Price When Reviewed

$60 for 1 PC license

Best Prices Today: NTI Backup Pro 7

NTI Backup Pro 7 is what one might refer to as the whole enchilada. It offers file backup, imaging/drive backup, continuous backup as well online backup to NTI Cloud (powered by Microsoft Azure). It backs up to and from networks, and is one of the rare backup programs that supports optical discs.

I was psyched at the feature list and assumed that in the 10 years since I last visited NTI’s flagship backup program, it would be finely honed and bullet-proof. However, first in 2024, and now in 2026, there are still numerous glitches of various types. In the end everything works, but with this much time on the market, it should be rock-solid in all aspects.

Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best backup software for Windows for comparison.

What are NTI Backup Pro 7’s features?

As I mentioned, NTI Backup Now Pro 7 offers file and folder backup, drive and partition image backup, continuous backup, and cloud backup. Continuous backup is file and folder backup where changes are backed up as they occur. Cloud backup is also file and folder backup, but to NTI’s own, extremely pricey online storage.

The plain file/folder, image, and online backups are stored in proprietary container files (single large files with all the data contained inside), while the continuous backup is a browsable plain file backup — i.e., files are copied as you would using Windows Explorer. Older revisions of files are kept in a separate folder.

The Backup Now Pro 7 interface is very straightforward, though unlike the EZ version, there’s no hand-holding when it comes to selecting data to back up. No biggie, but it could be just a tad friendlier.

The just-mentioned NTI EZ Backup Now 7.5 (which is $10 less per license) has a slightly more intuitive workflow, though the interface is not one of the prettiest. It lacks the Pro version’s continuous backup, but is otherwise roughly feature equivalent.

Back to Pro…. There’s granular scheduling (in addition to the continuous, of course) available, as well incremental backups to save space, and automatic maintenance of destination storage by purging older files when necessary. Encryption and password protection are also provided.

An NTI Backup Now Pro 7 feature that I absolutely love is the ability to choose multiple local destinations (a secondary internal drive plus external drive, etc.) for a backup job. It would be nice if you could combine local with network locations and the NTI Cloud, but hey, it’s a start

And yes, the program will back up both to and from network locations. As well as to FTP. And, as mentioned up top, Backup Now Pro 7 even supports optical discs.

How much does NTI Backup Pro 7 cost?

At the time of this writing, NTI Backup Now Pro 7 was on sale for $50 (it was $40 two years ago), down from the normal $60 retail price. The EZ version without the continuous backup was $35, $15 off of full list. The continuous backup-only NTI Shadow program is also $30 on sale.

An NTI Backup Now Pro 7 feature that I absolutely love is the ability to choose multiple local destinations (a secondary internal drive plus external drive, etc.) for a backup job.

NTI Cloud (required for cloud backup) is free for one-month of 16GB, $5 a month for 32GB, $10 monthly for 64GB, $20 a month for 128GB, $40 per month for 256GB, $100 a month for 640GB, and $200 a month for 2TB.

Google Drive offers 15GB for free. No matter which way you cut it, the NTI Cloud is extremely expensive. As it’s the only online storage service supported, Backup Now’s online backup is not well suited to the average user.

Note that you can use just about any backup program, with nearly any online storage service, by employing a cloud storage manager.

How well does NTI Backup Pro 7 perform?

The interface scaling issues I experienced during my last look two years ago were gone on one test bed, but I still had to override High DPI settings on another to get Backup Now Pro to render properly. It’s still very slow to enumerate the storage tree and the program in general is less than sprightly — aka, slow. Given that our test bed is quite fast, there’s no excuse

Seemingly, it doesn’t query the file system pre-emptively as is common practice. While all these idiosyncrasies may seem picayune, they add up, and do nothing to reassure me that the actual backup functionality will be bullet proof. As it turned out….

