Item: IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2
Rating: 8
Author: Mike Calabro

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I am a freelance photographer and my worst nightmare is to lose all of my images. I have over 15 years of images in my library. Backing up my work is a necessity. I back up my images locally, off-site and on the cloud. I don't update my off-site drive as much as I should It is an external RAID that I am supposed to swap out a single drive and store it off-site every month. I have not done this in over a year. iDrive makes off-site backup easy.

Pros and Cons

Offers a cloud and a local backup option from the same app.
Fast upload speed.
It keeps old files forever, versioning, which helps protect against ransomware.
Can backup as a disc image.
Can search and restore for lost data. Makes finding lost files way easier than other solutions.
You can choose which folders to backup.

The user interface is very hard to use.
Setting up for the first time is confusing.
Does not offer unlimited storage.

Return on Investment

It helps me sleep at night because I don't have to worry that I will lose my lifes work.
It saves time. I don't have to manually store offsite hard drives as often.

Alternatives Considered

Backblaze

Backblaze is easier to set up, but it's not the better solution for me. I need to be able to backup to multiple locations. Backblaze didn't offer a way to do backups to an external HD. Backblaze didn't offer versioning when I picked iDrive. Backblaze wasn't able to throttle upload and download speeds which would slow things down when I have to deliver files to clients online.

Support Rating

They responded quick to my questions.

Key Insights

Do you think IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2's feature set?

Yes

Did IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 go as expected?

Would you buy IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

Cloud backup is not an option in my business, it is a necessity. It works very well as a backup solution to my photos. I have had not problems with it.

IDrive is not for those who want a plug-and-play solution. It takes a bit of time to set up properly but it is worth it.

IDrive is the best solution for photographers

Overall Satisfaction with IDrive