Any personal cloud backup services recommendations?

Why choose cloud backup for personal use?

Why use personal cloud backup solutions instead of external hard drive backup or backup locally? There are some reasons below why choose personal cloud backup solutions:

• Both local drive and external drive will be affected by computer issues, such as system failure, hardware failure, virus, hacker, or other human error, because it’s connected to your computer or will.

• Natural disasters damage your physical backup drive, for instance, a sudden fire, earthquake, etc. 

• The storage space of cloud backup solutions is scalable. Personal users can choose different storage space schemes according to their data backup requirements.

Therefore, it’s highly recommended to try the best cloud backup storage for personal use to backup files to the cloud instead of any physical backup storage devices.

4 best free personal cloud backup services in 2024

In the following, I'll introduce you to the most popular cloud storage for personal use, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and CBackup. Then, you can store photos, documents, videos, designs, etc, and this data will be transferred to your best personal cloud storage.

Option 1. Google Drive

Google Drive is best for teamwork and collaboration. Also, you can use it as one of the best cloud backups for home use for individuals. It offers free users generous capacity, but space is also shared with other Google services, including Gmail and Google Photos. To get more space without upgrading, you can complete the security check, and you will get 2 GB.

In addition to the basic features, Google Drive will offer users some integration features, such as the Google Drive for desktop app, G Suite tools - Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Calendar, Google+, Sites, Hangouts, and Keep. 

• Capacity: 15GB free and 100GB, 200GB for paid
• Capacity expansion: 2GB for completing the security checkup
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
• File upload limit: 5TB
• Price: $2.99/month for 200GB, $9.99/month for 2TB, $99.99/month for 10TB, $199.99/month for 20TB, and $299.99/month for 30TB
• Features: store any files, file upload from any device, share files with anyone, save email attachments from Gmail
• Integration: G Suite tools, Backup, and Sync desktop app

Option 2. OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive is best for Windows users, especially Windows 10, because it greatly integrates with other Microsoft products, such as Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, PPT, Outlook, etc. Also, it allows you to edit files online without downloading.

For its capacity, every free user will get 5GB of cloud storage. If you want more space, you can subscribe to Office 365 for an extra 1 TB. Besides, you can still choose to upgrade to paid options, including 50GB, 1TB, and 6 TB.

• Capacity: 5GB free and 50GB, 1TB, 6TB for paid
• Capacity expansion: Office 365 subscription starts at 1TB
• Platform: Windows, Android, iOS
• File upload limit: 15GB
• Starting price: $1.99/month
• Features: access files in offline mode, SSL encryption, easy file sharing, the latest office application, and edit files online without downloading.
• Integration: Microsoft Office, Outlook, AutoCAD

Option 3. CBackup

CBackup is a professional Windows PC cloud backup for personal users. It offers a stable and secure cloud server called Cloud (5GB free) to keep your data safe and secure remotely. You can restore backups in the cloud to the original or a different location at any time. What's more, the interface of CBackup is very clear, and the operation is very simple; you can figure it out quickly.

In addition, the paid plans for CBackup are very reasonable. You can upgrade to enjoy the large cloud backup space, 1000 GB.

• Capacity: 5GB
• Platform: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP
• File transfer limit: No limitation
• Price: Free, $4.99/month for 1TB, $14.99/month for 5TB
• Features: backup your files from your Windows PC to its secure cloud and restore your files at any time

Option 4. Dropbox

Dropbox is suitable for light data users because it only offers free users 2 GB. But it gives you a chance to extend the capacity free of charge, including, inviting your friends to join and get 500MB each referral, up to 16GB, completing the Getting Started guide for 250MB, providing “Mighty Answer” for the Dropbox forum and each answer get 1GB extra storage.

Dropbox also provides some useful features besides the basic features, storing files, file sharing, and transfer, such as Dropbox Paper, File Requests, and Dropbox Rewind. Dropbox Paper is a great collaborative working tool, which acts as a group workspace, and its desktop app will automatically back up your photos. If you are interested in these features, you can try them.

