers little functionality at first glance, but that’s not the case. With a quick tap of the “backup now” tab I was able to start backing up all my files. For more control, I just had to dive into the settings, where it was easy enough to schedule a backup for a certain day.

One Backblaze feature I really like is the file-type exclusion tool, which lets you prevent the app from backing up certain file types and sizes. I also like the navigation experience. Backblaze’s design is dated and uninspiring, though. 

Notes From the Lab: Backblaze Speed Test Results

	1st Attempt (100 Mbps)	2nd Attempt (100 Mbps)	Average (100 Mbps)	Average (1 Gbps)
Upload	0:17:00	0:16:47	0:16:54	0:16:55
Download	0:07:10	0:07:08	0:07:09	0:06:15

Backblaze disappoints with its upload speeds, but they have been improving recently. Download speeds are more in line with other services, and they were stable throughout testing. We did notice a slight slowdown on larger files, though. 

Notes From the Lab: Backblaze Security Analysis

Encryption Type	Encryption Protocols Used
Encryption at rest	AES 128-bit
Encryption in transit	SSL

Backblaze implements AES 128-bit encryption, which is slightly outdated but still plenty secure. To keep your backup and recovery processes totally private, you can create your own encryption keys to access your data.

Backblaze Pricing & Value

Backblaze’s business pricing is hard to beat. There’s only one plan, which costs $99 per year and lets you manage multiple machines on one account — perfect for small businesses. Try it out risk-free with the 30-day money-back guarantee. Our Backblaze review has more details. 

Unlimited Personal

3. pCloud Business — Best Backup for Small Creative Agencies

pCloud blends the best of backup and traditional cloud storage features in its software. You can back up specific folders on your desktop either manually or by setting the app to perform continuous backups. Users can fully access backup data via the web app and download it onto new systems.

pCloud Hands-On Testing

I tested pCloud for several weeks and had an overall positive experience. I was able to select backup folders with ease and access cloud-based features such as viewing images and sending file requests. pCloud is minimalist — there’s no option to back up entire systems. However, it can take care of most basic business users’ needs.

The desktop app has some useful user controls. I could control speed limits for uploads and downloads to optimize performance, and I was able to manage and view all shared files in my account. I found the web app to be the best route for sharing data with others, and I appreciate that I was able to add password protection for my most sensitive information. 

Notes From the Lab: pCloud Speed Test Results

	1st Attempt (100 Mbps)	2nd Attempt (100 Mbps)	Average (100 Mbps)	Average (1 Gbps)
Upload	0:07:02	0:07:10	0:07:06	0:02:06
Download	0:06:50	0:06:53	0:07:42	0:02:33

pCloud’s speeds are excellent, and they were particularly fast when we ran our tests on a 1 Gbps connection. They did fluctuate during uploads and downloads, though, and there was mid-range pressure on our CPU. However, the user experience is top-notch overall. 

Notes From the Lab: pCloud Security Analysis

Encryption Type	Encryption Protocols Used
Encryption at rest	AES 256-bit
Encryption in transit	TLS/SSL

pCloud offers comprehensive protection for your data through standard encryption and provides the option for private encryption. You can also password-protect your shared files and limit downloads.

pCloud Pricing & Value

pCloud has two business plan options in the form of a standard plan and a Pro plan. For small business users, I recommend the standard option. You get 1TB of storage per user, and it costs only $7.99 per month each when you sign up for an annual subscription. You can read our pCloud review for a more detailed breakdown of the software.

4. CrashPlan — Cheapest Unlimited Backup Solution 

CrashPlan is suited to small businesses with heavy use cases thanks to the unlimited storage option. It’s also one of the few services that offer unlimited file versioning, which allows you to jump back to retrieve a file from any point in time. The backup options are plentiful, ranging from NAS to external hard drives, but unfortunately no disk-image backups. 

CrashPlan Hands-On Testing

CrashPlan has a fairly busy user interface. This made navigation feel a little more complex, especially after using more streamlined services. However, once I became familiar with the app, running backups and monitoring data usage quickly became straightforward. 

There were times the app wouldn’t connect to my account, though. I had to close the app, reopen it and log back in via the web app to get going again. Although not the end of the world, it was a bit annoying. Thankfully, it didn’t happen while performing a backup. 

Notes From the Lab: CrashPlan Speed Test Results

	1st Attempt (100 Mbps)	2nd Attempt (100 Mbps)	Average (100 Mbps)	Average (1 Gbps)
Upload	0:19:20	0:19:13	0:19:17	0:19:33
Download	0:07:47	0:07:27	0:07:37	0:07:20

CrashPlan’s upload speeds are a sight for sore eyes, taking much longer than the competition. I have little to complain about regarding download speeds, though, and CPU usage was very low during testing. 

