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The Fastest Cloud Backup Services in 2024

A cloud backup service is the best way to protect your data against device malfunction, theft, loss, or deletion. Using a cloud backup service lets you schedule your data to back up automatically, so that your photos, videos, work documents – and anything else important – is always available.

For people who need to sync and restore backed up data regularly, it is essential for a backup service to allow super-fast uploads and downloads. Unfortunately, not every cloud backup service is quick. That is why we have pinpointed the fastest cloud backup services – to let you upload and restore from the cloud without the wait!

What are the fastest cloud backup services?

Below you can take a quick look at the fastest cloud backup services. These providers use top-quality servers and apps that can efficiently backup your data at high speed. If you want more information about each service and the features they provide, scroll down for in-depth summaries.

  1. Sync.com - The fastest cloud backup service. You get a super fast and efficient cross-platform service, so you can save files at home or on the go!
  2. NordLocker - A secure and fast cloud backup with strong encryption. It's a great way to quickly backup your drive and all of its files and folders.
  3. IDrive - Highly customizable cloud backup provider that allows you to quickly backup your device, preview, and restore files.
  4. Livedrive - A great value-for-money cloud backup service for those who want advanced speed, functionality, and accessibility to their files.
  5. MEGA - A popular cloud backup service that's super fast and lets you stream music and videos directly from the cloud space.

The 5 fastest cloud backup services | In-depth analysis

This section will provide direct comparisons between each of the five fastest cloud backup services. All of our recommendations are top-notch services that offer backups for a choice of different devices. However, they do differ slightly, which is why it is worth checking each service carefully to pick the right backup provider for your needs.

1. Sync.com
Editor's Choice | December 2024

Sync.com is the fastest cloud backup solution. It is a secure end-to-end-encryption that represents excellent value-for-money.

  • Pricing

    • 5 GB: $0/mth
    • 2TB: $8/mth
    • 6TB: $20/mth
    • Unlimited (minimum of 2 users): $15/mth

sync.com website


Sync.com is an online backup and cross-platform syncing service that is known to be super-fast. This reliable cloud backup service can be purchased either for teams or by individuals, and it has mobile apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. The Android app will easily let you backup your important data, including photos, videos, and text files.


It even allows you to access your files directly on third-party apps using the 'Open With' function. This helps to speed up getting your data to where you want it. And the service easily lets you sync your data across your various devices, which ensures fast access to your data on any device you own.


To ensure privacy, the service provides end-to-end encryption for your data. And, for added security, the service provides Two Factor Authentication. Plus, with Sync you can easily preview your files and download them onto your device, and you can opt to securely share files via email using a secure link or by setting up a shared folder.


Sync gives you huge amounts of control over your data, and it is the ideal choice for anybody who wants to back up, restore, and sync files without waiting around. Considering how effective this service is, it is actually very cheap. You can use the service on a limited basis for free (5 GB of storage) – and it starts at just $8 per month for 2 TB of storage, which is extremely good value.

NordLoocker is a fast backup service for Windows and Mac that provides watertight end-to-end-encryption and fast cloud access.

  • Pricing

    • 12 month (500GB): $3.99/mth
    • 1 month (500GB): $7.99/mth

Nordlocker


NordLocker is the encrypted backup service developed by the popular VPN company, NordVPN. It is a simple but effective service that you can use to perform a full disk backup on any desktop machine (by dragging all of your folders manually into your 'cloud locker' folder). Admittedly, this service is much simpler than our other recommendations, and it is hasn't released its Android and iOS apps yet (but it's about to!). However, if quickly backing up your important files in the same way as you would on Dropbox, with the added privacy and security of robust end-to-end encryption, is your thing, then this service is an excellent option.


NordLocker can be tested for free thanks to its limited 3 GB plan. And, if you need more space for your data, you can get 500 GB of storage for just $3.99 per month. This makes NordLocker great value for money when compared to some of its most popular competitors. Best of all, this service has drag-and-drop functionality, which makes it super easy to use. And, if you have been looking for a way to securely encrypt files locally, NordLocker allows for unlimited encryption of files and folders on your local drive, to give you added security locally – in addition to online backups.

IDrive offers reliable and customizable cloud backup with apps for Android, iOS, Windows and Mac. It has end-to-end encryption, and fantastic speeds.

  • Pricing

    • Personal - 5TB: $1.65/mth
      75% OFF
    • Personal - 2TB: $4.34/mth
    • 12 month: $17.38/mth

IDrive website


IDrive is a popular cloud storage solution that has important features such as full system disk image backup, true archiving, and the option of end-to-end encryption. Apps are available for all popular platforms, which means that you can easily backup from your mobile devices or computers. And, because it has a web portal, your data will always be quickly available - no matter where you are. 


You can use IDrive to back up all of your important Android or iOS data, including your photos, videos, and calendar events. And it syncs across devices quickly, so that you aren't left waiting around. Plus, we found it to provide superb speeds when previewing and restoring files. Considering how fully featured and cross-compatible this service is, we find it to be exceptionally good value for money. For $52.12 per year, you get 2 Terabytes of storage. Plus, you can use the service for free on a limited basis, thanks to its 5 GB of free backup space.


