difference between pcloud sync and pcloud drive

Difference between pcloud sync and pcloud drive for mac#
Difference between pcloud sync and pcloud drive full#
Difference between pcloud sync and pcloud drive Pc#

The entire point is to keep an unchanged copy of the files on your hard disk somewhere safe. However, you may not be able to easily share files from inside a backup with other or edit them online, depending on your choice of service. Sync services are designed to make it each to share files with others, and often include collaborative working solutions for share document creation and editing, as you’ll find in Google Drive and Microsoft Office 365.Ĭloud backup services more accurately retain folder structure, often have a longer version history, and will not delete a file from your online storage when you remove it from your hard disk. However, sync services typically only retain a limited number of versions for a limited amount of time, and delete files from cloud storage when they’re removed from the local device. Most popular cloud storage solutions, including both Microsoft and Apple’s native ones, are syncing services.įiles on local devices are mirrored and can be automatically synchronised to all devices connected to the account.

Difference between pcloud sync and pcloud drive Pc#

The free allocation is pitiful, but if you’re happy to pay the (we think quite reasonable) monthly subscription then it becomes an excellent solution.Today, we’re going to look at the difference between cloud backup and cloud sync.Ĭloud sync (also known as cloud storage) instantly copies files between selected folders on your PC or mobile device and an online storage location, assuming you’re connected to the internet at the time. Thanks to its deep system integration, your contacts, calendars, passwords, photos, files and other important data are all automatically backed up to the iCloud servers, where they can be accessed via apps or the web. If you’re looking for a seamless way to keep your various Apple devices in sync, then iCloud makes life very easy indeed.

Difference between pcloud sync and pcloud drive for mac#

For that you’ll need to read ourīest backup software for Mac roundup.

Difference between pcloud sync and pcloud drive full#

Can I use iCloud or pCloud to back up my hard disk?īoth services give you the ability to save specific files and folders, but neither creates full system backups you can use to recover from things like a hard disk crash. If you want the Crypto storage option, that uses the ultra-safe client-side encryption, then it costs an additional £4.29/$4.99/€4.99 per month or you can buy a lifetime subscription £107/$125/€125. There’s also the option to buy a lifetime subscription with the following one-time costs: There’s also Hide My Email, which allows you to instantly create disposable email addresses you can use when signing up to things online, so your real one is never exposed. This protects your browsing from any prying eyes, so long as you use Safari. With the introduction of iCloud+ (the paid tiers of iCloud) towards the end of 2021, Apple did add Private Relay to the feature-set. Any data you store on the service is accessible only by you, as the encryption key is held on your device rather than the pCloud servers. PCloud offers client-side encryption via its Crypto Folder, though it is a paid extra. This means that with the latter, Apple can technically see the files in an unencrypted format.

Security is also different for the two services, with iCloud offering end-to-end encryption only for elements such as the Keychain (passwords), payment information and health data, while other areas (Mail, Notes, iCloud Drive etc) are securely transferred to Apple’s servers where they are then encrypted. The standard versioning from pCloud is 15-days, but if you sign up to a paid tier (see below) then this can be extended up to a year. So, really, iCloud is purpose-built to be Apple-only. While you can access iCloud through the web version, which makes it available for non-Apple users, it’s not great. ICloud also links straight into Apple’s iWork apps (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) so you can use it as your document storage online.

The only limitation is that you’ll need enough iCloud storage capacity to be able to store all the data (we discuss the costs below). The iCloud Drive folder acts as a synced drive with the iCloud servers, so whatever you put in there will be available across all your devices. As mentioned above, this is a file-syncing service rather than a back up, so deleting a photo on one device deletes it on all of them. You’ll still be able to view the photos on your device, but these will be lower-res versions that won’t take up as much space. For example, you can store high res versions of your photos in iCloud, rather than on your iPhone, freeing up space on your iPhone. This is not a back up – it’s a way to store all your files in the cloud so you can view them on all your devices.

In many ways, iCloud is essentially an extension of the storage on your device.

What can you back up with iCloud and pCloud? Both have web-based versions you can use, but the better user experience is definitely found in the apps.