ElephantDrive Online Backup Service Review
Based in Los Angeles, ElephantDrive (www.elephantdrive.com) is currently one of the most popular online backup services, although the service can also easily be used for sharing and collaboration purposes. ElephantDrive was, along with Jungle Disk, one of the first services to successfully incorporate Amazon’s S3 to this end, although ElephantDrive has steadily added other features to its package since that time.
The Basics
ElephantDrive is available for Windows or Mac platforms. Like most online backup services, ElephantDrive requires you to install its client software on your computer, and this client software will allow you to oversee all of the service’s functions and features. ElephantDrive offers multiple levels of service. The Home Edition and Home Plus Edition both offer unlimited storage. Home Edition, at $4.95 a month, allows you to back up files from one computer and maintains historical versions of files for up to 30 days, with a maximum file size of 1 GB. Home Plus costs twice as much, but doesn’t offer a hugely improved value, at a 4 computer limit and 2 GB maximum file size. For basic users, though, the Home Edition is certainly a decent value.
There are also ElephantDrive offerings targeted at businesses. The Pro Plus Edition, at $99.95 a month, provides the option of dividing backups into sub-accounts with private individual access. With this option you can also back up files from up to 20 computers, with a maximum of 2 TB of storage. This is one of the better currently available high-end online backup offerings for enterprises.
The Pros
One thing ElephantDrive has going for it is a very easy-to-use interface. It may be a bit on the bare-bones side, but if your main concern is backing up your files with as little fuss as possible, it’s more than functional. Also, even when you’re not actively managing your backups, ElephantDrive is relatively unobtrusive. Its automatic backup feature is one of the best ones out there. Your files will be updated whenever they’re altered, in most cases without interfering with the normal operation of your computer in any noticeable way. Overall, ElephantDrive is probably the least CPU-intensive of all online backup programs. Scheduled backups are also available, either for redundancy or as an alternative to the automatic backup feature.
Similarly, ElephantDrive’s file restoration process is also very user-friendly; if you need to restore anything, all it takes is a couple of clicks. This means that sharing is also a snap. In terms of security, while ElephantDrive isn’t markedly more secure than competing online backup services, it does offer you the option of using a personal encryption key, which is strongly preferred by many users.
The Cons
One common complaint about ElephantDrive is its upload speed. It can take a very long time to do the initial backup once you’ve decided to go with the service. Upload speed, of course, can vary depending on a number of factors including the time at which you happen to be uploading your files, but in general ElephantDrive seems to be somewhat slower than the competition. This speed deficiency isn’t really noticeable when you’re uploading small amounts or automatically updating files, though.
The Verdict
ElephantDrive is a solid if unspectacular online backup service. Some of the competitors, especially SpiderOak, offer a wider variety of features, while Carbonite might be a better option for the user who simply needs to back up a lot of data in a no-frills fashion. For users who don’t mind the limitations imposed by ElephantDrive’s Home Edition service, though, it can be a great choice, thanks largely to its simplicity and ease of use. Visit the Elephant Drive website.
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