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Software · head to head

IDrive vs Pulumi

IDrive logo

IDrive

Software

Affordable online backup with multiple device support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pulumi logo

Pulumi

Software

Modern infrastructure as code using programming languages

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: IDrive the advertised annual rates are first year introductory prices, with standard pricing applying from the second year onward; Pulumi the free Individual plan allows one user and one concurrent stack update
  • They diverge on capability: IDrive covers Multiple device backup, Pulumi covers Multi-language support.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IDrive and Pulumi actually diverge.

Attributes where IDrive and Pulumi differ
AttributeIDrivePulumi
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, WebLinux, Windows, Mac, Api
Founded19952017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 IDrive

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

Only in Pulumi

  • Multi-language support
  • Multi-cloud
  • State management
  • Secrets management
  • RBAC
  • Stacks
  • Automation API
  • Policy as Code

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

IDrive

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

Pulumi

  • Defining cloud infrastructure as code in TypeScript, Python, Go, C# or Java rather than a DSLnot IDrive
  • Managing Pulumi state and secrets in a hosted backend instead of self-managed storagenot IDrive
  • Policy, drift detection and deployment workflows for platform engineering teamsnot IDrive

Where each one falls short

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

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

Pulumi

  • The free Individual plan allows one user and one concurrent stack update
  • The Team plan is $40 per month base including 40 credits, and caps the organisation at 10 users
  • SAML/SSO, RBAC, audit logs and drift detection require the Enterprise plan at $400 per month base
  • The per-resource rate rises from $0.1825 per resource per month on Team to $0.365 on Enterprise, so upgrading raises the unit price as well as the base fee
  • Managed secrets are billed separately at $0.50 per secret per month on Team and $0.75 on Enterprise
  • Self-hosting, SCIM user sync, audit log export and 24x7 support are only in Business Critical, which is custom priced with no published rate
  • Team includes up to 500 resources and Enterprise up to 2,000, with everything beyond billed on demand as credits

Pricing, plan by plan

IDrive

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

Pulumi

Free
  • Pulumi CommunityFree
    • Open source
    • Community support
    • Self-hosted
  • Pulumi Cloud$10/month
    • Hosted backend
    • Team collaboration
    • RBAC

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Pulumi if

  • You need multi-language support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want multi-cloud.
Pulumi review

Questions people ask

Is IDrive or Pulumi better?
Neither clearly leads. IDrive starts at Free and Pulumi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IDrive or Pulumi?
IDrive starts at Free and Pulumi at Free.
Does IDrive or Pulumi run on more platforms?
IDrive runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Web. Pulumi runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
Can I use IDrive for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is IDrive best used for?
IDrive is most often used for online backup for computers, servers and mobile devices, backing up multiple machines under one account. Of those, online backup for computers, servers and mobile devices and backing up multiple machines under one account are not what Pulumi is typically brought in for.
What can IDrive do that Pulumi cannot?
IDrive covers Multiple device backup, True archiving, Continuous protection, IDrive Express. Pulumi covers Multi-language support, Multi-cloud, State management, Secrets management. Both handle Windows support, Linux support.
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