How Much Does
Carbonite Safe Cost in 2026?
Carbonite is the veteran backup brand (founded 2005). Safe Basic at $83.99/year undercuts Backblaze by $15, but ONLY backs up internal drive — external drives require Safe Plus at $119.99. Most users need Plus, making Carbonite effectively $20 more than Backblaze. The Prime tier's courier recovery service is unique but justifies the $150 price only for genuine disaster-prone users.
Prices in USD, verified from the United States. Regional pricing may vary.
Plans & Pricing
Safe Basic
$83.99/mo billed annually
- computers 1
- storage Unlimited
- externalDrives false
- videoBackup false
Safe Plus
$119.99/mo billed annually
- computers 1
- storage Unlimited
- externalDrives true
- videoBackup true
Safe Prime
$149.99/mo billed annually
- computers 1
- storage Unlimited
- externalDrives true
- videoBackup Automatic
- courierRecovery true
Safe Server (Core)
$287.99/mo billed annually
- scope Server backup 250GB to 500GB+
Safe Server (Power)
$599.99/mo billed annually
- scope Server backup with hot/cold backup options
From the StackScored blog
Features
Our Verdict
Carbonite's tier structure is designed to force upgrades. Safe Basic at $83.99/year looks cheapest in category — until you realize it doesn't back up external drives or videos automatically. Most users discover this AFTER purchase when they wonder why their external photo drive isn't being protected. Safe Plus at $119.99/year is the real equivalent to Backblaze ($99) — and Backblaze is $21 cheaper at Plus-equivalent feature set. Safe Prime at $149.99/year adds 'courier recovery' (Carbonite ships a physical drive with your data) which Backblaze does for free via USB restore refund. Server tiers ($288-600/year) target small business servers — reasonable vs IDrive Business but IDrive has more features. Carbonite's historical positioning ('older users who want phone support') still holds — their US-based phone support is above average. But feature-for-feature, Backblaze beats Carbonite at every consumer tier. Where Carbonite wins: US-based phone support, 30-year brand reliability, HIPAA-ready server tiers for small healthcare offices. Where it loses: Safe Basic misleadingly excludes external drives, Plus tier at $119.99 is $21 more than Backblaze for same features, Prime's 'courier recovery' is standard in category now.
Pros
- 30-day free trial is longer than Backblaze (15 days) — more evaluation time
- US-based phone support is above-average for backup category
- Safe Server tiers include HIPAA-ready options for healthcare small businesses
- Private key encryption option (you hold key, Carbonite can't decrypt)
- Veteran brand with 20+ year reliability track record
Cons
- Safe Basic $83.99 does NOT back up external drives — misleading base tier
- Plus tier at $119.99 is $21 more than Backblaze ($99) for equivalent features
- Safe Server Core at $287.99/yr covers only 250GB-500GB — IDrive Business is cheaper per GB
- Pricing marked UNVERIFIED — carbonite.com pricing page returned nav only, rates from public documentation
Affiliate link — you pay the same price
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Cloudinary)Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Carbonite Safe offer a free trial?
- Yes, Carbonite Safe offers a free trial for 30 days. No credit card is typically required to start.