Backup Tools Pricing Comparison 2026
5 products · prices verified daily · ✓ AI-verified 39h ago
The cheapest backup tools in 2026 is IDrive at $6.99/mo. We compared 5 backup tools products — IDrive, Backblaze Computer Backup, CrashPlan, Acronis True Image, Carbonite Safe — with prices verified on April 21, 2026. 1 of 5 offer free plans.
Backup Tools in 2026: What the Data Shows
Market Overview
Backup tools split into two philosophies in 2026. 'Unlimited per computer' (Backblaze Personal $99/year, Carbonite Basic $83.99/year): pay a flat rate per machine, back up every byte you own, simple mental model. 'Pay per TB' (IDrive $6.99-69.99/mo annual, Acronis with 500GB-10TB tiers): flexible sizing, multi-device support in one subscription, scales up for prosumers with NAS + external drives. CrashPlan exited consumer market in 2017, now targets 250+ employee organizations exclusively. Acronis is the hybrid play — backup + anti-ransomware + anti-malware + blockchain notarization in one subscription. Prices for comparable 2TB+ coverage range $84/year (Carbonite Basic) to $179/month (IDrive Business 5TB).
Key Buying Criteria
First: one computer or many? One computer with unlimited data: Backblaze $99/year is the cheapest no-brainer. Many computers (family, small team): IDrive Personal 5TB at $83.88/year ($6.99/mo annual) covers multiple devices in one sub. Second: do you have external drives or NAS? Backblaze includes external drives. IDrive covers NAS + servers at Business tier. Carbonite Plus adds external drive support. CrashPlan originally differentiated here but now enterprise-only. Third: ransomware protection priority? Acronis bundles active anti-ransomware + anti-malware — useful for prosumers on Windows who don't want separate AV. Backblaze/IDrive have ransomware rollback but not active protection. Fourth: enterprise or SMB? CrashPlan Professional $10/device/month is the SMB/enterprise standard. Backblaze Business $99/computer/year undercuts it for smaller shops.
Our Recommendation
For most individuals with one main computer: Backblaze Personal at $99/year. Unlimited data, set-and-forget, best restore experience in category. For prosumers or families with multiple devices: IDrive Personal 5TB at $6.99/month annual ($83.88/year). Covers multiple computers under one sub + mobile devices + social media backup. For Windows users who want ransomware protection bundled: Acronis True Image Advanced at ~$54.99/year (1 computer, 500GB cloud) — replaces separate AV for casual users. For small businesses with 5-25 computers: Backblaze Business at $99/computer/year is cheapest. For enterprise (250+ employees): CrashPlan Professional at $10/device/month with custom quotes. Skip Carbonite unless you specifically need automatic external drive backup at the Plus tier.
What to Watch Out For
Backblaze's 'unlimited' has a 30-day version history default — deleted files disappear after 30 days unless you pay for Extended Version History ($2/mo for 1 year, $12/mo for forever). IDrive's advertised 'save 30% with annual' and '50% with 2-year' apply to FIRST year/term only — renewal prices jump to full rate. Acronis True Image's 'Advanced' plan cloud storage is 500GB, not unlimited — easy to hit cap with photo libraries. Carbonite's cheapest 'Safe Basic' plan does NOT back up external drives — you need Safe Plus ($119.99) for that, making base tier misleading for anyone with external storage. CrashPlan killed its consumer product in 2017 — if you find 'CrashPlan for Home' anywhere, that product is dead. Current CrashPlan targets 250+ employee organizations with custom pricing — not for small teams anymore.
| | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | |||||
| Starting Price | $6.99/mo | $7.59/mo | $8/mo | Custom | Custom |
| Renewal Price | Same | Same | Same | -- | -- |
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Free Trial | Yes | 15 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Pricing Model | tiered-by-storage | per-computer-unlimited | per-device-monthly | tiered-by-features-and-devices | tiered-by-features |
| Plans | 9 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 5 |
| | | | | | |
| Features | |||||
| | | | | | |
How We Track Prices
Prices are scraped directly from vendor websites and verified against published pricing pages. We check for changes daily and update this page automatically when prices change. Last verified: 2026-04-21.
All prices shown are in USD, fetched and verified from United States-based servers. Prices in your region may differ due to local pricing, taxes, or currency conversion. We show the lowest available tier unless otherwise noted. Some products offer introductory pricing that increases on renewal — we show both where applicable.
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Head-to-Head Comparisons
See how backup tools products stack up against each other — plans, pricing, and features side by side.
Explore Alternatives
Explore Individual Product Pricing
Deep dive into each backup tools product — full plan breakdowns, renewal prices, features, and our editorial verdict.
More Ways to Explore Backup Tools
Quick Pricing Summary
| Product | From | Free Plan | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| $6.99/mo | Yes | 8.9/10 | |
| $7.59/mo | No | 9.4/10 | |
| $8/mo | No | 7.2/10 | |
| Custom | No | 8.4/10 | |
| Custom | No | 7.6/10 |
Backup Tools analysis on the StackScored blog
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Cloudinary)Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the cheapest backup tools in 2026?
- IDrive is the cheapest option starting at $6.99/mo. Prices are verified daily against the vendor's website.
- Which backup tools platforms have a free plan?
- IDrive offers a free plan. See the comparison above for feature limits on each free tier.
- What's the average cost of backup tools?
- The average starting price across 5 backup tools products is $8/mo for the lowest paid tier.
- Which backup tools has the best value for money?
- Backblaze Computer Backup scores 9.4/10 in our analysis with plans starting at $7.59/mo, making it the highest-rated option in this category. Scores factor in pricing, features, and reliability.
- Do backup tools prices increase on renewal?
- Most backup tools providers lock in your rate for the initial term. We verify pricing daily and flag any renewal price increases the moment they appear. Check each product's pricing table for renewal details.
- What hidden costs should I watch for with backup tools?
- Common hidden costs include onboarding or setup fees, overage charges when you exceed plan limits. Our pricing tables show all tiers and per-unit costs so you can calculate your actual spend before signing up.
- How often do backup tools prices change?
- We verify backup tools pricing every 24 hours against each vendor's live pricing page. On average, SaaS providers adjust pricing 1-2 times per year. StackScored detects changes the same day they go live.
- Can I switch backup tools providers easily?
- Switching depends on data portability and contract terms. Most backup tools platforms offer data export, but migration complexity varies. Check each product's plan details for contract length — avoid annual commitments until you've tested the product. Several backup tools providers offer free trials to help you evaluate before committing.