4 tips for backup options: free, local and cloud-based

After countless strenuous years, your historical novel is finally ready to be submitted for the Pulitzer Prize! With thorough research and hundreds of sources used, you are almost ready to send your work to the publisher. But just as you are putting the finishing touches on the thank-you note, disaster strikes: a power failure destroys your hard drive and all your precious files, including your novel and photos of your grandchildren, are gone.

This heartbreaking scenario unfortunately happens regularly. Computers can fail at the most unfortunate times, and it is not a question of if, but when this will happen. It highlights the importance of regular backups, an essential step to prevent data loss.

In this article, we will explore different backup options, including the free ones offered by Windows and macOS. We will discuss the pros and cons so you can make the best choice for your situation yourself. Let's start with the free built-in features of the two main operating systems: Windows and MacOS.

1. Windows 11's free built-in backup feature

Windows lacked a backup function for a long time, but this changed some months back: It is now possible to use the app Windows Backup. It can be found hidden under the start button and backs up your files to the cloud storage of your own OneDrive. This immediately contains 2 drawbacks of this app:

1. You need a Microsoft account.
2. You are required to use OneDrive cloud storage. For most people, 5 GB is not enough and so you still have to pay. 

OneDrive's default and free 5 GB storage space

By default, OneDrive's (free) storage is limited to just 5GB: this may sound very nice, but with a normal amount of documents, PowerPoint presentations and music and video files, this will fill up in no time, especially if you faithfully keep a growing archive of everything you amass over the years. However, if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you have an impressive 1TB of storage: enough for a huge amount of data. 

OneDrive itself is a synchronisation tool, not a backup solution

It is important to remember that OneDrive is not a total backup solution. OneDrive allows you to store and sync files so that you can access them on any paired device. This tool is useful for storing, accessing and sharing files, but it does not offer a good backup solution. Besides storage, a backup solution also provides protection from dangers like ransomware or viruses. So Ondrive by itself is NOT the tool to protect yourself from ransomware or viruses.

Windows backup

Windows Backup offers a straightforward interface that doesn't leave much to be guessed at: via Start > Settings > Accounts > Windows Backup, you can select the folders you want, and also include your Windows apps and settings right away. Furthermore, the options are limited: it is not possible to set a backup frequency, nor are there any advanced versioning options to restore previous versions of a file. So it seems to be built more as a migration tool to transfer everything from your old computer to your new PC.

2. MacOS' free built-in backup features

For years, MacOS has come with its own backup solution, fittingly called Time Machine ("time machine"). It lets you back up your entire computer, a hard drive, individual folders or files, to a local external hard drive. You can configure how often you make a backup; by default, the programme makes several hourly, daily and weekly backups. It is not possible to backup to the cloud; however, it is possible to backup to a network drive, if available.

The need for a hard drive with macOS

You also need a hard disk for backup that is at least 2x the total storage of your Mac in terms of size: for example, if you have two hard disks in your Mac of 2TB each, totalling 4TB, then you need an 8TB external media. That external medium can then only be used for and by Time Machine and not for any other purpose. Because the application is integrated into MacOS, it leaves nothing to be desired in terms of user-friendliness: the interface is clear and all options are self-explanatory.

Paid programmes offer more features

The free versions built into your operating system usually do their job well but are limited in terms of features and security, your mobile and tablet, for example, are not included. External programmes that have backup as their focus are more flexible and offer more options to customise your backup needs. Two brands that focus on this are Acronis and Jottacloud. 

3. Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office

Acronis is known as the leading backup software brand, with a solid reputation for securing data. Their products offer a range of options, including full image backups, incremental and differential backups, and selective file and folder backups. With tools for password protection, encryption and more, you can tailor your backups to your needs and provide additional security. Acronis True Image offers local backup capabilities, including support for external hard drives and NAS. Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office takes it a step further by providing protection against ransomware and cryptojacking, as well as alerts on system vulnerabilities. What's more, you can back up all your mobile devices to your computer. With a clear interface, you can easily see which files have been backed up, where they are stored, and when the next backup is scheduled.

4. Jottacloud Personal Unlimited

Jottacloud, founded in 2008, is fast emerging in the backup market. Their service combines synchronisation between devices, cloud backups, privacy protection and unlimited storage in one powerful app. This app offers advanced AI search features for photos, making it easy to find and share images. The backup feature allows users to make daily, weekly or manual backups of everything on their computer, with no storage limit. Although the backup capabilities are slightly more limited than Acronis, the comprehensive mobile app and unlimited storage more than compensate.

Our personal preference

Just having a local backup on an external hard drive or within your own network is not enough: equipment can break down and so you can still lose your precious memories or documents. Also, cloud storage alone is risky - no matter how good internet companies are and how reliable their security is, something can always happen that causes their cloud storage to suddenly go down (temporarily or otherwise). That's why we ourselves would opt for a combination: back up the most crucial data with Acronis and backup all your files and data with Jottacloud. That way, you can be sure you can always access your data if unexpected Murphy's Law ('if something can go wrong it will') kicks in.