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Backup & Disaster Recovery · head to head

Arcserve UDP vs IDrive

Arcserve UDP logo

Arcserve UDP

Backup & Disaster Recovery

Unified data protection for all workloads

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IDrive logo

IDrive

File Storage & Backup

Affordable online backup with multiple device support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only IDrive has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Arcserve UDP multiple security vulnerabilities documented in 2025-2026 including authentication bypass and buffer overflow issues; IDrive the advertised annual rates are first year introductory prices, with standard pricing applying from the second year onward
  • They diverge on capability: Arcserve UDP covers Assured recovery testing, IDrive covers Multiple device backup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arcserve UDP and IDrive actually diverge.

Attributes where Arcserve UDP and IDrive differ
AttributeArcserve UDPIDrive
Starting price$25/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, LinuxWindows, Mac, Linux, Web
CategoryBackup & Disaster RecoveryFile Storage & Backup
Founded19831995

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Arcserve UDP

  • Assured recovery testing
  • Instant VM recovery
  • Deep application support
  • Ransomware protection
  • Tape backup
  • Hardware snapshots
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Only in IDrive

  • Multiple device backup
  • True archiving
  • Continuous protection
  • IDrive Express
  • Snapshots
  • File sharing
  • iOS
  • Android

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Linux support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Arcserve UDP

  • Data protectionnot IDrive
  • Disaster recoverynot IDrive
  • Business continuitynot IDrive
  • Ransomware protectionnot IDrive
  • Compliancenot IDrive

IDrive

  • Online backup for computers, servers and mobile devicesnot Arcserve UDP
  • Backing up multiple machines under one accountnot Arcserve UDP

Where each one falls short

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

Arcserve UDP

  • Multiple security vulnerabilities documented in 2025-2026 including authentication bypass and buffer overflow issues
  • Slow restore speeds for large backup tasks and recovery operations
  • Requires full backup when changing drive sizes, causing extended backup windows

IDrive

  • The advertised annual rates are first year introductory prices, with standard pricing applying from the second year onward
  • The two year offer discounts only the first year, so the second year reverts to the full rate
  • Team plans tie user and computer counts to the storage tier, so 10 TB means exactly 10 computers
  • Business storage costs far more per terabyte than Personal, at $719.88 a year for 1.25 TB against $143.88 for 5 TB

Pricing, plan by plan

Arcserve UDP

$25/month
  • UDP Premium$25/month
    • Assured recovery
    • Instant VM
    • Tape support

IDrive

Free
  • Personal$4/month
    • 5TB storage
    • Unlimited devices
    • IDrive Express

Which should you pick?

Choose Arcserve UDP if

  • You need assured recovery testing.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want instant vm recovery.
Arcserve UDP review

Choose IDrive if

  • You need multiple device backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, Web.
  • You also want true archiving.
IDrive review

Questions people ask

Is Arcserve UDP or IDrive better?
Neither clearly leads. Arcserve UDP starts at $25/month and IDrive at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arcserve UDP or IDrive?
IDrive has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $25/month for Arcserve UDP and Free for IDrive.
Does Arcserve UDP or IDrive run on more platforms?
Arcserve UDP runs on Windows, Linux. IDrive runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Web.
Can I use IDrive for free?
Yes. IDrive has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arcserve UDP starts at $25/month.
What is Arcserve UDP best used for?
Arcserve UDP is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what IDrive is typically brought in for.
What can Arcserve UDP do that IDrive cannot?
Arcserve UDP covers Assured recovery testing, Instant VM recovery, Deep application support, Ransomware protection. IDrive covers Multiple device backup, True archiving, Continuous protection, IDrive Express. Both handle Windows support, Linux support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arcserve UDP: What licensing model does Arcserve UDP use?

Arcserve UDP uses a capacity-based subscription model (Managed Capacity Program) where you license based on total front-end terabytes of protected data rather than per-device. Available in Standard, Advanced, and Premium editions.

Source
Arcserve UDP: Does Arcserve UDP support cloud backup?

Yes. Arcserve UDP integrates with multiple cloud providers including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Wasabi for offsite backup and disaster recovery storage.

Source
Arcserve UDP: What hypervisors does Arcserve UDP support?

Arcserve UDP supports multiple hypervisors including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, and others, allowing granular recovery at the VM level with instant boot capabilities.

Source
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Related pages

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