While file/folder and continuous backups to local media went off without unusual glitches, imaging proved an issue — as it turns out, because we remote control the test beds using Microsoft Remote Desktop. Backup Now Pro 7 didn’t like this, cancelling every image job before it was five seconds old.

After over a week of back and forth, and hours of troubleshooting, NTI explained this as a security “feature.” However, the logic behind it escapes me, and it’s hard to consider it a feature when no other program exhibits the same behavior. R-Drive Image, Acronis Cyber Security Home Office, Aomei Backupper, and Macrium Reflect Home all backed up without a fuss.

I checked NTI’s EZ Backup Now 7.5 (see above) to see if it suffered the same ‘feature,” and while it failed initially, on the the second try it imaged a partition correctly. Apparently, a partial implementation of said “feature.”

Another annoyance was that choosing to stop a 7GB cloud backup job at 30 percent didn’t stop the backup. I waited a full 10 minutes, then killed the process to cancel the job. Perhaps I was impatient, or perhaps the stop request wouldn’t have been processed until the current 7GB container file was completed — i.e., at 100 percent.

A smaller online backup of the documents, desktop, and downloads folders proceeded without incident, as I’m sure the larger one would have too, if I hadn’t needed to cancel.

On another positive note, creating a recovery disc went without a hitch and booted on both test beds. The image that I was eventually able to create was restored successful as well.

Should you buy NTI Backup Pro 7?

In the end, NTI Backup Pro 7 worked as advertised, but the unfixed annoyances I encountered and the super-high cost of the cloud storage leave me less than enthusiastic. You can give it a spin and see if it’s right for you, but EZ Backup Now 7.5 is likely a better fit for most users

Also, there’s a whole lot of feature-equivalent, less buggy competition out there in the form of Easeus ToDo Backup and Aomei Backupper, not to mention the free version of Macrium Reflect and Windows own File history, which is integrated into operating system.

Note that NTI hinted at big changes for the next version, including porting to a better development platform. Here’s hoping.

How I test software

All software is installed on an AMD Ryzen 3700X system utilizing an MSI MEG X570 motherboard with 64GB of Kingston DDR4 memory, and several PCIe 4 NVMe SSDs. The operating system is Windows 11 21H2, to which only security updates are applied to maintain a level playing field over time. The test bed is largely kept off the Internet unless testing the software demands it. All pertinent features are tested and the program rated for stability, suitability to task, ease of use, and feature set.

Should issues arise, all possibly conflicting applications are uninstalled, and if that doesn’t fix the problem, Windows is reinstalled. And as off this writing, controlling the test bed remotely will be checked.

Price When Reviewed

$25 perpetual license I $16 per month subscription

Best Prices Today: Ashampoo Backup Pro

Despite the somewhat odd name, Ashampoo peddles some very effective software. Not the least of which is Backup Pro 27. For the average home user, it’s a friendly and solid backup solution.

However, the program is still missing a couple of features that would make it truly “Pro” and ditched another — real-time/continuous backup — for version 27 .

Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best Windows backup software for comparison.

What’s new in Ashampoo Backup Pro 27?

Other than the aforementioned deprecation of real-time/continuous backup, Backup Pro 27’s biggest morph is a rather significant alteration to the workflow and the way it’s presented — i.e., there’s a new, friendlier look that can operate in both light and dark modes.

Gone is the division between simple and comprehensive wizards. Now there is a single approach with all pertinent options packed into a couple of scrollable pages. It’s simple enough for anyone, and offers easy access to all the bells and whistles that advanced users might utilize.

However, as mentioned above and shown below, missing in action this go-around is the “real-time” backup I tested last time. I used quotes because it was more continuous backup than real time, backing up at granular intervals (continuous), not as files changed (real time).

However, even that continuous granularity is gone. While I found a way to back up hourly, or even every few minutes, defining it was exceedingly tedious — requiring a “New Time Entry” for every additional occurrence. Why? I suppose someone thinks that users never want to back up more than a couple times a day.

