IDrive
Cloud backup for multiple PCs, Macs, phones and servers in one account
IDrive is a backup & SaaS data protection tool for Small businesses and Freelancers, offered as freemium ($0/mo). Founded in United States in . Popular alternatives include CrashPlan, Carbonite.
About IDrive
IDrive is a cloud backup service from IDrive Inc., a privately held company in Calabasas, California, whose roots go back to Pro Softnet Corporation, founded by Raghu Kulkarni in the 1990s. Its core job is backing up many computers, phones and servers into one encrypted account instead of paying per machine. The company says it serves more than 4 million customers.
Backups are incremental and continuous, keep up to 30 previous versions per file, and add snapshots for point-in-time recovery against ransomware. An optional private key keeps 256-bit AES encrypted data unreadable to IDrive. One account covers Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, with entire-machine backup, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup. IDrive Basic is free with 10 GB; Personal plans serve one user with unlimited devices from 5 TB, Team plans bundle users and storage, Business adds servers, NAS, Exchange and SQL, and IDrive e2 is separate S3-compatible object storage.
IDrive fits households, freelancers and small businesses with several devices who want one inexpensive account. The desktop app is cluttered, restores of very large sets can be slow, and first-year promo prices rise on renewal. Backblaze is simpler with unlimited backup for one computer, Duplicati is a free open-source client that writes to storage you choose, and Sync.com or pCloud are better for file sync and sharing than for backup.
Pricing tip: new sign-ups see discounted first-year prices, such as $6.99 a month for Personal 5 TB billed yearly against a regular $9.99, and standard rates apply from year two.
Key features of IDrive
- Back up unlimited PCs, Macs, phones and tablets to one account
- Up to 30 file versions plus snapshots for point-in-time recovery
- Optional private-key 256-bit AES encryption
- Entire-machine backup for full system restores
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace cloud-to-cloud backup
- IDrive Express physical drive shipping for large backups and restores
- Server, NAS, Exchange and SQL backup on Business plans
- Deleted files kept in Trash for 30 days
Pros and cons
Pros
- One account covers many devices instead of per-computer pricing
- Large storage tiers at low cost per terabyte
- Versioning and snapshots help recover from ransomware
- Private encryption key option for sensitive data
- Physical drive shipping saves weeks on huge initial uploads
Cons
- Desktop app is busy and less intuitive than Backblaze
- First-year promo prices rise noticeably on renewal
- Storage is capped per plan, unlike Backblaze's unlimited personal backup
- Restoring very large data sets online can be slow
- Many product lines (Personal, Team, Business, e2) make choosing confusing
IDrive pricing
IDrive uses a freemium model.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | 10 GB, no credit card required |
| Mini | $0.25 / mo | 100 GB, one user, billed yearly; 500 GB is $0.83/mo |
| Personal | $11.99 / mo | 5 TB; $9.99/mo billed yearly, $6.99 first-year promo |
| Team | $11.99 / mo | 5 users, 5 computers, 5 TB; $6.99/mo first-year promo |
| Business | $59.99 / mo | 1.25 TB, servers and NAS; yearly from $19.99 for 500 GB |
Source: www.idrive.com · checked on Oct 20, 2026
How IDrive compares in Backup & SaaS data protection
- Rank by votes
- #1 / 16
- Starting price
- $0
- Free alternatives
- 2
0 votes from members
95% below the category median ($5/mo)
Free or open-source tools in Backup & SaaS data protection
IDrive ranks #1 of 16 backup & saas data protection tools by community votes and is priced below most tools in the category.
Common use cases
- 1Family backup of several laptops and phones in one plan
- 2Freelancer protecting project files with version history
- 3Small office backing up PCs, a NAS and a file server
- 4Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace mailbox and drive backup
- 5Seeding a multi-terabyte backup via shipped drive
- 6Ransomware recovery with snapshots and versioning
Best for
Households and small businesses that want to back up many computers and phones into one affordable, encrypted account.
Not ideal for
Users who want unlimited backup for one computer or mainly need file sync and sharing (Backblaze, Sync.com, pCloud).
Integrations
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft Exchange
- SQL Server
- Synology and QNAP NAS
- IDrive e2 (S3-compatible)
Our take
IDrive is one of the best-value multi-device backup services, especially on a first-year promo. Turn on the private key if data is sensitive, and budget for the regular price at renewal; single-computer users may find Backblaze simpler.
FAQ
- What is IDrive?
- IDrive is a Backup & SaaS data protection tool: Cloud backup for multiple PCs, Macs, phones and servers in one account.
- How much does IDrive cost?
- IDrive uses a Freemium model; paid plans start at $0 per month.
- What are the best alternatives to IDrive?
- Community-listed alternatives to IDrive include CrashPlan, Carbonite.
- What does IDrive integrate with?
- IDrive integrates with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server, Synology and QNAP NAS, IDrive e2 (S3-compatible) and more.
- Which platforms does IDrive support?
- IDrive is available on web, windows, macos, linux, ios, android.
- Who is IDrive for?
- Households and small businesses that want to back up many computers and phones into one affordable, encrypted account.
Alternatives to IDrive
More Backup & SaaS data protection tools
Veeam
▲ 0Backup, recovery and ransomware resilience for VMs, cloud and SaaS
FreemiumEnterpriseSmall businessesKeepit
▲ 0Independent SaaS backup for Microsoft 365, Entra ID and Salesforce
PaidEnterpriseSmall businessesDruva
▲ 0SaaS backup for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, endpoints and cloud
PaidEnterpriseSmall businesses
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share real experience.
Sign in to write a review.