Great Peace of Mind, but expensive

Makes for very easy regualr backups

Very good. We trialled a few different options but this was the best one.

Pros

Once it is set up properly you don't need to touch it again. If a problem occurs, it gives you a notification and is fixed easy.

Cons

Indicating which files and folders to back up can be a pain. By default, it backs up heaps of things that don't need backing up.

Great for Baking Up Data

If Carbonite changed those two factors I mentioned as cons, I would feel way more confident recommending them to friends because I do like the affordable plan and how easy it is to backup files compared to competitors. And like I mentioned, I also like how they will back up your external hard drive which a competitor I was looking at does not do.

Pros

As a backstory, I was talking to our tech advisor about our need for backing up our data. While I ensure that I back up my data through my external hard drive, I also know that my external hard drive can go kaput as all of them do eventually. So I mentioned to our tech guy that I feel like we need a cloud storage but I wasn't too fond of Dropbox or Google Drive. He had similar sentiments and recommended Carbonite. He said he uses it with a number of clients with good results. So I took the plunge with their Black Friday deal that included backup for my computer and external hardrive. Pros: I liked that it backed up all of my data itself and that I didn't have to do it manually. The only thing I need to do manually is for my future data and the process is SUPER simple even for the tech-challenged. I also liked that there was the mid-tier option (the one I chose) that backs up your external hard drive. You get unlimited storage for the tier I chose which is not true of Dropbox, OneDrive, GoogleDrive, and others.

Cons

I don't like that I can't easily access my data to see with my own eyes that my data is backed up which is very different than OneDrive, GoogleDrive, and Dropbox that I can pull up at any time my backup files. I can't tell how good Carbonite is at backing up the files until something goes wrong which makes me nervous. I don't like that if my external hard drive isn't connected for 30 days, the data is wiped out. What if I'm taking a break from my technology and don't have it hooked up? What if I'm using a different computer at the time because my original laptop and backup hard drive are getting repaired? That made me feel uneasy.

OK backup with significant drawbacks

Works OK but is a bit limited, and fairly pricy given what you get.

Pros

Easy to use, with strong encryption and security.

Cons

Limitations on what types can be updated. Single-device. Limited versioning.

Deletion of backup

Pros

I found nothing positive about this software. Software was not as user friendly as the backup company Carbonite bought out. Sorry I kept with it but also shocked to see their deletion policy.

Cons

Carbonite has a 30 day policy to delete all data and is not recoverable if your subscription laps. Unfortunately my computers had to be reimaged due to malware, my credit card was compromised and I was just starting over when I found out Carbonite had deleted my data 5 days before. I had one email that stated my subscription had expired because my Credit card had changed. I didn' see it as I was caught up getting everything back on line. But my real problem with carbonite is this 30 day policy of wiping my backups off the server when you have been a customer for years. I totally was confident my data would be there. About 20 years of data was wiped out .I talked to a manager and she said that it is industry standard practice. I checked with several backup companies and none of them were definitely more reasonable. In most they were still recoverable. I didn't expect this type of service. Things happen unexpectedly and you would like to think the company you trusted your data with would have some archive. computers are being hacked every day and a company that cant hold on to your data during replacements etc is not customer friendly and not standing behind what they promise. By the way this company bought out my past backup company I had for years that definitely did not have a policy like this one. Go look for their policy. You will be frustrated finding it. But its been my pleasure to hear that multiple times as their excuse. I hope [SENSITIVE CONTENT] sees this review