Overview:

Livedrive is a UK based online cloud backup service that backs up your photos, documents, music, and videos. Everything on Livedrive is simple to do. The software takes less than a minute to set up. Livedrive starts backing up your files immediately.

Choose the period you want to restore from, the destination folder, and how it handles duplicate files. With just a click of a button, LiveDrive restores everything. The cloud keeps up to 30 previous versions of files from your backup selection or your entire Briefcase for an unlimited period. It also keeps deleted files for 30 days before getting rid of them.

LiveDrive gives users plenty of options to control or fine-tune their backup or restores settings. Livedrive’s five tab Dashboard shows you the status of your latest backup task, and when the next task will run. The ‘Settings’ Tab shows common folders like Desktop, Documents, and Pictures, but you can add any other individual folders. Once you make your selection. You can select and adjust the frequency or time it scans your selected folders for updates. The web interface shows the progress of uploads and downloads.

Collaborating is simple enough. Your files are accessible through your unique, sharable web link. Share the link with employees or whomever you grant access. The only downside is there’s no selective sharing.  Anyone who as the link can see all your files on the cloud. That could be a red flag for any user, in any tier.

What’s not so easy is canceling your subscription. Straight away it’s clear there is no one way to unsubscribe.  Some parts of the website state you can email a form to cancel. Other prints suggest calling the UK office number. You’ll need a bit of patience and a time zone converter on your part if you want to send them a shout. LiveDrive’s call center operates on UK office hours.

There are some unusual clauses in the terms and conditions. One of which states Livedrive will pause backups for computers that disconnect from service for 30 days. A move meant to dodge wasted space taken up by abandoned accounts. Makes some sense but another non-negotiable for many. If your current on your monthly payments, you should expect monthly backup.

Hey, look at the bright side. Livedrive’s uploading speeds are better than most. A file 100 MB average an upload time of 1:12 minutes/seconds. Slower than Acronis True Image (0:51) and SOS Online Backup (1:05). But quicker than the fan favorite iDrive.

Pricing:

Standard –  $8 a month, 1 PC or Mac Backup, Unlimited PC/Mac Storage. Start a 14 day Free Trial. Credit card required.

Pro-Suite –  $25 a month, up to 5 PCs or Macs backup. Unlimited PC/Mac Storage. Up to 5000 GB Mobile Backup storage. Start a 14 day Free Trial and subscription renews.

Business Express – $50 a month, up to 3 Users PC & Mac Backup, Tablet & Mobile Backup. 2,000GB of Cloud storage.

Business Standard –  $160 a month, 10x Users, PC & Mac Backup, Tablet & Mobile Backup. Add 10,000GB of Cloud storage and extra users for a fee. A 14 day free Business trial promises access to full features, with no restrictions. No credit card required.

Pros:

IDrive provides unlimited storage. Setup, backup, and upload speed are decent. IDrive’s easy-to-use desktop and mobile apps make sharing, scheduling, and storing simple. Versioning is available for up to 30 version of a file.

Cons:

As a new IDrive user, you may not know which product works best or it’s true value at first (even second glance). Pricing is piece-meal. You subscribe then add features. That price model can get expensive. The terms and conditions and privacy policy is a scary place. Data hauled off to physical servers on a whim, leaving files inaccessible. That ‘use it or lose it’ clause is a mood killer considering all the money you have to cough up.

Conclusion:

Livedrive works well and delivers unlimited online storage, but it doesn’t offer top-level backup options, security, or fluid desktop and browser interface settings. All around its a good option. But at those prices, you’d expect it to be a great option.