Beyond that, the major functionality remains intact. Additionally, the program as a whole is more mature and stable. Indeed, I suffered none of the installation and operational bugs I did with version 26, which admittedly, was only a day old at the time I first tested it.

What are Ashampoo Backup Pro 27’s features?

Backup Pro 27 lets you image entire partitions and drives (incremental and full — no differential), back up files and folders with versioning (keeping older copies), and disaster recovery — including boot media. In case the term “imaging” is new to you, it’s copying all the data blocks on a drive into a container file. Generally, empty sectors are bypassed.

Backup Pro 27 uses the relatively common .vmdk format as its backup container. This, however, is a feature that could be considered “pro” as it is the native virtual drive format for VMWare. The free VirtualBox also can open this virtual drive for browsing.

However, browsing using VM software is only possible if you don’t encrypt the images (you can compress). If you do encrypt, you must use Backup Pro to mount the image and restore files. I think Microsoft’s VHD would have been a better choice, as you could mount those with nothing more than Windows itself. Just saying.

Backup Pro must also be used for file/folder backups that are encrypted and/or compressed. File/folder backups that aren’t encrypted may, of course, be browsed using nothing but Windows Explorer.

While Backup Pro will create a rescue USB stick or CD/DVD, the usual option for creating an ISO image doesn’t exist. But what I also find less than “pro” is that the rescue disk is restore-only — i.e., there’s no facility for creating new backups when you boot using it.

Many users will only want to restore, but backing up before attempting to solve someone’s software or hardware issues is something most pros do religiously.

Note that even if your subscription (see the pricing section below) expires, the rescue media will still restore backups.

Conspicuously missing from the cloud destinations are Amazon S3 and S3 compatibles, which often offer the best value. To utilize these with any backup software, use one of the utilities in our roundup of cloud managers. But this lack, again is not “pro.”

One thing I’d like to see is Backup Pro show physical drives with their numbers and partitions grouped together in some fashion rather than separated as you’ll see below (the first two hidden partitions are on the same disk as Windows, but inexperienced users might not realize this.

There is an info box saying pertinent hidden and system partitions will also be backed up when you select any partition on a bootable disk, the Windows drive in this case. A good thing, as disaster recovery requires all of them.

Back on the sunny side…. A couple of the very useful Backup Pro features are the ability to trigger backups on media insertion, and support for network locations as both sources and destinations. These do drift towards the “pro” side of the equation as many end-user targeted backup programs only back up to network locations.

There’s also a handy “Check Disks” utility so you can determine the health and status of your local media.

How does Ashampoo Backup Pro 27 perform?

Unlike my first look at Backup Pro 26, version 27 performed flawlessly from the jump. Of course, this time I didn’t have the older version installed which is what caused issues last time.

Backup Pro 27 never glitched during any of the multiple tasks I threw at it: Imaging and file backup, local and online, encrypted/compressed, unencrypted/uncompressed, plus restore of all.

Speed-wise, all was about par for the course given the media used for the destination. When I say par, backup software generally operates at around half the maximum transfer rate of any given media.

How much is Ashampoo Backup Pro 27?

A perpetual license for Backup Pro 27 was available at the time of this writing for $25, discounted from $66. You can also rent it for $16 per year, though I’d stick with uncompressed, unencrypted backups if a subscription is your choice. Otherwise you’ll only be able to restore those compressed/encrypted backups from the recovery disc if and when the subscription lapses.

Those discounted prices are lower than I saw last time when the perpetual version was $33 and the yearly was $18.

Should you buy Ashampoo Backup Pro 27?

Backup Pro 27’s support for so many common backup chores, plus its comprehensive, easy-to-understand interface are major selling points for less-experienced users. If it meets your needs (there’s a trial), at $25, heck yeah.

But the lack of backup from the recovery disc, no differential backup, and the newly limited scheduling are definitely not “pro” in my book. I’d balk big time at the full $66 retail.

