IDrive
Cloud Storage Verified May 2026
IDrive deal: Up to 50% off first-year IDrive plans
Cloud backup for everything you own — unlimited devices, server + NAS support, and one of the cheapest per-TB rates in the industry.
- One plan covers every device
- Cheapest serious per-TB pricing
- Real server + NAS support
- IDrive Express for big restores
How IDrive scored 60/100
6 weighted criteria, each scored out of 10 and published with its reasoning. Featured placements never move a score.
Deal Strength
5.0 /10Up to 50% off applies through the partner link, but only to your first year. It is a real saving, and your renewal reverts to full price, so budget for the step up in year two.
Value for Money
8.0 /10At $6.99/mo for 5TB across unlimited devices, IDrive is the cheapest serious dollar-per-terabyte option for households and freelancers, since rivals like Backblaze charge per computer instead.
Capability
8.0 /10Backup covers unlimited devices, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, servers and NAS, with 30-version file history, snapshots, ransomware roll-back, the IDrive Express physical drive service and optional zero-knowledge encryption.
Time to Value
5.0 /10A first full backup of several terabytes runs for days rather than minutes, so your archive is not genuinely protected on day one. Continuous protection keeps files current once that initial upload finishes.
Trust & Reliability
5.0 /10IDrive is pitched at serious backup use, with ransomware roll-back and compliance-friendly encryption options. It publishes no uptime SLA, no support commitments and no review counts, so you are trusting the feature list.
Flexibility & Exit
3.0 /10The Personal plan is billed yearly, so you commit for a full year up front. Neither cancellation terms nor the process for getting your data back out is documented anywhere.
Up to 50% off first-year IDrive plans
New IDrive accounts can claim up to 50% off the first year on Personal, Team, and Business plans via the partner link. Pricing (2026): Personal starts at $6.99/mo (5 TB, billed yearly); Team starts at $6.99/mo (5 users / 5 TB); Business starts at $13.99/mo (500 GB, unlimited users). Verify current promo at signup.
Affiliate link — same price for you, and it never moves the score.
- One plan covers every device
- Cheapest serious per-TB pricing
- Real server + NAS support
- IDrive Express for big restores
About IDrive
Quick answer
IDrive is a cloud backup service that protects unlimited devices on a single plan — Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, plus servers and NAS units — which is the headline reason it beats per-computer rivals like Backblaze and Carbonite on value. 2026 pricing starts at $6.99/mo for 5 TB (Personal, billed yearly), with up to 50% off the first year through the partner link. It is a clear buy for anyone backing up more than one device, and the cheapest serious dollar-per-terabyte option once you factor in 30-version history and snapshots. Verify the live promo at signup.
IDrive pricing in 2026 — the per-terabyte math that wins
The entire case for IDrive is captured in one comparison: what does it cost to protect a household or a small fleet that owns more than one machine? Most "unlimited" backup services are unlimited per computer — they sound generous until you count how many computers, phones and drives you actually own. IDrive flips the model: you buy a storage bucket and point every device at it. Here is how the entry tiers line up against the two services people cross-shop most.
| Service | Entry price (2026) | Storage model | Devices per plan | NAS / server backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDrive Personal | $6.99/mo — 5 TB (billed yearly) | Capacity-based | Unlimited | Yes (NAS on Personal, servers on Business) |
| Backblaze Personal | $9/mo per computer | Unlimited per machine | 1 computer | No |
| Carbonite Safe | ~$8.25/mo per computer | Unlimited per machine | 1 computer | Limited / higher tiers |
Backblaze is genuinely excellent if you have exactly one computer and never want to think about quotas — its unlimited-per-machine model is the simplest mental model in backup. But add a partner's laptop, two phones and a Synology, and you are buying three or four Backblaze licences while IDrive still charges you once. The crossover happens almost immediately for families and freelancers, which is why we score IDrive as the better-value default for any multi-device household.
IDrive plans, decoded
| Personal — $6.99/mo | 5 TB, billed yearly. Unlimited devices, continuous protection, 30-day version history, one free IDrive Express shipment. |
|---|---|
| Team — $6.99/mo | 5 users / 5 TB. Central admin dashboard, single sign-on, per-user computer + mobile backup, group management. |
| Business — $13.99/mo | 500 GB, unlimited users + servers. SQL/Exchange/SharePoint/Hyper-V/VMware backup, NAS support, HIPAA/SOX/GLBA options. |
| IDrive Mini — from $0.25/mo | 100 GB single-user. The cheap secondary-backup tier; same client and apps, no long-term commitment. |
The one wrinkle worth knowing: Personal and Team are capacity-priced (you pay for terabytes, devices are free), while Business is seat-and-server-priced with a smaller base quota you scale up. Choose Personal/Team if your problem is "many devices, moderate data"; choose Business if your problem is "servers, compliance and central control".
