Carbonite Online Backup vs External Hard Drive: Is Carbonite Really Better?

Is using Carbonite Online Backup better than backing up on an external hard drive? That is the usual question I get when people see that I recommend Carbonite as the best computer backup solution.

I admit that backing up on an external drive is also a good method of protecting your files from data loss. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that it is one of the most reliable backup methods — but that was before online storage and backup came into play. Now, online storage tops my list of data backup options, even while I still do external drive backup on the side.

For those who have experienced data loss due to hard drive failure, human error, theft, and even natural calamities that strike our home, the answer to the above question is a no-brainer. Why? Because online backup would have been immune to any of the scenarios mentioned above. And as far as online backup solutions are concerned, Carbonite Backup protects your data more securely than the rest of the other online storage services, yet makes it convenient for you to retrieve your data as needed.

Here’s where Carbonite wins hands-down as compared to an external hard drive backup.

Carbonite’s encrypted servers are secure.

I’m not saying that you don’t keep your external hard drives secure enough. I’m sure you have your own system for storing your drives but the truth is, we can only protect our external hard drives up to certain a point. Theft, whether online or physical, is much more likely to happen in our homes than in Carbonite’s servers which are securely encrypted and professionally maintained as highlighted in our Carbonite review.

The same argument holds true in case of a fire. If you do regular external hard drive backups, chances are, the hard drives would be located in your home as well. While I don’t wish it on anyone, the fact remains that if your house got burned down, your backups would have been lost along with your personal computer.

External drives die too!

Just like your computer hard drive, external drives can also quit on you in a snap. That’s the problem with hard drives in general. They can always die unexpectedly; the older they get the greater the chances of their sudden “retirement”. And you can never be prepared enough for it, unless you also keep a backup of your backup. That sounds like a lot of tedious work already, not to mention a lot of hassle, for something that you can do with the least effort using Carbonite.

Carbonite Online is your key to a worry-free digital life.

Our computer files are not simply work stuff that we need to protect. More often than not, home computers are stored with personal files such as family photos and music collections that we’ve accumulated over the years. Therefore keeping our computer data safe and properly backed up ensures that we are preserving those memories too.

Carbonite doesn’t cost much.

In fact, the service costs very little considering the benefits that you can get. Because really, what is peace of mind for less than $5 per month? And if you apply the 10% off Carbonite coupon the service is even more attractive!

By all means, continue with your external backups for added security and easy access to your files, but if you ask me is Carbonite better than an external hard drive, my answer is a resounding YES!