I strongly advise that you don’t rent (pay yearly) Backup Pro as the program seems to be shedding features rather than gaining them. The pace of development in the backup space in general is so slow, not to mention largely unnecessary, consider that general advice. Unless there’s online storage involved, that is.

By now, the importance of backing up your Windows PC or laptop goes without saying. It only takes a moment to consider how much of your data is at potential risk of a drive failure, natural disaster, or a bad actor, if you don’t have a solid backup plan in place. The best Windows backup software includes file backup, sure, but also disk imaging and full image restore, as well as disaster recovery.

Our picks for best Windows backup software are selected with all the must-haves of data backup and recovery in mind, so in the tragic event that your primary local data repository is compromised, you’re fully covered.

What backup utilities come with Windows?

Sadly, while other operating systems make backup easy, Microsoft saddles users with a patchwork system of utilities and holdover imaging tools from Windows 7.

Some of these work well (Restore Points, File History), others don’t (System Repair Disc, Recovery Drive). None are suitable for quick and easy disaster recovery — even the online backup that is available when you use Windows with a Microsoft cloud account.

Thankfully, there are a number of highly capable and far more reliable third-party backup options for Windows that cover the panoply of backup, restore, migration, and disaster recovery.

Why you should trust PCWorld for backup software reviews and buying advice: It’s in our name — PCWorld. Our reviewers have been testing PC hardware, software, and services for decades. Our backup evaluations are thorough and rigorous, testing the promises and limitations of every product — from performance to the practicalities of regular use.

Other notable Windows backup software

• Paragon Backup & Recovery Community Edition: A free program that offers robust file backup that should meet the needs of most users.
• Perfect Backup:  Fast and competent, this free backup program is more versatile than Windows File History.
• Aomei Backupper Pro: A complete backup solution capable of preserving your important data both locally and remotely.
• Aomei Backupper Standard: A respectable free backup program if you can tolerate the occasional ad.
• Retrospect 19 Solo: Includes support for both proprietary and third-party cloud storage, but sadly it lacks disaster recovery.
• Retrospect 19 Desktop: The pro version of the above covers all the bases, but has a steep learning curve and high price.
• Backup and Restore (Windows 7): Conveniently installed with Windows, and good for imaging but bad for disaster recover.
• MSP360 Managed Backup: Uses a handy web-based console to provide imaging and file backup services for multiple devices at a reasonable price.
• MSP360 Backup: The free incarnation is a worthwhile upgrade to Windows File History.
• Iperius Backup: Has power aplenty, but the learning curve and interface might occasionally flummox less-experienced users.
• Handy Backup 8.5 Professional: Top-notch features that might’ve garnered an Editors’ Choice award had it been entirely glitch-free and a bit easier to learn.
• MiniTool ShadowMaker Pro 4.6: There’s a lot to like, particularly its unique ability to interface with all computers on a network.
• Macrium Reflect Home: Would likely qualify as our favorite backup software if it wasn’t relatively pricey. It’s an exceptional program that offers everything we want from backup software — full drive/folder backup, ease of use, reliability, etc.
• DriveImage XML: A viable free backup solution, albeit only for MBR disks.
• Ashampoo Backup Pro 26: Overarching support for myriad backup chores with easy-to-understand wizards, but no backup from the recovery disc or option for “differential” backups.

Note that in this article we focus on local-software based solutions, although many also include a cloud component. For cloud-first backup, see our roundup of the best online backup services. Admittedly, the distinction between the two categories is blurring as they each expand their feature sets.

How to choose backup software

If you recently purchased an external HDD or SSD from a major vendor such as Seagate or WD, check to see if there are backup utilities or a backup software license included. Whatever backup software you use, keep in mind the following key aspects of the best solutions: file backup for documents/photos, image backup for whole-PC rollback, boot media for dead-drive recovery, versioning for accidental overwrite protection, and know which are critical to your backup plan.