IDrive at a glance — spec sheet
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, servers, NAS |
|---|---|
| Encryption | 256-bit AES at rest, TLS in transit, optional zero-knowledge private key |
| Versioning | Up to 30 previous versions per file + timeline snapshots |
| NAS support | Synology, QNAP, Netgear, Asustor (native apps) |
| Server support | SQL, Exchange, SharePoint, Hyper-V, VMware (Business) |
| Physical seeding | IDrive Express — free hard-drive shipment once per year |
| Compliance | HIPAA, SOX, GLBA, SEC/FINRA configurations (Business) |
| Sync | IDrive Cloud Drive — real-time sync, separate from backup quota |
Why "unlimited devices" is the number that matters
The features that justify the price
Every device, one account
PCs, Macs, Linux boxes, phones, tablets and external drives all back up under a single Personal or Team licence. This is the structural advantage over Backblaze and Carbonite, which bill per computer.
NAS & server backup
Native apps for Synology, QNAP, Netgear and Asustor, plus SQL, Exchange, SharePoint, Hyper-V and VMware on Business — most consumer backup tools punt on this entirely.
IDrive Express
A physical hard-drive seeding and restore service. IDrive mails you a drive, you copy locally and ship it back, and it seeds straight into your cloud account — free once a year and the practical answer to "my first backup is several terabytes".
Versioning + snapshots
Up to 30 previous versions and timeline snapshots mean a ransomware-encrypted file can be rolled back to a clean copy — you recover instead of paying.
Zero-knowledge mode
Set a private encryption key so even IDrive cannot read your data. Critical for regulated teams; just remember a lost key is unrecoverable by design.
Mobile + Cloud Drive
Auto-backup your phone's camera roll and full device, and use IDrive Cloud Drive for real-time sync that lives separately from your backup quota.
How to use IDrive as the off-site leg of a 3-2-1 backup
The professional backup rule is 3-2-1: 3 copies of your data, on 2 different media, with 1 copy off-site. IDrive is purpose-built to be that off-site copy. Here is the setup we recommend for a creative or small business with a NAS.
Why versioning is the part people underrate
Most people buy backup software for the obvious disaster — a stolen laptop, a dead drive, a flooded office. Those are real, but in 2026 the far more common loss event is ransomware, and ordinary "sync" tools make it worse, not better. A naive sync service faithfully replicates your newly-encrypted files over the good ones, so your "backup" becomes a perfect copy of the attack. This is exactly where IDrive's design earns its keep. Because it retains up to 30 previous versions of every file plus point-in-time snapshots, you can roll an entire folder back to the morning before the infection and recover clean data — without negotiating with anyone or paying a cent.
The practical discipline is simple: confirm version history is enabled, keep your private encryption key somewhere safe and separate, and run an occasional test restore so you know recovery actually works before you need it. A backup you have never restored from is a hypothesis, not a safety net. IDrive's restore flow — including the physical Express drive for large recoveries — is what turns that hypothesis into something you can rely on when a workstation gets hit on a Friday afternoon.
It's also worth being clear-eyed about the trade-offs, because no backup tool is perfect. The IDrive desktop client and web console are functional but visibly older than Backblaze or the newest Mac-first apps — you're buying value and breadth of coverage, not a design award. The headline discount is a first-year promo, so the honest long-run cost is the renewal rate. And seeding several terabytes over residential internet is genuinely slow, which is precisely why the free annual Express shipment exists. None of these are dealbreakers for the target buyer; they're the reasonable cost of the cheapest serious per-terabyte plan that also covers every device, NAS and server you own.
Buy or skip — IDrive decision matrix
✓ Choose IDrive if you:
- Own more than one device that needs backing up
- Have a Synology/QNAP NAS you want copied off-site
- Run servers (SQL/Exchange/SharePoint) on a small business
- Want the lowest serious per-terabyte rate with real versioning
- Need HIPAA/SOX/GLBA configurations or zero-knowledge encryption
✗ Look elsewhere if you:
- Back up exactly one computer and want true unlimited storage (Backblaze)
- Demand the most modern, Mac-first UI (the client is dated)
- Won't budget for the year-two renewal rate
- Need only 100 GB — then IDrive Mini, not a full plan
See IDrive in action
Get up to 50% off IDrive — verified June 2026
What's included
- Backup unlimited devices (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android) under one plan
- Server backup — Windows/Linux servers, SQL, Exchange, SharePoint, Hyper-V, VMware
- NAS backup for Synology, QNAP, Netgear, Asustor
- Continuous, real-time backup with version history (up to 30 previous versions)
- IDrive Express — free physical hard-drive shipment for fast first backup / restore
- Snapshots + ransomware-resilient versioning
- End-to-end private encryption with user-defined key
- 256-bit AES at rest, TLS in transit, optional zero-knowledge mode
- Mobile camera roll auto-backup and full-device backup on iOS/Android
- IDrive Cloud Drive — real-time sync separate from backup quota
- HIPAA, SOX, GLBA, and SEC/FINRA compliance configurations for Business
- Sub-accounts, SSO, and group policy for Team/Business admins
IDrive pricing
Verified May 2026. Vendor's published rates at the time we checked — always confirm at checkout.
