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File Storage & Backup · head to head

IDrive vs Rewind

IDrive logo

IDrive

File Storage & Backup

Affordable online backup with multiple device support

From
Free
Rated
-
Rewind logo

Rewind

Backup & Disaster Recovery

SaaS backup for cloud business applications

From
$29/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only IDrive has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: IDrive the advertised annual rates are first year introductory prices, with standard pricing applying from the second year onward; Rewind cannot back up all QuickBooks Online data due to API limitations, excluding company info, exchange rates, and payroll data
  • They diverge on capability: IDrive covers Multiple device backup, Rewind covers Automated backup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IDrive and Rewind actually diverge.

Attributes where IDrive and Rewind differ
AttributeIDriveRewind
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, WebWeb
CategoryFile Storage & BackupBackup & Disaster Recovery
Founded19952015

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 IDrive

  • Multiple device backup
  • True archiving
  • IDrive Express
  • Snapshots
  • File sharing
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Windows Server

Only in Rewind

  • Automated backup
  • One-click restore
  • Version comparison
  • Bulk restore
  • Activity monitoring
  • Shopify
  • BigCommerce
  • QuickBooks Online

Both cover

  • Continuous protection
  • Web 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 Rewind
  • Backing up multiple machines under one accountnot Rewind

Rewind

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

Rewind

  • Cannot back up all QuickBooks Online data due to API limitations, excluding company info, exchange rates, and payroll data
  • Backup restore speed is slow for large datasets, causing significant delays during critical recovery situations
  • Cannot back up Shopify inventory tracking quantities, weight, measurement, or cost per item

Pricing, plan by plan

IDrive

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

Rewind

$29/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Rewind review.

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.

Choose Rewind if

  • You need automated backup.
  • You also want one-click restore.

Questions people ask

Is IDrive or Rewind better?
Neither clearly leads. IDrive starts at Free and Rewind at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IDrive or Rewind?
IDrive has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for IDrive and $29/month for Rewind.
Does IDrive or Rewind run on more platforms?
IDrive runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Web. Rewind runs on Web.
Can I use IDrive for free?
Yes. IDrive has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rewind starts at $29/month.
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 Rewind is typically brought in for.
What can IDrive do that Rewind cannot?
IDrive covers Multiple device backup, True archiving, IDrive Express, Snapshots. Rewind covers Automated backup, One-click restore, Version comparison, Bulk restore. Both handle Continuous protection, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rewind: How long does Rewind keep backup snapshots?

Rewind keeps backup snapshots for 365 days, making them easily accessible for on-demand restores. This provides over a year of recovery options.

Source
Rewind: What SaaS applications does Rewind back up?

Rewind backs up Shopify, BigCommerce, GitHub, Jira, Confluence, QuickBooks Online, Trello, monday.com, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and Zendesk Suite, among others.

Source
Rewind: Is Rewind compliant with data protection regulations?

Rewind is SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, DORA, HIPAA, and CCPA compliant with AES-256 encryption and role-based access control.

Source
Rewind: Can you restore individual items or only full backups?

Rewind supports granular, item-level recovery understanding parent-child dependencies, allowing you to restore specific files, orders, or customer information without full dataset rollback.

Source

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