Carbonite versus Mozy
When it comes to online backup and storage solutions, the
fact of the matter is that Carbonite, Mozy, and just a handful of others almost
have the entire industry cornered. Two of the oldest services on the market
today, they also enjoy a sterling silver reputation as far as customer support
and innovative features go – and though Mozy certainly took it a little bit on
the chin when they dropped their unlimited storage plan.
However, each of the services are still two of the most widely
recommended and referred cloud-based storage solutions out there – four
distinctly different reasons that will go into right here
Carbonite
Really distinguishing themselves right around the same time
that Mozy was dumping its unlimited plan in mid-2011, the fact of the matter is
that Carbonite has quickly become may be the most used online backup stored
solution out there. Due to a ridiculously streamlined and simple to use
interface, all of the necessary features needed to properly administer a solution
like this (without any of the bloat that other platforms wrapped in to justify
high prices) and a dedicated customer support team that is actually responsive
and it should come as no surprise here it
With clients across the Windows and Mac platforms – with
development currently underway for Lennix users as well – and a range of mobile
applications for the iOS and Android marketplace, Carbonite is an incredibly
useful platform so long as you are only trying to back up a single computer.
Because they don’t offer multiple computer plans – you’ll have to purchase a
Carbonite account for each and every platform you’re looking to backup –
they’ve gotten a considerable amount of heat, though their unlimited storage
size mitigates a lot of that pressure.
But there is something interesting you should know about the
unlimited storage size that they offer. While it’s true that there are no
limits to the amount you can upload, file size are limited to 4 GB at the
maximum and your speed will be throttled if you start to push upwards of 250
gig or so. This is critically important to understand, and while it’s probably
not an issue for many people who are just looking to backup music or pictures
it can certainly become an issue for those running enterprise grade machines.
As mentioned above, the customer service and support with
Carbonite is first class all the way, offering email, live chat, and phone
service for each and every one of their customers. Almost everyone who has
written a Carbonite review has spoken of how perfect and timely their customer
service has been in remedying all issues – even if the instances of those
issues are far and few between. Attractively priced, Carbonite really hits the
sweet spot between features, price, and usability that very few other options
could even come close to.
Mozy
Once regarded as of the biggest name in cloud-based backup
services, Mozy has definitely seen a bit of their influence drop steadily ever
sense they decided to do away with their unlimited backup plans in 2011. This
is especially true since their immediate competitors have aggressively marketed
their unlimited services, really putting the crunch on Mozy as frequently as
they can.
Even still, Mozy remains competitive by offering plans of 50
GB and 125 GB (as well as extra storage plans that can be custom tailored for
specific prices). Most casual users will probably never even need to use this
much space, but the fact of the matter is that small business and enterprise
grade users will definitely be crippled pretty significantly.
With a dedicated filesharing app called Mozy Stash that
still has a couple of bugs that need to be worked out you should be able to
distribute your files across a broad range of connected devices, but the real
gem is that all of your computers, smart phones, and tablets can use the single
Mozy service to backup all of their files. This is something that Carbonite
refuses to offer, forcing you to purchase a new Carbonite account for each and
every one of your computers – really strapping people for cash when they most
need it.
And while the monthly price seems ridiculously low and
attractive – it’s only $5.95 – the yearly cost of Mozy will actually be higher
than Carbonite in the long run ($65.89 compared to $59 for Carbonite), and the
year two prices jump up dramatically. This is definitely something that needs
to be understood and accounted for ahead of time before you decide to make your
investment decision.
Final verdict
Hopefully you have a better understanding of whether or not
you should consider moving forward with Carbonite or Mozy, depending upon your
specific and unique needs in regards to cloud-based online backup solutions.
Originally starting off as almost mirror images of one another, Carbonite and Mozy
have forked distinctly, with one focusing on offering unlimited amounts of
storage while the other promises convenience thanks to the multiple computer
backup solution.
If you’re only looking to protect a single machine, then
this becomes a no-brainer – Carbonite all the way. However, if you have a
number of computers at home or in the office that you want to protect, and you
don’t have too terribly much data to back up, then it becomes the smart
purchase to move forward with Mozy.