File backup

If you want to back up your essential data (operating systems and programs can be reinstalled, though it’s mildly time- and effort-consuming), a program that backs up only your important files is essential. Some programs even automatically select the appropriate files or folders. File backup can include operating system files if you wish but is still not suitable for disaster recovery.

Image backup/imaging

Images are byte-for-byte snapshots of your entire hard drive (normally not including empty sectors) or partitions, and can be used to restore the operating system, drivers, programs in one swift, fell swoop. Imaging also ensures that you don’t omit anything important as can happen with file backup.

Recovery boot media 

Should your system crash completely, you need alternate means to boot your system and restore data using your backup software. Any backup program worth its salt should be able to create a bootable optical disc or USB thumb drive. Some will also create a restore partition on your hard drive, which can be used if the issue isn’t a failed drive.

Note that we’ve run into multiple issues with Microsoft’s own Recovery Drive and System repair disc — don’t rely on those.

Scheduling

If you’re going to back up effectively, you need to do so on a regular basis. Any backup program you purchase should let you schedule backups and run them in the background. Some even will backup files as they change (real time) or at very short intervals (continuous)

Versioning

Versioning is simply retaining older version of files (or backups) rather than overwriting them during the backup/sync process. You can generally define how many versions to keep, but if you choose to cull older files, this is till not true backup which again, is an immutable copy of your data, drives, or system.

Optical discs

Every backup program supports hard drives, but as obsolete as they may seem, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs are great archive media. If you’re worried about optical media’s reliability, M-Disc claims its discs are reliable for a thousand years, backed up by Department of Defense testing.

Online storage (cloud) support

An offsite copy of your data is a hedge against physical disasters such as theft, flood, fire, and power surges. Online storage services are a great way to meet that need. Some backup software will let you back up to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon S3 and compatible, etc. however Cloud Managers can serve as a workaround with backup programs that don’t. The downside to cloud storage is relatively slow performance. Keep a local backup for faster restores.

Network access

Backing up to other computers or NAS boxes on your network or in remote locations (say your parent’s or children’s house) is another way of safeguarding your data via a physically remote copy. If you use network storage, it can also be handy to back them up to you local system.

FTP/SFTP can be used for offsite, while SMB (Windows and most OS’s) and AFP (Apple) are good for other PCs or NAS on your local network. Network support is not universal, and some backup programs allow you to back up to, but not from network shares. Just be careful in the way you expose your computers on the Internet.

Real-time backup

Real-time backup means that files are backed up whenever they change, usually upon creation or save. It’s handy for keeping an immediately available backup of rapidly changing data sets. For less volatile data sets, scheduled backups will do just fine.

Continuous backup

Continuous simply means backing up on a tight schedule, generally every few minutes, rather than in real time, daily, weekly, or monthly. Use continuous backup for rapidly changing data sets where transfer rates are too slow, or computing power too precious for real-time backup.

Performance concerns

Most backups proceed in the background or during dead time, so performance isn’t a huge issue in the consumer space. However, if you’re backing up multiple machines, backing up to multiple destinations, or dealing with very large data sets, speed will be a consideration. That said, backup speed is highly dependent upon the hardware and transport technology in use.

Further reading: Check out PCWorld’s roundup of best external drives for recommendations on reliable storage options — an important component in a comprehensive backup strategy.

Some people spend most of their digital lives on social media and save almost nothing with the intention of preserving it for the future. They might share photos and videos on Instagram or send them via a messaging app, but it’s all ephemeral. If they ever want to keep something, they might order prints or a photo book.

Most people, however, have a great deal in their digital collections – both on their computers and on their smartphones – that they hope will remain, if not forever, then at least indefinitely. Family photos, holiday videos, scanned documents, old newspapers, and letters are among the files that I want to remain even after I’ve kicked the bucket.

But unlike books and physical photo albums, it’s by no means a given that digital files will still be there or accessible in 25, 50, or 100 years’ time, just as you can’t leave a photo album out on the balcony and expect it to be intact many years later. The moral of the story is this: You need to look after your digital assets. But how to do that in a way that’s sustainable in the long term isn’t always obvious.