| Plan | Price | Term | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | $6.99/mo | 5 TB, billed yearly | Unlimited devices on one account · Continuous data protection · Snapshots + 30-day version history · Free physical IDrive Express shipment |
| Team | $6.99/mo | 5 users / 5 TB, billed yearly | Centralised admin dashboard · Single sign-on · Per-user computer + mobile backup · Group and user management |
| Business | $13.99/mo | 500 GB, unlimited users + servers | Server, SQL, Exchange, SharePoint backup · NAS device backup (Synology/QNAP) · HIPAA/SOX/GLBA compliance options · Microsoft 365 + Google Workspace add-ons |
| IDrive Mini | from $0.25/mo | 100 GB single-user | Cheap entry-level tier · Same client + apps · Useful as a secondary backup · No long-term commitment |
How to claim it
4 steps. The last one is the part most people skip.
- 1
Open IDrive through the link on this page
It carries our referral tag. The price you pay is identical either way, and it never changes the score on this page.
- 2
Pick the plan that matches your usage
This offer applies automatically through the link — there is no code to enter.
- 3
Confirm the discount before you pay
The order summary should show the reduced amount. If it does not, stop and tell us — we re-test listings that stop working.
- 4
Check what happens at renewal
New IDrive accounts can claim up to 50% off the first year on Personal, Team, and Business plans via the partner link. Pricing (2026): Personal starts at $6.99/mo (5 TB, billed yearly); Team starts at $6.99/mo (5 users / 5 TB); Business starts at $13.99/mo (500 GB, unlimited users). Verify current promo at signup.
Where IDrive wins and loses
What works
- One plan covers every device PCs, Macs, phones, tablets, external drives, and NAS units all back up under a single Personal or Team licence — Backblaze charges per computer.
- Cheapest serious per-TB pricing 5 TB for $6.99/month (billed yearly) and 10 TB for ~$11.66/month is hard to beat once you factor in versioning and snapshots.
- Real server + NAS support Most consumer backup tools punt on servers; IDrive Business handles SQL/Exchange/SharePoint and Synology/QNAP natively.
- IDrive Express for big restores A physical hard-drive seeding/restore option (free on annual plans) keeps recovery time tolerable when you have terabytes to move.
- Optional zero-knowledge encryption Set a private encryption key so even IDrive cannot read your data — important for compliance-sensitive teams.
- Versioning + snapshots fight ransomware Up to 30 previous versions and timeline snapshots let you roll back encrypted files without paying anyone.
What doesn't
- UI feels dated The desktop client and web console are functional but visibly older than Backblaze or modern Mac-first apps.
- Renewal pricing jumps The 50%-off first-year promo is the headline number — budget for the standard rate in year two.
- Initial seeding is slow without Express Backing up several TBs over residential internet can take days; ordering an IDrive Express drive is the practical fix.
The bottom line
IDrive offers strong multi-device value and capability with a verified first-year discount, but annual billing and thin reliability evidence hold it back.
Anyone who owns more than one device that needs backing up — families, freelancers, photographers, and small businesses with PCs, Macs, phones, NAS units, or servers. The unlimited-devices model is where IDrive crushes per-computer rivals.
In 2026: Personal starts at $6.99/month for 5 TB (billed yearly); Team starts at $6.99/month for 5 users / 5 TB; Business starts at $13.99/month for 500 GB with unlimited users and server support. The partner link applies up to 50% off the first year.
Backblaze Personal is unlimited storage per computer at $9/month, but only one computer per licence and no NAS, server, or mobile coverage. IDrive caps storage at the tier (5/10 TB+) but covers unlimited devices, NAS, mobile, and servers — better value if you have a fleet.
Yes — 256-bit AES at rest, TLS in transit. You can optionally set a private encryption key (zero-knowledge) so only you can decrypt — IDrive itself cannot recover your data if you lose that key.
A physical hard-drive shipping service: IDrive mails you a drive, you copy your data locally and ship it back, and it is seeded straight into your cloud account. It is free once a year on most plans and dramatically speeds up large backups and restores.
Yes — IDrive ships native apps for Synology, QNAP, Netgear, and Asustor. You can also back up Windows/Linux servers, SQL, Exchange, SharePoint, Hyper-V, and VMware on Business plans.