In addition to providing secure end-to-end-encryption for your data, this service is great for sharing files securely with family and friends. Plus, IDrive has snapshot recovery, and file versioning to let you access older files or to restore a disk to how it was prior to a malware attack. A great all-rounder that is both fast and packed with features.


 

4. Livedrive

Livedrive is a fast cloud backup service that is cheap. It lets you stream your music and videos without downloading them and offers advanced functionality and accessibility.

  • Pricing

    • 1 user on 1 desktop: $8/mth
    • 5 users: $25/mth
    • 1 user multiple devices: $16/mth

livedrive website


Livedrive is a reliable cloud backup provider with excellent cross-compatibility and superb speeds. The provider has lightning fast apps for all platforms, and a web-based portal to let you access your data via Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser. The service is extremely easy to use, making it good for beginners. And you can use it to back up and sync all of your important files; including your personal photos, videos, and messages.


Livedrive is great for users who need large amounts of storage space, and we enjoy using the service thanks to its fully featured apps. This ensures that you get all the advanced backup functionality you would expect from a market-leading cloud backup provider. That said, this service provides server-side security as opposed to E2EE, so if you want complete control over your keys (rather than the opportunity to regain access to your data should you forget your password) you will need to shop elsewhere. 


With Livedrive, you get 30-day backups of deleted files to ensure you can always access your data if you accidentally delete something. And file versioning lets you preview and restore previous versions of files for up to 30-days. This service also has a useful 'Scan' feature built into the Android app that lets you use a mobile device to scan physical documents to upload them as a PDF (ideal if you need to back up documents quickly and don't want to type).


Overall, Livedrive is a complete solution that will let you access your files from anywhere. It even lets you stream your music and video files directly from your cloud space to avoid needing to download, great for those who want to save space locally but want instant access to their tunes. And, as with our other recommendations, you share files with friends and family securely if you want to. The cost of a subscription starts at $7, but you will need to pay $10 to get the Briefcase (or ProSuite) subscription if you want to take advantage of all of its features for mobile devices.

5. MEGA

MEGA is a super fast cloud backup with a great reputation and plenty of users. it Provides a fast and secure cloud backup provider with a generous free plan.

  • Pricing

    • 2TB: $8.33/mth
      16% OFF
    • 400GB: $4.16/mth
      16% OFF
    • Free: $0/mth

Mega Website


MEGA is a secure cloud storage service based in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a highly popular service that is known for providing lightning-fast backups and downloads. And, for those who want to stream directly from their storage space, this service has a designated music player that allows you to play music without downloading the files. And, MEGA also works with VLC player, which means you can also stream your videos without waiting for them to download.


We love that this service allows users to use a free plan with 50 GB of storage space. This makes the service ideal for those who want to back up their devices without paying. And if you need more space, you can easily upgrade thanks to scalable storage at a reasonable price. We're always impressed with the features available with MEGA; secure file sharing is available, and file versioning will let you backtrack if you need to. Plus, this service has easy-to-use apps for all platforms.


An impressive cloud backup that is great for backing up data either on the fly or pre-scheduled. It easily lets you access your data on any device thanks to its lightning-fast web portal. A great all-rounder with strong end-to-end-encryption for your data that you can trust,

Other than speed, what features does a cloud backup service need?

In addition to providing effective and fast backups for various types of devices, the very best cloud backup services have a number of useful features. Below we have included the types of features we look for when choosing the best cloud backup services.

What makes a cloud backup service fast?

Some cloud backup services use slow servers and apps that take ages to back up data from your device. Others don't always seem to provide access to your data exactly when you need it, meaning that you have to wait around and try a few times to start the download. 

The fastest cloud backup services have effective apps for all platforms that allow you to back up your data either on the fly or at a pre-scheduled time. Those backups happen quickly and do not interfere with you using the device.

In addition, they ensure your data is always available to you, so that you can quickly download it when you want to. The very best services even let you quickly preview your data before downloading it to ensure you pick the right file.

Plus, some even let you stream your videos and music directly from your storage space, which makes enjoying your backups possible without actually needing to wait for them to download. 

Fastest cloud backups – Conclusions

Being able to back up a device quickly is important to some people who are often on the go and working with new content.

In this article, we have pinpointed the five best services for backing up, restoring, and syncing files. These services provide excellent security for your data, and they allow you to share files quickly with family and friends when you need to.

For those who want to preview files before downloading them, these services will allow for fast analysis of your data. Some of these services even allow you to stream directly from your cloud storage to save space and time when accessing your media.

  1. Sync.com - The fastest cloud backup service. You get a super fast and efficient cross-platform service, so you can save files at home or on the go!
  2. NordLocker - A secure and fast cloud backup with strong encryption. It's a great way to quickly backup your drive and all of its files and folders.
  3. IDrive - Highly customizable cloud backup provider that allows you to quickly backup your device, preview, and restore files.
  4. Livedrive - A great value-for-money cloud backup service for those who want advanced speed, functionality, and accessibility to their files.
  5. MEGA - A popular cloud backup service that's super fast and lets you stream music and videos directly from the cloud space.

Written by: Ray Walsh

Digital privacy expert with 5 years experience testing and reviewing VPNs. He's been quoted in The Express, The Times, The Washington Post, The Register, CNET & many more. 

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