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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Alibaba Cloud vs Carbonite

Alibaba Cloud logo

Alibaba Cloud

Cloud & Infrastructure

Asia's leading cloud computing provider

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Carbonite logo

Carbonite

File Storage & Backup

Simple and reliable cloud backup for businesses

From
$6/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Alibaba Cloud technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included; Carbonite upload speeds are significantly slower than competitors due to lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading
  • They diverge on capability: Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Carbonite covers Automatic backup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alibaba Cloud and Carbonite actually diverge.

Attributes where Alibaba Cloud and Carbonite differ
AttributeAlibaba CloudCarbonite
Starting priceFree$6/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Api, CliWindows, Mac, Web
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureFile Storage & Backup
Founded20092005

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Alibaba Cloud

  • Elastic Compute Service
  • Object Storage Service
  • RDS Database
  • MaxCompute
  • Function Compute
  • CDN
  • Load Balancer
  • API Gateway

Only in Carbonite

  • Automatic backup
  • Continuous protection
  • Remote file access
  • Bare metal restore
  • Encryption
  • Compliance support
  • Microsoft 365
  • Windows Server

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Alibaba Cloud

  • Cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in China and Asia Pacificnot Carbonite
  • Pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitmentnot Carbonite
  • Committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloadsnot Carbonite
  • CDN and data transfer packages for content deliverynot Carbonite

Carbonite

  • Data protectionnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Disaster recoverynot Alibaba Cloud
  • Business continuitynot Alibaba Cloud
  • Ransomware protectionnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Compliancenot Alibaba Cloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Alibaba Cloud

  • Technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
  • Service prices are not shown as a rate card and route through a calculator or sales
  • Committed discounts require savings plans, reserved instances or capacity packages rather than being automatic

Carbonite

  • Upload speeds are significantly slower than competitors due to lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading
  • Bandwidth throttling control is limited, preventing users from managing full bandwidth allocation
  • Mobile apps and web access are more limited than sync-first services like Dropbox or Google Drive
  • Uses AES-128 encryption instead of industry-standard AES-256
  • Hybrid backup support is restricted to professional plans, unavailable for personal users

Pricing, plan by plan

Alibaba Cloud

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Free tier credits
    • ECS instances
    • Cloud storage
  • Pay-as-You-GoFree
    • Flexible billing
    • No commitments
    • Global reach

Carbonite

$6/month
  • Basic$6/month
    • Automatic backup
    • Unlimited cloud storage
    • Easy restore

Which should you pick?

Choose Alibaba Cloud if

  • You need elastic compute service.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want object storage service.
Alibaba Cloud review

Choose Carbonite if

  • You need automatic backup.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Web.
  • You also want continuous protection.
Carbonite review

Questions people ask

Is Alibaba Cloud or Carbonite better?
Neither clearly leads. Alibaba Cloud starts at Free and Carbonite at $6/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alibaba Cloud or Carbonite?
Alibaba Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Alibaba Cloud and $6/month for Carbonite.
Does Alibaba Cloud or Carbonite run on more platforms?
Alibaba Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Carbonite runs on Windows, Mac, Web.
Can I use Alibaba Cloud for free?
Yes. Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Carbonite starts at $6/month.
What is Alibaba Cloud best used for?
Alibaba Cloud is most often used for cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in china and asia pacific, pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitment, committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloads, cdn and data transfer packages for content delivery. Of those, cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in china and asia pacific and pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitment are not what Carbonite is typically brought in for.
What can Alibaba Cloud do that Carbonite cannot?
Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Object Storage Service, RDS Database, MaxCompute. Carbonite covers Automatic backup, Continuous protection, Remote file access, Bare metal restore. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Carbonite: Does Carbonite offer unlimited storage?

Yes, Carbonite's personal plans (Safe Basic through Safe Server Ultimate) offer unlimited cloud storage, though business plans have tiered storage starting at 250 GB.

Source
Carbonite: What is Carbonite's pricing?

Personal plans range from $4.91 to $83.33 per month with annual billing. Business plans start around $50-$75 per endpoint annually, with volume discounts available for multi-year contracts.

Source
Carbonite: How fast are Carbonite's upload speeds?

Carbonite's upload speeds are notably slow and are consistently identified as the platform's main weakness. The lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading contributes to these speed limitations.

Source
Carbonite: What encryption does Carbonite use?

Carbonite uses AES-128 encryption at rest, which is an unusual choice in 2026 when AES-256 is the industry standard.

Source
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