Notes From the Lab: CrashPlan Security Analysis

Encryption Type	Encryption Protocols Used
Encryption at rest	AES 256-bit
Encryption in transit	TLS/SSL

CrashPlan offers optimal security for your data, including client-side encryption to keep everything fully private. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is also available on all accounts.

CrashPlan Pricing & Value

The platform is extremely affordable, and it’s even cheaper than Backblaze when it comes to unlimited backup storage. I recommend signing up for 12 months, which brings the cost per user down to just $7.33 per month. Read our CrashPlan review for more information.

CrashPlan Essential

• Storage & price is per user
  Up to 2 devices per user
  30-Day Deleted File Retention
• 200GB

CrashPlan Professional

• Price is per user
  Up to 2 devices per user
  90-Day Deleted File Retention
• Unlimited GB

CrashPlan Enterprise

• Price is per user
  Unlimited Deleted File Retention
• Unlimited GB

5. Internxt — Best Backup Solution for Future-Proof Security 

Internxt offers simple tools that help you back up specific files and folders on your computer. It’s not as feature-dense as other services, but you can run automated backups every hour, every six hours or at specific times. Account admins can access all backup devices from a central account, which is ideal for remote small businesses. 

Internxt Hands-On Testing

There’s a lot to like about Internxt’s software. It’s extremely streamlined, so I had no issues finding features or understanding how to move around the apps. Selecting folders and setting up automated backups was a breeze, as was deleting backups I no longer needed.

The same was true for restoring backups. I just headed to the web app and downloaded my data back onto my device. One feature I welcomed was the built-in native antivirus software to help prevent ransomware attacks. There was no complex setup process, and I was able to protect my data with ease.

Notes From the Lab: Internxt Speed Test Results

	1st Attempt (100 Mbps)	2nd Attempt (100 Mbps)	Average (100 Mbps)	Average (1 Gbps)
Upload	0:07:57	0:08:05	0:08:01	0:07:48
Download	0:09:26	0:09:30	0:09:28	0:09:27

Internxt’s speeds are decent, but they fluctuated during testing. I’d like to see improvements in download speeds in future software updates. There was mid-range pressure on our CPU. 

Notes From the Lab: Internxt Security Analysis

Internxt’s implementation of AES-256 with Kyber-512 encryption means it will be able to defend against quantum computing attacks in the future. Less glamorous defense tools include 2FA and password protection for shared files.

Encryption Type	Encryption Protocols Used
Encryption at rest	AES-256 with Kyber-512
Encryption in transit	TLS/SSL

Internxt Pricing & Value

Thanks to our Cloudwards exclusive offer, Internxt is extremely affordable across all plans. You can get 87% off the standard fee, which is why I think jumping on a Business Pro plan is the best strategy. With this plan, each user gets 2TB of storage for only $11.59 per user per year. Check out more about the platform in our Internxt review.

Essential

• Storage + VPN (FR), Antivirus, Backup & More
• 1TB

Premium

• Storage + VPN (FR, DE, PL), Antivirus, Backup & More
• 3TB

More plans

Ultimate

• Storage + VPN (FR, DE, PL, CA, UK), Antivirus, Backup & More
• 5TB

Business Standard

• Storage + VPN (FR, DE, PL), Antivirus, Backup & More
• 1TB

Business Pro

• Storage + VPN (FR, DE, PL, CA, UK), Antivirus, Backup & More
• 2TB

Honorable Mentions

You’ll find the very best backup services for small businesses on the list above. Other options are available, though. I’ve compiled a selection of a few honorable mentions to make sure you don’t leave this article empty-handed.

Acronis Cyber Protect 

Acronis Cyber Protect blends rich data backup features with robust protection to keep your data safe from harm. You can run NAS, disk image and standard backups, and anyone using a Linux or Windows server can restore their data quickly through the use of virtual machines.

The pricing is pretty solid as well. You can enjoy full ransomware protection, storage space and all backup and recovery features for as little as $89.99 per year. Cheaper plans are available too. Learn more in our full Acronis Cyber Protect review.

Dropbox

Pros:

Dropbox is ideal for small businesses. It lets you back up data, create work and manage your documents, and admins can perform remote backups for other team members. Users can back up external hard drives, as well as files and folders on their computers. Dropbox also has a native document creator that rivals the likes of Google Docs and Microsoft Word.

The best plan for small business users gets you 5TB of storage for $16.58 per user per month on an annual subscription. This is pretty average pricing for this type of plan, and it grants you access to productivity features such as e-signature management tools. Learn more in our Dropbox review. 