How do the experts who work on preserving all kinds of information for the future go about it, and do they have any advice for us mere mortals?

Ina-Maria Jansson is a researcher and archivist at Uppsala University Library and works on the preservation of personal digital archives. She says there is one important thing to bear in mind for anyone who wants to ensure that their loved ones will be able to enjoy their digital collections, apart from the choice of storage media, file formats, and how backups should be handled:

Document everything! What seems obvious to you may be a jungle for your next of kin. Write down exactly what’s in your digital archive and create an index to describe the contents of your folders and files. Label hard drives and other storage media with their contents. Let those who will be your next of kin know that the documentation and files exist, and make it easy for them to find the documentation.

She notes that a common mistake many private individuals make is failing to consider that their next of kin may not share the same keen interest in those files.

Digital material requires active stewardship that is difficult to avoid, regardless of the measures taken. Will children and grandchildren have the time and energy to take on digital stewardship when they are busy living their own lives? To make things easier, it’s important to explain the content as clearly as possible – what it is and why it’s important. If possible, it’s best to go through the content with your children and grandchildren well in advance, so that they know it exists.

Put it in writing

Ina-Maria Jansson wants to make a case for physical or analogue archiving of the most important photos and documents.

We humans are often more primitive than we might like to admit. If something isn’t visible, it doesn’t exist! Because digital photos and videos don’t take up the same physical space and aren’t as easy to look at as a box of photo albums, they’re easily forgotten during a move or when clearing out an estate.

Creating physical copies of photos and other items you really cherish makes them both more durable – as long as you look after them properly! – and easier for your loved ones to preserve and appreciate.

For those who want peace of mind, I’d advise against storing things digitally unless you’re certain that a surviving relative will want to continue managing the digital collection. Instead, select paper copies of your best photographs and place them in acid-free paper sleeves along with details.

Ina-Maria Jansson acknowledges that video is trickier than photographs. But if you have some truly cherished films that you think your descendants might actually enjoy, there is a way to preserve them in analogue format, too.

You can turn to a company that can transfer the digital films to analogue 16-millimeter film. Many of us may have spent a great deal of money digitizing older films, so it might seem strange that I’m suggesting the opposite, but you’ll understand the point better if you think in terms of a working copy and an archive copy.

In that case, the digital file can serve as a working copy, while the analogue film takes on the role of an archive copy. Under optimal conditions – kept cool, preferably frozen in a metal container – analogue film has a lifespan of up to 500 years! Compare that to a hard drive, which might last for 10 years.

Of course, many people have far too many photos to be able to print them all out. Even if you weed out all the dull ones, you can still benefit from a certain degree of analogue archiving.

Even if the files themselves are stored on your computer, you can create a folder, a keepsake box, or a notebook where you can collect prints and information about your digital legacy.

An ongoing task

When I ask Ina-Maria Jansson whether there is any technology that makes it possible to copy important files once and then leave them untouched for many years without risking their loss, the short answer is: no.

Sooner or later, some sort of action will need to be taken. You can choose storage media with the longest possible lifespan, but sooner or later they’ll need to be reviewed. Files on a standard home computer with a hard drive may last a few years, but they’re also exposed to both physical threats such as a house fire and digital threats such as viruses and bit rot. They’re also susceptible to other issues such as the file format becoming unreadable.

Technologies are currently under development that make it possible to store data for thousands or even millions of years, in extreme environments. A couple of years ago, researchers at the University of Southampton demonstrated five-dimensional memory crystals in which data is stored using extremely fast laser beams inside quartz crystals. The largest prototype can store 360 TB with an estimated lifespan of several billion years, and the researchers have, among other things, stored a human’s complete DNA code in a mountain cavern in Austria called Memory of Mankind.

