Carbonite Review

What Is Carbonite?

If you want to back up your data or worry about losing valuable files for your business, you might want to consider Carbonite.

While you may know Carbonite to be the fictional substance Darth Vader used to freeze Han Solo in Star Wars, that’s not what we’re dealing with in this Carbonite review. Instead, we’ll talk about a highly effective online backup solution for Windows and Mac.

Carbonite was founded in 2006 by David Friend and Jeff Flowers, becoming the fifth joint venture for the pair. Since its launch, the company has backed up 100+ billion files and restored over seven billion files using cloud computing.

The program offers surprising flexibility, making it stand out from your typical cloud backup solution. The Carbonite backup service includes all sorts of hybrid features that suit personal users and businesses.

The best part of it is that its app makes the entire process as simple as possible.

Let’s take a look at it.

Carbonite Features

Carbonite comes with far more features than what you’d expect from a cloud backup solution, including:

Backup and Restore Service

The service offers bare metal backup-and-restore packages that create copies of everything. From the operating system to your files, Carbonite backs up your entire device. Even if you delete something, you can bring it back within 30 days. There’s also the option to access old versions of your files in the cloud database, but it’s only applicable on Windows.

In most Carbonite reviews, users mention the backup and restore service to be exactly as advertised. And we couldn’t agree more.

Scheduled and Continuous Backup

Carbonite automates all operations to save time, and you can schedule the backup for certain hours of the day. This feature is a real lifesaver if you don’t want the app to throttle your bandwidth when working or browsing the web.

The Carbonite software also makes sure it doesn’t waste time when creating backups. It only re-uploads files that have been altered since the previous backup.

Remote Sharing and Access

With Carbonite’s Anytime Anywhere Access feature, it’s easy to reach your files even when you’re not near your computer. The feature works similarly to some of the top cloud storage providers out there. 

The files and folders in your backup are organized the same way they are on your PC, which means that recovering anything is very simple. Keep in mind that new or changed files may take up to 24 hours to appear in your Carbonite data backup.

Unlimited Storage

On the Carbonite Safe plan, you can back up an unlimited amount of digital data on one PC or internal hard drive. Upgrading to the Carbonite Safe Backup Pro plan allows you to back up unlimited data from unlimited devices.

Carbonite Video Backup

While audio and video file backups aren’t included in the free trial, it is part of some paid subscription plans. This feature isn’t included in the personal plans because video files take a long time to back up.

External Hard Drive Backup

The Carbonite external hard drive backup is another excellent feature. You can create a cloud copy of all the valuable files on your external hard drive for a small fee. It supports NTFS and FAT32 formats and works for all drives connected to the PC directly by USB.

Courier Recovery Drive

You can order a copy of your backup files on an external hard drive, which will arrive with a USB-A connector. You’ll need to ship it back within 21 days. 

If you manage your own private Carbonite encryption key, you must upload it before requesting the courier recovery drive service.

Ease of Use and Interface

The next thing we have to discuss in this Carbonite review is the interface. Unlike some other cloud backup solutions, the program doesn’t rely solely on your web browser. Instead, it has a locally installed program.

The app is intuitive and easy to use. Even if you’ve never backed up your files before, you shouldn’t have any trouble using the program. The Carbonite program also provides you with an instant-read status on your backup.

You can choose where and how you want the software to download your data when restoring it. The program also has a dashboard that keeps you updated while you’re working on something else.

The web companion is user-friendly, and it comes with a wide range of controls. The restore functions are easily accessible, allowing you to choose different volumes and individual folders to restore.

Backups take place continuously, and you can expect to have your data backed up every 10 minutes.

However, many Carbonite reviews show that users have new backups created once per day.

It’s also possible to access your cloud database on the web, but not all options are available. For example, Carbonite doesn’t let you open or stream files from the browser.

