Crashplan vs Time Machine

There is no need for cloud backups unless you need to access the backup when away from home. For local needs, one does not require cloud backup. All you need is two local backups. One can be done using Time Machine to backup to a drive at least two or three times the capacity of the source drive. The second would be a backup to a drive of the same capacity as the source drive. This backup can be done using one of many third-party backup utilities such as the following:

You can use any third-party backup utility your prefer. They all create straight file backups meaning you can restore individual files manually if you want by drag and drop copy.

• Carbon Copy Cloner
• Get Backup
• Deja Vu
• SuperDuper!

Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.

Why use a third-party cloud system to replace what's already built-in to OS X. You need two backups, not one. CP is offering you something free that you already have which is better. Furthermore, CP has potential problems that cause your computer to crash. I would not rely on any cloud based backup unless it was my fourth or fifth backup. Furthermore, cloud-based backup and restore is no faster than your upload/download speeds from your Internet provider - slow as molasses.

I use CrashPlan (without any problems) for lots of years now.

I use the Free option to back to a Mac mini with an external Drobo RAID system with lots of storage.

It works across the internet, so besides backing up the several family laptops, even when we are away on vacation, I also backup my Mom's iMac which is 300 miles away.

For laptops, I find it more reliable than Time Machine, as it seem to get less upset when you put your Mac to sleep by closing the lid, and leaving the house. I've had Time Machine trash the backup on the network attached backup device more than once because I had to pack up my Macbook Pro and head to work in the morning.

When it comes to backups, 3-2-1 is a sound backup plan

3 copies of your data (the original is the 1s copy)

2 different backup utilities going to 2 different backup devices (protects against bugs in a given backup utility)

1 copy off-site (protects against theft and natural disasters)

Even with the CrashPlan free option you could get off-site backups, by getting a friend or family member to run CrashPlan and put your off-site backup disk on their system (their system could be Mac, Windows, or a Linux system as CrashPlan is cross platform). You of course could return the favor, by putting their off-site backup disk on one of your systems.

CrashPlan encrypts the data before it leaves your Mac, so the remote backup cannot be read by the owner of the remote system.

Of course this friend/family member approach needs each of you to have a system that is always on and available, and you do not have low ISP data caps.

TimeMachine and CrashPlan have different strengths. They can complement each other. But as I explained with the 3-2-1 backup strategy, you should have more than one backup being made.

TimeMachine backs up every hour. Free option CrashPlan once a day.

TimeMachine keeps multiple generations of a file going back months, even years if you have a large enough backup device. CrashPlan is just the current copy.

TimeMachine can be used with OS X Recovery or Internet Recovery to restore your Mac. CrashPlan would require more work on your part.

TimeMachine and CrashPlan both offer data encryption before the data leaves your Mac, so no one that gets the backup device can read your data (you have to enable this and NOT loose the key).

CrashPlan makes it easy to have your own off-site backup.

CrashPlan works well across the internet.

CrashPlan does not seem to get upset when a laptop is closed in the middle of a backup and taken off site. TimeMachine is mostly OK with that, but every so often using an Apple time capsule network attached storage device, it messes up the backup, such that you have to wipe the disk and start over.

CrashPlan emails you a backup report every so often (about once a week or so) giving you a summary of you various backups).

CrashPlan sends you email if one of your systems being backed up has not contacted the server for 3 days.

All of the CrashPlan features I have described are available in the free option.

The paid option can run more than once a day. The paid option provides the off-site storage. The paid option ha professionals managing the backup servers and the storage. The paid option uses redundant storage (I use a Drobo RAID to get my redundant storage, which costs me more than a plain USB disk).

I'm sure there are other features to the paid plan I am not aware of.

That is enough comparison typing va my iPhone.

Just one point "CrashPlan is just the current copy." .

https://support.code42.com/CrashPlan/4/Configuring/Specify_version_settings

Crashplan has versions, the default settings are fine and no so different from Timemachine but it allows you to ramp it up so everything is saved. Also it does not silently delete old versions when the disk is full a la Timemachine ;-)

Offsite backup to a secure facility that is itself backed up is a valuable feature that TimeMachine does not provide. If you care about your data enough to preserve it in the face of catastrophic events, then multiple backups to different locations is important. Houses burn down on occasion, after all.

Commonly Used Backup Methods