For consumers, media can last for several decades if stored correctly. The problem is that it’s impossible to know when they’ll start deteriorating. That’s why it’s important to go through and check everything that’s still working and can be read, so that any incipient faults can be detected while the files are still in a position to be recovered.

For most private individuals, Ina-Maria Jansson says that cloud storage is the best option.

You don’t need to worry about having lots of backups stored in different places, as long as you make sure that your accounts and login details are properly documented. It’s also a good idea to make sure any fees for the cloud service continue to be paid even if the account holder passes away suddenly. Inform your next of kin that the account exists and make it easy for them to find your login details and documentation.

Bit rot and other threats

As Ina-Maria Jansson mentions, files stored on physical storage media in your home can be lost in many ways. Hard drives, SSDs, and Blu-Ray discs can be lost in a fire or flood. If the files are stored on a hard drive or SSD connected to a computer, they may be lost due to malware (like ransomware) or accidentally overwritten. The files may also become corrupted over time, a phenomenon known as bit rot.

If you’ve worked with old data, then you’ve probably experienced this phenomenon. Files that are a few years old can suddenly become corrupted or impossible to open, even though everything appears to be working correctly. Sometimes, it’s possible to repair them, but not always. This could be due to natural wear and tear on the storage medium itself or digital circuits losing their power. Sometimes, it’s caused by read and write errors in the software. It’s also a risk that arises when files are copied or moved and the entire file isn’t transferred.

She says there’s software that actively combats bit rot by periodically scanning all files and using checksums to verify that no files have been altered. It only takes a single 1 or 0 to be changed for the checksums to fail to match, at which point the system can repair the file in question. This is called scrubbing and is a feature of, among others, the ZFS file system, which you can use on NAS devices, for example.

Other threats to be aware of include software updates required to open the files and ensuring you have digital playback equipment compatible with your storage medium. A lot can happen in a decade, and your files are meant to last considerably longer than that, aren’t they?

Choose open file formats

When it comes to long-term storage, Ina-Maria Jansson says that researchers usually distinguish between archive formats and everyday formats. The latter are formats that are practical to use in day-to-day life and to share with family and friends. Archive formats, on the other hand, are chosen because they are most likely to remain usable many years from now. They are open formats such as PDF, TIFF, and PNG.

When it comes to video, things are once again a little more complicated. The National Archives recommends Matroska files (.mkv) with video in FFV1 format and audio in LPCM format for long-term preservation. However, uncompressed high-definition video takes up an incredible amount of space, so the vast majority of people have to make do with a compressed format.

The most common compressed format today is H.264, but it’s not entirely open. A modern alternative is AV1, which is both open and free from royalties and other restrictions, so it’s highly likely that software capable of playing such files will be available in the future.

But, as I said, as long as we haven’t sorted out a long-term digital preservation solution that can be passed to future generations, the file format doesn’t really matter that much.

Online backup is your protection against any harm that might come to your computer or local storage devices. Mechanical failure, acts of malice, or natural disasters are serious threats to all of the data you have stored on your PC.

While I always recommend keeping a local backup for quick restores (see our roundup of the best Windows backup software for desktop solutions), uploading your data to a cloud backup service is a good way to cover your bases. There’s a valid reason for the “backup rule of three,” which includes an offsite copy.

Fortunately for consumers, there are myriad affordable and convenient online backup options, many with unique selling points. While my primary focus in this article is backup, I also discuss other roles that a cloud service can fulfill, such as document viewing and editing, file sharing, multiple-device support, and emergency-restore options. 

Note: You won’t see familiar names like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox on this list. Those are more accurately defined as synced cloud storage. Besides typically lacking a desktop client, and offering limited, if any, automatic backup functionality, online storage syncing involves mirroring — where any deletions or changes are reflected on the other end. Online backup uses versioning, so older data is retained — an important failsafe feature.