• Capacity: 2GB free and several paid options, 1TB, 2TB, and 3TB for paid
• Capacity expansion: 500MB for each referral and up to 16GB, 250MB for completing the “Getting Started guide, and 1GB for Mighty Answer on the Dropbox forum
• Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Windows phone,
• File upload limit: unlimited
• Starting price: $8.25/month for individuals and $12.5/user/month
• Features: Dropbox Paper, Dropbox Rewind, File Requests, 256-bit AES and SSL/TLS encryption, share any file like PowerPoint and Photoshop with anyone, anytime, anywhere access, free trial for all editions

4 easy ways to create personal cloud backup

After introducing the 4 cloud storage spaces for personal computers, we will show you the detailed steps to create personal cloud backup with these cloud storage.

Way 1. Create cloud backup for personal computers with Google Drive

Step 1. Download the Google Drive desktop app, log in to your Google account.

Step 2. Click the Google Drive icon on the system tray, and click the Settings icon  > Preferences....

Step 3. Choose folders in the My Computer tab, and tick the Add folder button to select your folders to backup.

Step 4. Then choose the Sync with Google Drive option, and click Done to perform the personal cloud backup.

★Tips: 

You could click the gear icon on the top right corner, find your Google Drive account, and tick the Upload screenshots and Upload RAW files options in the File Types section for your cloud backup if required. 

Other settings are provided for you to set up bandwidth settings, Upload size, Proxy settings, and more.

And now, your folders will be synced to Google Drive automatically.

Way 2. Personal cloud backup with Dropbox

1. Download and install Dropboxinstaller.exe on your computer, and log in to your Dropbox account.

2. Click the Dropbox icon in the system tray, and tap the down arrow next to your Dropbox account, choose Preferences.

3. At the Backups tab, click Set up at the This PC section.

4. Choose the folders you want to backup and click Next.

5. Click Continue with Basic and follow the steps to create personal cloud backup.

Way 3. Personal cloud backup with OneDrive personal cloud storage

1. Download the OneDrive desktop app, OneDriveSetup.exe, and install it on your Windows 7/8/8.1. If your computer is Windows 10, and the OneDrive has already been installed.

2. Log in to your OneDrive personal cloud account.

3. Click the OneDrive icon in the system tray, select Help & Settings > Settings.

4. At the "Back up" tab, tap the Manage backup button at the Important PC Folders.

5. Choose the personal folders to backup, and press the "Start back up" button.

Then it will create personal cloud backup automatically with OneDrive personal cloud storage.

Way 4. Create personal online backup with CBackup

There is another way to do cloud backup for personal computers: use CBackup to backup data to the cloud. Besides, you could use it to back up files to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc. It’s quite powerful among these personal cloud backup services.

Here takes backup personal computer files to the cloud as an example:

Step 1. Download the best personal backup software, CBackup, on your computer, create a CBackup account first, and then sign in to your account.

Step 2. Click on the Backup tab and click on the Backup PC to cloud button.

Step 3. Choose the computer files you want to back up to personal cloud storage. And click Start Backup to perform personal cloud backup easily.

What if personal cloud backup storage is not enough?

As you can see from above, the space free of charge is limited: Google Drive is 15GB, OneDrive is 5GB, and Dropbox is simply 2 GB. Space will run out sooner or later. You can choose to upgrade to the paid option or get more space by gathering all of your free cloud storage.

Here, it’s strongly recommended to try CBackup, which can help you connect unlimited cloud storage with CBackup and automatically combine cloud storage into one to store unlimited files. Let's see how to combine unlimited cloud drives with CBackup:

Step 1. Sign in to CBackup with your account. 

Step 2. Click the Storage tab, choose Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, and click Authorize Now. Choose your Google Drive/Dropbox/OneDrive account and allow CBackup access to see, edit, create, and delete all of your personal cloud files.

Step 3. Modify the Cloud name and Storage path for file backup. Then, click the checkbox before "Note: Please don't modify or delete the CBackup path or backup files in your Google Drive account," and click "OK".

Step 4. To combine more free cloud storage space into one, just repeat the above steps to add more cloud drives, even different drives, and click Storage > + Add Combined Cloud. Then follow the steps to get more free cloud storage space.

Drop it in the box

Try Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or CBackup to create personal cloud backup because you will find the best cloud storage for personal use. Select the best cloud backup for personal use according to your demands:

• Google Drive has more free space and is suitable for Google users.

• OneDrive is best for Windows users.

• Dropbox for light data users.

• CBackup is for all users who want to create cloud backups for personal computers.

• If the personal cloud storage is not enough, just combine more free cloud storage into one with CBackup. Besides, you could create cloud-to-cloud backup and cloud-to-cloud sync with this free cloud backup software.