What Is Cloud Backup? (And Why Small Businesses Need It)

The perk of cloud backup is that you can back up data and systems and access them via an online server through your web browser or a desktop app. It’s important for small businesses to carry out cloud backups because relying only on physical, on-premises backups can lead to data loss during disasters or cyberattacks.

Cloud Backup vs Cloud Storage vs Cloud Sync: Key Differences

Check out the below table to better understand the differences between common cloud services.

Key Features Every Small Business Should Look For

The checklist below can serve as a quick reference to help you identify key features you’ll need to back up your business data.

• Encryption: Industry-standard encryption like AES 256-bit, plus client-side encryption, provides optimal security and privacy. 
• Automation: Being able to run automated backups ensures you don’t forget to protect critical data.
• Versioning: File versioning allows you to jump back in time to retrieve older iterations of files and deleted files. The longer the version history, the better.
• Scalability options: Look out for services that make it easy to increase the number of users and the amount of backup storage as your business grows. 
• Compliance requirements: If you work in the health or financial sector, select a service that has tools to help you remain fully compliant with your industry requirements.
• Integration capabilities: Integration with communication, productivity and automation services helps you create a more centralized backup workflow. 

Common Backup Mistakes Small Businesses Make + Solution

I’ve heard from some small business owners that setting up a backup solution isn’t a priority. Instead, they opt for on-premises data centers to keep their files safe. 

This can be problematic for a couple of reasons. First, this requires a lot of computing resources, and it can also be less cost-effective than using a third-party service provider. Second — and most important — physical backups are at risk of being damaged or stolen. If a disaster occurs at your office, there’s a high risk of your data being lost forever.

For those who do choose to use a backup service, a common mistake is not preparing properly for the implementation of internal backup processes. This includes choosing the right software, identifying critical data for backup and setting up automated backups to ensure nothing is forgotten.

Our Methodology: How We Tested the Best Small Business Cloud Backup Software 

To help you better understand how I arrived at my selection of the best software for small business, I explain the criteria I used during the testing process below. 

• Backup tools: I tested how effective and reliable each backup tool is, ensuring they work as advertised, are easy to use and are diverse enough to support different backup needs.
• Speed: Our speed-testing team regularly runs tests from our lab in Dublin, Ireland. We run the tests twice to gain an average speed, and we monitor stability and the pressure placed on our CPU. 
• Security and privacy: To better understand how secure and private your data is, I read each solution’s policies, which should clearly outline the processes and encryption types available to keep your data safe.
• Cost: I analyzed current market costs to ensure I was able to provide a selection of services that are accessible to all budgets, without skimping on valuable backup features.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have plenty of options, it’s time to begin the process of backing up your data. Remember to implement best practices before going all in on a solution, which can help save you time and resources. IDrive offers the best bang for your buck, but any of my other recommendations will also serve you well. 

If you’re coming from a traditional cloud storage background and still want key features like data sync, file sharing and media playback, consider pCloud or Internxt. They tick all the boxes while also providing great automated backup solutions. It’s one of the reasons why they’re among our selection of the best cloud storage services.

Which backup app will you use? What’s the biggest hurdle you’re currently facing regarding data backups? Is there a particular service you would like us to review? Let us know in the comments, and thanks for reading.

FAQ: Online Data Backup Solutions

• What Is the Best Backup Solution for a Small Business?

  IDrive is the best backup solution for small businesses. Its streamlined interface makes it easy to use, and it offers extensive full backup features for every type of user.

• What Is the 4-3-2 Backup Rule?

  The 4-3-2 backup rule encourages users to make four different backup copies of their data across three different storage types in two off-site locations. This could include cloud backup, NAS backup and an external hard drive.

• What Is the 3-2-1 Backup Rule?

  The 3-2-1 backup rule recommends that users back up data three times across two different storage types, with one off-site backup. In practice, you could back up files to two different cloud storage services and one external hard drive.

• Which Backup Technique Is Most Efficient? 

  Incremental backups tend to be the most efficient technique, as they back up data only when changes are made to the most recent backup. This allows the backup to finish faster and uses fewer resources.

• Why Get Cloud Backup Services for Your Business?

  Losing access to your files and data in the event of a system failure can be nothing short of catastrophic for a small business. Depending on the nature of the missing files, this can entail anything from lost revenue to serious breaches of contract. Thus, it’s vital to ensure that all the files you’re working with are backed up and protected in case this happens.

• How Do I Backup My Small Business Data?

  Any of the cloud backup services listed above can be used to backup your data. If you’re looking for a more detailed guide on how to backup to the cloud, you can check out our individual reviews of each service.