It's an easy mistake to make: using Dropbox or Google Drive (covered in our cloud storage guide) as your only backup, and assuming your files are safe because they're "in the cloud." Sync tools protect against your laptop dying, but not against a mistake that syncs itself — delete a file locally, and a sync tool dutifully deletes it in the cloud too, usually within seconds. Dedicated backup software solves a different problem: getting back to a version of your files from before something went wrong, not just wherever they currently stand.
Coming from a consulting background, I default to evaluating pricing structure and long-term cost before comparing features line by line.
What backup software needs to do that sync tools don't
- Continuous, versioned backup — keeping multiple points in time, not just a single current mirror, so you can restore from before a mistake rather than after it already propagated
- Full-drive coverage, not just a synced folder — most freelancers keep client work in more places than one designated sync folder
- Genuinely unlimited storage, since backup data volume (especially with version history) grows differently than a curated set of shared files
- A real restore path — an unlimited backup that's painful or slow to actually restore from defeats the purpose in an emergency
Quick comparison
| Tool | Storage limit | Restore method | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backblaze | Unlimited (one computer) | Web download, or mailed USB/hard drive | ~$9/month or $99/year | Simplest "install and forget" backup |
| IDrive | Tiered (5TB+ shared across devices) | Web, disk image restore, mailed drive | ~$4-7/month (often discounted annually) | Freelancers who want multiple devices under one plan |
| Dropbox Backup | Tied to Dropbox storage plan | Native within Dropbox app | Included with Dropbox paid plans | Freelancers already paying for Dropbox |
| Kopia / Restic | Unlimited (bring your own storage) | CLI or GUI restore, more technical | Free (pay only for storage used) | Technically comfortable freelancers who want full control |
Backblaze — the simplest option, and one tech-savvy users pick for themselves
Backblaze's entire pitch is minimal configuration: install it, and it backs up your entire computer (internal and connected external drives) with unlimited storage for a flat $9/month or $99/year, keeping 30 days of version history. Restores happen through a web interface (download a zip of your files) or, for a fee, Backblaze will mail you a USB drive or hard drive with everything pre-loaded — refundable if you send it back within 30 days. It doesn't do disk imaging or server backup, and it won't back up network-attached storage, which matters if your setup is more complex than a single laptop.
Best for: freelancers who want true "install once, forget about it" backup with no per-file configuration.
IDrive — best if you have more than one device to cover
IDrive's plans bundle multiple devices under one storage allowance (rather than the strictly single-computer model Backblaze uses), which is a real advantage if you're backing up both a laptop and a desktop, or a work computer and a phone, without paying for two separate subscriptions. It also supports full disk-image backups for bare-metal recovery, a more complete option than Backblaze offers if your goal includes recovering an entire dead system, not just individual files.
Best for: freelancers with more than one device who want them covered under a single plan.
Dropbox Backup — the option requiring no new subscription if you're already paying for Dropbox
If you're already on a Dropbox paid plan for the client-sharing reasons covered in our cloud storage guide, its native Backup feature extends that same storage to back up entire folders or your whole computer, without adding a second subscription. The trade-off is that your backup storage shares the same allowance as your shared files — heavy backup use eats into the space you'd otherwise use for client deliverables, unlike a dedicated backup tool with its own separate allotment.
Best for: freelancers already paying for Dropbox who want basic backup without an additional bill.
Kopia and Restic — free and unlimited, for the technically comfortable
Both are open-source backup tools that connect to your own storage destination (Backblaze B2, Amazon S3, a home network drive) rather than bundling storage into the price — you pay only for the storage you actually use, often a few dollars a month for typical freelance data volumes. Kopia includes a graphical interface (KopiaUI) that makes it meaningfully more approachable than Restic's command-line-only default, though both expect some comfort with concepts like repositories and retention policies that a Backblaze install never asks about.
Best for: freelancers comfortable with more setup who want to minimize cost and control exactly where backup data lives.
The 3-2-1 rule, briefly
The standard backup principle worth knowing: keep 3 copies of important data, on 2 different types of media, with 1 copy off-site. In practice for most freelancers, this looks like: your working files (copy 1), a cloud backup like Backblaze (copy 2, automatically off-site), and either a local external drive or your cloud storage/sync tool (copy 3). A single cloud sync tool alone doesn't satisfy this — it's one copy, syncing everywhere, including your own mistakes.
Bottom line
For most freelancers, Backblaze's flat-rate, unlimited, install-and-forget model is the easiest way to close the gap that cloud storage alone leaves open. If you're covering multiple devices, IDrive's shared-storage model is worth the look. And if you're already paying for Dropbox and just want basic coverage without a new bill, its native Backup feature is a reasonable minimum.
Pricing, storage limits, and restore options in this category change frequently. Confirm current details on each provider's site before subscribing.