Carbonite vs CrashPlan (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Carbonite grades higher than CrashPlan: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Carbonite grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Carbonite
Automatic cloud backup for home computers and small businesses
CrashPlan
Business backup for laptops, servers, Microsoft 365 and Google
Which one is for you
Pick Carbonite if
- Fits if you want one home computer backed up to the cloud with unlimited space
- Makes sense if you want a business trial for a small office
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan or a personal trial, as there is only a money-back guarantee
- Watch out: personal plans are per computer, with Plus and Prime adding one external drive
- Watch out: business storage is 250 GB or 500 GB, with extra at $99 per 100 GB
- Tight if you want to back up from a phone: the apps are only for reaching files
- Pricey if you are a business on the Ultimate plan at $1,039.99 a year
Pick CrashPlan if
- Fits if you are IT at a company under 250 people who needs laptop backup
- Works for backing up Microsoft 365 or Google data for staff
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a plan for yourself, as no individual home plan is listed
- Skip it if you want a card-free try, because the 14-day trial needs a card
- Tight if your servers hold lots of data, since added storage is $90 a year per 250 GB
- Watch out: from 250 users pricing is quoted, and legal hold, SSO and audit logging sit on Enterprise
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACarboniteFair | 2.0GPACrashPlanFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$71.99 a year for one computer, about $6 a month, in the middle of the category. The price is shown with a discount and no end date. | CLaptops are $7.33 per user a month billed yearly, near the category's $7 middle. The $2.50 Microsoft 365 and Google plans are cheaper, and servers are $15.75. |
| Free plan and trial | DPersonal plans only have a 30-day money-back guarantee, which isn't a trial. Business plans have a 30-day free trial. | D14-day free trial and a card is required. Nothing is free after it. |
| Features | CAutomatic encrypted backup, unlimited personal space, malware recovery and a phone companion. The phone app does not back up, and business storage is capped. | CEndpoint, server, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup with unlimited laptop storage. The listing shows gaps: no home plan, pooled storage on the other plans, and enterprise features only above 250 employees. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record. You install it and it backs up in the background. | CAn admin deploys it to machines and sets policies. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, web, iPhone and Android, though the phone apps are only companions. No integrations or API are listed. | BWeb console plus Mac, Windows and Linux agents, with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Entra ID, Azure, AWS, Wasabi and Backblaze. No phone apps. |
| Best for | automatic cloud backup for home computers | company laptop and Microsoft 365 backup |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Carbonite and CrashPlan. How we grade
Price against what you get
Carbonite starts at $6 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. CrashPlan starts at $2.50 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Carbonite scores higher, and starts $3.50 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, 11 score higher than Carbonite for less, and 8 score higher than CrashPlan for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Carbonite also covers malware protection and dashboards.
- CrashPlan also covers file sync and reports.
At a glance
| Carbonite | CrashPlan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $71.99 per year for 1 computer, billed annually | $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace backup) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial on business plans; 30-day money-back guarantee on personal plans | 14-day free trial, card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Open Text Corporation | CrashPlan |
| Price read from | carbonite.com | crashplan.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Carbonite
- Personal plans are priced per computer; Plus and Prime add one external hard drive.
- Business storage is capped at 250 GB or 500 GB, with extra storage at $99 per 100 GB.
- The displayed prices are discounted from crossed-out ones and the pages give no end date.
- Listed system support is Windows 7+ or macOS 10.10+; the mobile apps are companions, not backup clients.
CrashPlan
- Built for organizations; the pricing page lists no plan for individual home users.
- Published rates apply under 250 users; at 250 and above pricing is quoted.
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace plans need a 50-user minimum at enterprise volume.
- Server and SaaS plans pool storage, and added capacity is $90 per year per 250 GB.
Key features
Carbonite
- Automatic encrypted backup
- Files are backed up in the background and encrypted with 256-bit encryption at rest and in transit.
- Unlimited personal storage
- Personal plans list unlimited cloud backup space; the business plans have fixed allowances of 250 GB or 500 GB.
- Recovery after malware
- The vendor says uninfected files can be recovered within 2 weeks of a virus or malware event, for backed-up data.
- Phone and browser access
- Backed-up files can be reached from a web browser or from the companion app for Android and iOS.
- Server and policy management
- Business plans add Windows server backup, bare metal image backup and policies set by group, role or device.
- Compliance support
- The business page says the service supports HIPAA, FERPA and GLBA compliance needs.
CrashPlan
- Endpoint backup
- Backs up Windows, macOS and Linux laptops, with self-serve restore and device migration so users avoid an IT ticket.
- Server backup
- Protects Windows and Linux servers using deduplication, compression and incremental backups.
- Microsoft 365 and Entra ID
- Backs up Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint and Entra ID, and can archive inactive data to reduce Microsoft storage.
- Google Workspace
- Backs up Gmail and Google Drive with retention and versioning beyond Google's native window.
- Retention not priced by copies
- The vendor prices on source data protected, with unlimited retention and restores included in the base price.
- Enterprise controls
- Large accounts add SSO, role-based access, legal hold, immutable copies and a choice of storage such as Azure, AWS or Wasabi.
Plans
Carbonite
Personal Basic$71.99
per year for 1 computer, billed annually
Unlimited cloud backup for 1 computer; shown as 25% off a crossed-out $95.99, with no end date given.
Personal Plus$78.99
per year, billed annually
Adds an external hard drive to Basic; shown as 40% off a crossed-out $131.99, with no end date given.
Personal Prime$121.49
per year, billed annually
Everything in Plus, with Webroot antivirus and courier delivery of recovered files for an extra fee.
Business Core$230.39
per year, billed annually
250 GB for up to 25 computers, external drives and NAS; shown as 20% off $287.99. Extra storage is $99 per 100 GB.
Business Power$639.99
per year, billed annually
500 GB for 1 server plus up to 25 computers, with bare metal backup; shown as 20% off $799.99.
Business Ultimate$1039.99
per year, billed annually
500 GB for unlimited servers plus 25 computers; shown as 20% off $1299.99.
CrashPlan
Microsoft 365 (small business)$2.50
per user / month, billed annually ($30)
Exchange Online, SharePoint and OneDrive backup with 50 GB pooled storage per user; extra storage is $90 per year per 250 GB.
Google Workspace (small business)$2.50
per user / month, billed annually ($30)
Gmail and Google Drive backup with 50 GB pooled storage per user; extra storage is $90 per year per 250 GB.
Endpoints (small business)$7.33
per user / month, billed annually ($88)
Windows, macOS and Linux laptops with unlimited cloud storage and versioning. $158 if paid every 2 years.
Servers (small business)$15.75
per server / month, billed annually ($189)
Windows and Linux servers with 250 GB pooled storage per server; extra is $90 per year per 250 GB.
Enterprise (250+ employees)Custom
Volume pricing through sales, with your own storage, SSO, legal hold and audit logging.
Ways to pay less
Carbonite
No public discounts listed.
CrashPlan
- Annual discount
Two-year prepay on endpoints and servers
Endpoints are $158 and servers $284 when paid every 2 years, against $88 and $189 a year.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Carbonite or CrashPlan?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Carbonite starts at $71.99 per year for 1 computer, billed annually, and CrashPlan starts at $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace backup). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Carbonite or CrashPlan?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Carbonite nor CrashPlan has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Carbonite and CrashPlan run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Carbonite lists iOS and Android apps and only CrashPlan lists a Linux app. Both list a web app and macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.