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File Storage & Backup · head to head

IDrive vs Vagrant

IDrive logo

IDrive

File Storage & Backup

Affordable online backup with multiple device support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vagrant logo

Vagrant

File Storage & Backup

Development environments made easy

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; Vagrant vagrant 2.4.3 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • They diverge on capability: IDrive covers Multiple device backup, Vagrant covers Box management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IDrive and Vagrant actually diverge.

Attributes where IDrive and Vagrant differ
AttributeIDriveVagrant
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, WebLinux, Windows, Mac
CategoryFile Storage & BackupUnknown
Founded19952010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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
  • Continuous protection
  • IDrive Express
  • File sharing
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Windows Server

Only in Vagrant

  • Box management
  • Provider support
  • Multi-machine setups
  • Provisioners
  • Networking
  • Synced folders
  • Plugins
  • VirtualBox

Both cover

  • Snapshots
  • 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 Vagrant
  • Backing up multiple machines under one accountnot Vagrant

Vagrant

  • Reproducible local development environments defined in a Vagrantfilenot IDrive
  • Provisioning identical VMs across VirtualBox, VMware and Hyper-V for a teamnot IDrive
  • Sandboxing multi-machine setups on a developer laptopnot 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

Vagrant

  • Vagrant 2.4.3 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Vagrant to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Vagrant
  • Each version converts to the MPL 2.0 Change License only four years after that version is first published
  • Uses that fall outside the Additional Use Grant require a separately negotiated licence from the licensor

Pricing, plan by plan

IDrive

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

Vagrant

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Development environment provisioning
    • Multiple providers
    • Provisioner support

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 Vagrant if

  • You need box management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want provider support.
Vagrant review

Questions people ask

Is IDrive or Vagrant better?
Neither clearly leads. IDrive starts at Free and Vagrant at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IDrive or Vagrant?
IDrive starts at Free and Vagrant at Free.
Does IDrive or Vagrant run on more platforms?
IDrive runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Web. Vagrant runs on Linux, Windows, Mac.
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 Vagrant is typically brought in for.
What can IDrive do that Vagrant cannot?
IDrive covers Multiple device backup, True archiving, Continuous protection, IDrive Express. Vagrant covers Box management, Provider support, Multi-machine setups, Provisioners. Both handle Snapshots, Windows support, Linux support.
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