X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert deal-hunting staff showcases the best price drops and discounts from reputable sellers daily. If you make a purchase using our links, CNET may earn a commission.

Get 2 years of nearly unlimited cloud backup for just $19.95

iDrive's updated deal scores you 10TB of space for all your computers and mobile devices.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
3 min read
idrive-mobile

iDrive backs up not just your computers, but also your mobile devices. And not just some of them, but all of them.

iDrive

Today's deal is a rerun, but it's my favorite kind: More bang for the buck. It was already a steal back in January and now it's even stealier.

Read more: The best storage devices for 2019

This is about data, specifically your priceless photos, documents, contacts and the like. All it takes is one virus, ransomware attack, flaky OS update or lost, stolen or broken device and you could find yourself having a Very Bad Day.

Or maybe just a Mildly Inconvenient Day, provided you have a reliable backup solution in place. Like this one: For a limited time, Cheapskate readers can get a two-year iDrive 10TB cloud backup subscription for $19.95. Regular price: $139. This deal is for new iDrive customers only.

In these days of ever-expanding photo and video libraries, especially on phones and tablets, you can't have enough backup storage. This price works out to under $10 per year to back up all your devices. After that it's back to the regular pricing, which is a reasonable $69.50 per year.

Speaking of devices, unlike many cloud-backup services, iDrive doesn't limit you to just one. Here you can archive your desktop, laptop, phone, tablet and whatever else you might own. (The service can also preserve photos and videos from your Facebook and Instagram accounts.) Backups are done continuously and in real time, so there's really nothing you have to do once the initial setup is complete.

Here's a full rundown of the features included with your iDrive subscription. Although the service now offers a complete disk-image backup option (meaning it can back up your entire hard drive), my advice is to use it just for your data. Disk-image backup is better left to an external or network drive, in my humble opinion.

Also, be prepared for your initial backup to take some time -- possibly several days or even longer, depending on how much data you've got. This is normal, and true with all online backup services. Fortunately, your subscription also includes iDrive Express, which works like this: iDrive ships you an external hard drive, which you use to quickly back up your files. Then you ship the drive back; the data gets added to your cloud repository. This can take up to a week, though, so it's not necessarily a faster solution, just a more expedient one.

How well does all this work? CNET hasn't reviewed iDrive (nor have I), so let me steer you to this PCMag review from a few months back. Verdict: 4.5 stars and an Editors' Choice nod.

Still, do your homework. Read the company's FAQ page to get answers to any initial questions you might have and see what issues you'll potentially encounter.

For anyone who needs a bigger or better cloud-backup system, iDrive is definitely worth a look, especially at this price.

Originally published on Jan. 23.
Update, June 17: Deal availability and lower price.

Watch this: 3 things to consider when buying storage devices

CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the latest promo codes from Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon and more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page.