SafeCopy vs. Mozy: Online Backup Service Comparison
Among online backup services, there are two basic categories: the heavy-duty, unlimited-space type services that promise to back up any amount of data in as simple and basic a manner as possible, and the “boutique”-type services, that offer special features or added flexibility in lieu of huge amounts of disk space.Of the former category, Mozy is perhaps the best known example, while SafeCopy is one of the latter, with its focus on specialized system architecture. What does this mean for ordinary users, though? After all, it seems like Mozy and SafeCopy would likely appeal to people with very different concerns.
SafeCopy is available for both Windows and Mac; it can also be used to back up files from certain smartphones, including the iPhone; SafeCopy offers two packages, one allowing for 150GB of storage, and one including a 250GB limit. The 150GB package is priced at $50.00 US per year, while the 250GB package will cost $75 per year; you can reduce the prices by signing up for a multi-year subscription.
Mozy is also available to both Windows and Mac users. The MozyHome service, for individual users, is priced at $4.95 per computer per month, and features unlimited storage space. MozyPro, the business version of Mozy, is priced at $3.95 per desktop or $6.95 per sever per month, with an additional fee of $0.50 per GB of storage space per month.
Mozy’s basic features have come to be seen as the standard for the industry. Among the protections they offer to users include a 30-day file restore function, which allows users to recover prior versions of a file that are up to 30 days old (the latest version, of course, is always backed up permanently). You can also choose whether to back up your files persistently, or do your uploading at a specific, scheduled time. Mozy also allows bandwidth throttling, so you can make sure that it doesn’t take up too much bandwidth.
SafeCopy does similar things, albeit on a smaller scale due to its storage space limitations. SafeCopy’s bandwidth solution is called TurboUpload. This is a sophisticated duplication checking system which prevents unnecessary uploads, speeding up the overall backup process and keeping bandwidth use to a minimum. One very positive thing about SafeCopy is that with one account, you can back up files from an unlimited number of computers or devices, which gives it a major advantage over Mozy for users to whom this applies.
In terms of interface design, SafeCopy definitely wins out over Mozy. The Mozy client is fairly unintuitive, whereas SafeCopy is pretty simple and easy to use. Another frustrating aspect of the Mozy service is the delay required before retrieving your files. In order to restore your files from Mozy, you have to send a request first, and there can be a delay of up to 15 minutes before you can actually get your files. This is an unnecessary annoyance that other backup services, including SafeCopy, have found ways around.
If you need to back up over 250GB of data, then there’s really no contest. Mozy is a better service for you than SafeCopy; however, if you’re looking to back up a smaller amount of data, SafeCopy offers a number of advantages over Mozy. The SafeCopy service is a little bit more affordable over the course of a year, and it has a few convenient features that Mozy currently doesn’t offer. Your data will be safe with either service, so you really can’t go wrong either way, but SafeCopy, overall, is marginally better than Mozy provided that you’re able to stay within its storage space limits.
Related posts:
Wow this is an awesome comparison.I loved this the moment i reached this page.Am currently using Safecopy backup.And all i can say is that Safceopy backup rocks.It is cost effective and so reliable and am glad i can backup multiple computers on one account with out paying for each computer.Safecopy has kept all my data secure.
This is a nice review but am pretty sure that it’s old cuz as I talk now safecopy upgraded their storage space a couple of months ago from the ones listed above; i.e the trial version is 3GB free, 150GB is now 200GB at $50 and 250GB to 300GB at $75 per year.I have no complaint with safecopy, it works so fabulously for me. Mozy sh’d be jealousy having this newer competitor!!