Why you should trust PCWorld for online backup reviews and buying advice: It’s in our name, PCWorld. Our reviewers have been testing PC hardware, software, and services for decades. Our backup evaluations are thorough and rigorous, testing the promises and limitations of every product — from performance to the practicalities of regular use. As PC users ourselves, we know what makes a product stand out. Only the best online backup services make this list.

Backup software with cloud backup/storage support

Typically, we separate our reviews of cloud backup services from local backup software (as seen in our best Windows backup software roundup.) But those lines have been blurred with backup software that includes support for cloud backup and storage. The following are reviews of such hybrid offerings:

• Dropbox Backup: Dropbox Backup is a nice solution for one-person account users, despite surcharges for long-term version retention.
• MSP360 Managed Backup: Backup for multiple computers at a decently low fee. Local and online, file-based and imaging, along with disaster recovery are all provided via manageable local clients.
• R-Drive Image 7.3: This backup program has expanded support for cloud storage services — including the Amazon S3 and S3-compatible repositories
• Iperius Backup Basic: This backup program offers power aplenty, but the learning curve and interface might occasionally flummox less-experienced users.
• EaseUS ToDo Backup 2025: A full-featured program that ranks among the top; its free version is particular robust.
• Handy Backup 8.5 Professional: Top-notch features might’ve garnered an Editors’ Choice award had it been entirely glitch-free and a bit easier to learn.
• Ashampoo Backup Pro 26: Overarching support for myriad backup chores with easy-to-understand wizards.
• Zinstall FullBack: Unique among backup programs, it offers full migration of backed up data and apps to a new OS installation — for a relatively steep price.
• Aomei Backupper Pro: A complete backup solution capable of preserving your important data both locally and remotely.
• Aomei Backupper Standard: A respectable free backup program, if you can tolerate the occasional ad. It’s cloud storage is affordable but can only be used for backups, no other data.
• Acronis True Image: Besides being feature-packed, including support for cloud backup storage, Acronis throws in protection against viruses and malware.
• Retrospect 19 Solo: We like that this backup program includes support for both proprietary and third-party cloud storage, but not its lack of disaster recovery.
• Retrospect 19 Desktop: The pro version to Solo’s consumer version, Retrospect Desktop covers all the bases, but has a steep learning curve and high price.

Even local backup software that doesn’t offer a formal cloud component can be made to incorporate the most popular online storage services, using a cloud storage manager.

The good news is that you have lots of options for putting together a comprehensive backup strategy including local and remote copies of all your data!

How to pick an online storage and backup service

Cloud backup has unique considerations. Familiarizing yourself with the following key areas can help you find the cloud backup service that best meets your needs.

Capacity

Obviously, you’ll need as much storage as you have data, plus a little, or possibly a lot, more if you want to track changes and save previous versions of files — if that’s supported. Some services keep multiple versions of files, some don’t. In many cases there’s a time limit.

Price

Nearly all online services charge differently depending on amount of storage involved. Uploads are free, but downloads may be limited. In some cases, there are upload and download charges. Read the fine print.

Aside from the free tiers available from a service like Dropbox, pricing is fairly consistent across services, though you definitely get more capacity for your money from some vendors.

Features

As we mentioned previously, in addition to backup, you may want to share your files with others, work with them from mobile devices, or even edit them with office applications such as those available with Dropbox, Google, and OneDrive. If you do intend to work online, we recommend that you maintain a local copy as far-more-quickly-restored backup, as well as a hedge against Internet downtime. 

OS and device support

Most services provide client backup software for the major operating systems (Linux, OS X, and Windows) and both Android and iOS. Make sure the service you sign up for supports your entire panoply of computers and devices.

Privacy

If you’re concerned about the privacy of your data, make sure you use a service that allows the use of a personal encryption key that you define. Do NOT lose it, as it is absolutely required to restore your data. Sadly, using your own key often limits the types of services (e.g., no mobile backup) available.

If private encryption keys aren’t available, read the privacy policy, especially with the free services—there are significant differences.