IDrive

Create an IDrive account, then install the desktop app for Windows or Mac (or the iOS/Android app) and sign in. Choose the folders, drives or devices you want to protect, and IDrive backs them up automatically in the background. You can also reach everything through the web dashboard at idrive.com, and one account covers multiple computers and phones at once — a key advantage over single-device tools.

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Yes. IDrive has been an established US backup provider since 1995, encrypts your data with AES-256, and lets you set a private (zero-knowledge) key so that only you can read your files. It's widely used by individuals and businesses and holds recognised security certifications. Bear in mind zero-knowledge is opt-in rather than on by default, and enabling it means IDrive can't perform server-side restores for you — a fair trade for maximum privacy.

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You can view and manage your files three ways, all tied to one account: the web dashboard at idrive.com, the desktop app on Windows or Mac, or the mobile apps. From any of them you can browse folders, download files, restore earlier versions, recover deleted items and share links. Each backed-up device appears separately, so you can dip into any computer or phone you've protected.

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iCloud is Apple's storage, built into the Apple ecosystem and designed mainly to sync photos, documents and device data across your iPhone, iPad and Mac. IDrive is cross-platform cloud backup: it protects many devices and operating systems — Windows, Mac, mobile, even external drives — under one account, with far more storage for the money and proper versioning that keeps deleted or changed files recoverable. If you're all-Apple and just want seamless sync, iCloud fits; if you want serious multi-device backup and value, IDrive is the stronger tool.

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No. IDrive is owned by IDrive Inc. (formerly Pro Softnet Corporation), an independent US company based in California. It has no connection to Google — the similar-sounding name is just coincidence.

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No. IDrive is an independent US company, IDrive Inc., with no ties to Apple. Apple's own cloud service is iCloud, which is entirely separate — IDrive simply works alongside it as cross-platform backup.

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