iDrive Review 2026: The Best Value Cloud Backup for Homes and Small Businesses?
iDrive offers exceptional value for the money — unlimited devices on a single plan, versioned backups, and a solid feature set at a price that undercuts most competitors. The interface isn't the slickest, but for comprehensive home or small business backup, it's hard to beat.
Most people know they should back up their data. Most people don’t. iDrive makes it easy and affordable — backing up unlimited devices (computers, phones, and tablets) to one account, with 30 versions of every file retained.
What iDrive Does Well
Unlimited Devices on One Plan
This is iDrive’s biggest selling point. Most backup services charge per device or per computer. iDrive Personal backs up unlimited PCs, Macs, iPhones, Android phones, and tablets to a single account. For a household with several computers or a small office, this represents significant savings.
Versioned Backups
iDrive retains 30 previous versions of every backed-up file. If ransomware encrypts your files, a document gets corrupted, or you accidentally overwrite something important, you can roll back to any of the previous 30 versions. This is essential protection that basic cloud sync services like Google Drive don’t provide.
Continuous Backup
iDrive can run continuously in the background, backing up files as soon as they change. You can also set scheduled backup windows if you’d rather it runs overnight.
External Drive Backup
iDrive backs up external hard drives connected to your computer, not just the internal drive. This is useful for photographers or video editors with large external drive libraries.
Server Backup
Business plans support Windows Server and Linux server backup — useful for small businesses running on-premise servers.
iDrive Express
One standout feature: iDrive Express. If you have a lot of data to back up initially (or need to restore a large backup), iDrive will physically ship you a hard drive. You copy your data to it and mail it back — bypassing slow upload speeds for the initial backup. Useful for businesses with terabytes of data.
Apps and Interface
iDrive has apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The desktop apps are functional and reliable, though the interface feels slightly dated compared to newer competitors like Backblaze or Acronis. It’s not difficult to use, but it lacks the polish of more modern software.
The web dashboard is straightforward and lets you restore files directly from a browser without installing anything.
Pricing
| Plan | Storage | Devices | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | 5 TB | Unlimited | ~$79.50/year |
| Personal | 10 TB | Unlimited | ~$99.50/year |
| Teams | 5 TB | Up to 5 users | ~$99.50/year |
| Business | 250 GB | Unlimited | ~$99.50/year |
iDrive prices in USD — UK cards are accepted and your bank converts at the current exchange rate. iDrive frequently runs introductory offers with heavy first-year discounts. Check the current deal on their website before signing up as renewal pricing is higher.
What Could Be Better
- Interface — functional but dated; not as slick as Backblaze or Acronis
- Restore speed — restoring large amounts of data can be slow depending on connection
- US-based — subject to US law, which may matter for businesses with strict data sovereignty requirements
- Pricing complexity — the range of plans can be confusing; personal vs. Teams vs. Business tiers have overlapping features
How iDrive Compares to Backblaze
Backblaze Personal Backup is cheaper (~£7/month) but backs up only one computer. iDrive Personal backs up unlimited devices, making it significantly better value for households or small offices with multiple machines.
Backblaze Business is more straightforward for larger teams. iDrive is the better value play for 1–5 users.
Who Should Use iDrive
- Households with multiple computers and devices
- Small businesses wanting comprehensive backup at low cost
- Anyone needing versioned backups as ransomware protection
- Users with external drives or servers to back up
Verdict
Rating: 4.5/5
iDrive punches above its weight — unlimited devices, 30-version history, continuous backup, and server support at a price that undercuts most competitors. The interface isn’t the most modern, but the feature set and value are hard to argue with. For small businesses and multi-device households, it’s one of the best backup choices available.
→ Read our full Backblaze review → Read our full Acronis Cyber Protect review