Unfortunately, there is no Carbonite mobile app. If you want to access your backup files on the go, you’ll have to do this through your browser. It’s also not possible to back up files from your mobile device. Although most cloud backup solutions are aimed at desktop users, it would be nice to see mobile cloud storage becoming available. For mobile users we can recommend Mobikin Doctor for Android or iBeesoft Data Recovery for Apple users. 

Carbonite Support

If you encounter a problem with the Carbonite cloud service, you can contact a representative. The support section sits on the top right of the website. Although it might take you a few minutes to figure it out, you’ll eventually find the contact details.

There are several ways you can connect with Carbonite’s support team. The easiest way is to file a ticket on the website. As soon as they review it, the company’s agents will get back to you.

If your issue is urgent, you can contact them via phone or live chat. Just make sure to do it within the company’s working hours as customer support isn’t available 24/7.

Alternatively, you can check the FAQ section. If you feel other users have experienced the same issue you have, you might find a solution over there.

Carbonite Security

In general, Carbonite’s security is good. But it’s even better if you opt for an upgraded plan. While most plans come with AES 128-bit encryption, the more expensive subscriptions include 256-bit encryption for better data protection.

You can still use a personal encryption key to back up your data with Carbonite. If you choose to tackle things this way, the company won’t keep a copy of your password.

The company wants to do everything it can to keep the Carbonite cloud storage data as safe as possible. In fact, Carbonite took over the cybersecurity company Webroot in a $618.5 million deal in 2019. The goal was to create a unique and powerful cybersecurity solution for its customers.

Restoring Backed Up Files Using Carbonite

Anyone with basic computer skills should be able to browse and restore files from Carbonite’s data centers. All you have to do is open your “File Explorer” and the “Backed Up Files” folder in “This PC.” Then, locate the file/folder you want to restore in your Carbonite backup drive. After you find it, right-click on the file/folder and choose a restore method. The options include:

• Restore: Restores the file to its original location
• Restore To: Lets you choose where you want the file to appear
• Restore Previous Versions: Gives you access to old versions of the file

Keep in mind that you must be logged into the administrator profile in Windows to use the Restore To function.

Afterward, you can check the Carbonite restore report to ensure everything has been completed the way you wanted.

Carbonite vs Backblaze

Carbonite and Backblaze have a lot in common. Both cloud backup services provide an easy way to keep your files safe on the Cloud with unlimited space for your data. However, there are some things these two services do differently, and you should be aware of it if you plan on buying either.

The idea behind both companies is to offer quality service without overloading customers with extra features. Unlimited and safe backup cloud space is the core of Carbonite and Backblaze.

One difference is that Backblaze has a mobile app. You can access the Carbonite storage on your phone, but only on your browser. It also doesn’t back up your mobile data.

Another difference is the speed both services offer. Carbonite can sometimes be slow when downloading data on the cloud, but Backblaze doesn’t upload nearly as fast.

Altogether, Backblaze has a small advantage over Carbonite, primarily because of simpler pricing plans and some additional minor features.

Carbonite Pricing

Carbonite backup pricing plans are somewhat complicated. This may be the nature of the service, given that there are quite a few different plans and additional options. However, some competitors have designed better-looking plans.

There are subscriptions designed for personal users and businesses. All pricing plans are paid annually. If you prefer paying a one-time fee rather than a subscription, you can consider getting Acronis True Image instead.

Listed below, you’ll find all Carbonite price plans:

Before committing financially, you can try the software for 30 days on its free trial.

Carbonite Review - Verdict

If you’re looking for a reliable cloud backup solution, Carbonite is an excellent choice. Whether you want to back up data from your personal computer or your company’s server, it gets the job done.

As the majority of user-written Carbonite reviews suggest, the app is easy to navigate. The only negatives we found are how long the app takes to restore files and the lack of a mobile app.

All in all, it’s definitely a tool to consider if you want to ensure you never lose access to your valuable data.

If you’re still not sure this program is what you’re looking for, we recommend trying the Carbonite free trial.