Duplicati vs IDrive (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, IDrive grades higher than Duplicati: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Duplicati grades higher on the free plan. IDrive grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Duplicati
Encrypted backup to storage you choose, with a free open-source client
IDrive
Cloud backup for many devices in one account, with a sync folder
Which one is for you
Pick Duplicati if
- Fits if you want a free backup client and your own pick of storage
- Works for IT teams watching backups on many machines in one console
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you run more than 2 machines, because the free console stops at 2
- Not for you if you want alerts for missed backups or remote management, as those need Pro
- Skip it if you want storage included, since self-managed use brings your own
- Watch out: Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup is $0.50 self-hosted or $1.50 managed per user a month, and Enterprise starts at 10 machines
Pick IDrive if
- Fits if your household has several computers and phones to back up in one account
- Works for small businesses backing up servers, NAS boxes and laptops together
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you mainly want Dropbox-style sync, as Cloud Drive is a separate service you have to switch on
- Pricey if you budget on the advertised price, since the 30% off covers the first year only and not app sign-ups
- Tight if you're staying free, as 10 GB won't hold a whole computer
- Watch out: going over your storage costs $0.25 per GB a month on Personal and $0.50 on Team and Business
- Watch out: Mini is yearly only, for new sign-ups and marked limited time, and server backup is $5 a server a month below Business
How we grade them
| 2.8GPADuplicatiGood | 3.2GPAIDriveVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe client is free to download and run, and Pro monitoring is $2 per machine a month billed yearly, under the category's $2.85 line. Storage costs are yours. | AGraded as backup. Mini is $0.25 a month for 100 GB billed yearly, far under the cheapest quarter of this category, and 500 GB is $0.83. Personal is $9.99 a month for 5 TB once the first-year discount ends. Go over your storage, though, and it's $0.25 per GB a month. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe client and a console plan for 2 machines and the last 200 backups are free. One person could live on that, though alerts need Pro. | CIDrive Basic is free with 10 GB and no credit card. That holds your documents, but a computer's worth of photos will go straight past it, so it's a cap most people will hit. |
| Features | CBackup with encryption, changed-block uploads and a central console does the job, which is narrower than storage. M365 and Google backup is priced on its own and the console features are gated. | BGraded as backup, it does the whole job: many devices in one account, continuous backup, 30 versions of each file, snapshots, a private encryption key and drives sent by post for big restores. Cloud Drive adds sync, sharing and editing in the browser. |
| Ease of use | CYou set up each backup job and destination, with no store rating on record. | BNo store rating on record. Install the app, pick what to back up, and it carries on by itself as files change. The one catch is that Cloud Drive sync is a separate service you have to switch on. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb interface plus Mac, Windows and Linux, and many destinations such as S3, Azure, Dropbox, OneDrive and Backblaze B2. No phone apps. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus Synology and QNAP NAS apps, and add-ons that back up Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Dropbox and Box. That covers every device type. |
| Best for | free backup to your own storage | backing up lots of devices in one account |
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: Duplicati and IDrive. How we grade
Price against what you get
Duplicati starts at $2 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. IDrive starts at $0.25 a month and scores 3.3.
IDrive scores higher and starts $1.75 a month lower. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, 8 score higher than Duplicati for less, and none scores higher than IDrive 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
- Duplicati is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Duplicati also covers reports.
- IDrive also covers file sync and file sharing.
At a glance
| Duplicati | IDrive | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2 per machine / month, billed annually ($2.50 billed monthly) | $0.25 per month for 100 GB, billed annually (Mini) |
| Free plan | Console Free plan: insights dashboard, monitoring for up to 2 machines and the last 200 backups. | IDrive Basic: 10 GB of backup storage, no credit card required. Add-ons such as cloud app backup can be bought on top of it. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Duplicati Inc | IDrive Inc. |
| Price read from | duplicati.com | idrive.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Duplicati
- The free console monitors only 2 machines; alerts and remote management need Pro.
- Enterprise starts at 10 machines on a yearly contract and is sold through sales.
- Storage is not included on the self-managed route; extra integrated storage is $0.60 per additional 100 GB per month, billed yearly.
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup is priced separately: $0.50 per user / month self-hosted, $1.50 managed, both billed yearly.
IDrive
- Advertised prices are 30% off the first year only, and the discount is not available when signing up from the mobile apps.
- Cloud Drive sync is a separate service that has to be activated; it is distinct from cloud backup.
- Going over the storage limit costs $0.25 per GB a month on Personal and $0.50 per GB on Team and Business.
- Server backup is a $5 per server a month add-on on Mini, Personal and Team, and is part of Business.
Key features
Duplicati
- Bring your own storage
- Back up to S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud, Backblaze B2, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, SFTP, WebDAV or local disks.
- Encryption before upload
- Data is encrypted on the device before it leaves, and the vendor says only the customer holds the keys.
- Changed-block uploads
- Only changed blocks are sent, which cuts bandwidth use, and retention rules decide how long old versions are kept.
- Central console
- A web console shows backup status across machines; paid plans add missed-backup alerts and remote management.
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup
- Mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Gmail and Drive can be backed up, self-hosted or as a managed service.
IDrive
- Many devices in one account
- Back up PCs, Macs, Linux machines, iPhones, iPads, Android devices and external or NAS drives into one account, with continuous backup of changed files.
- Cloud Drive sync and sharing
- Sync folders across linked devices in real time, share files with view or edit permissions, and edit Office files and PDFs in the browser.
- Snapshots and versioning
- Keeps up to 30 previous versions of every backed-up file, with snapshots for point-in-time recovery and a 30-day trash for deleted files.
- Private-key encryption
- Files are encrypted with 256-bit AES, optionally with a key you define that IDrive says is not stored on its servers.
- IDrive Express shipping
- Back up or restore bulk data by mail on a physical drive: free once a year on Personal, three times a year on Team and Business, then $59.95 a request.
- Cloud app backup add-ons
- Back up Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Dropbox and Box accounts for $20 per seat a year, with a 7-day free trial.
Plans
Duplicati
Free$0
Insights dashboard, monitoring for up to 2 machines and the last 200 backups.
Pro$2
per machine / month, billed annually ($2.50 billed monthly)
Up to 100 machines. Adds missed-backup alerts, AI backup analysis, remote management and 100 GB of storage per machine.
Enterprise$3
per machine / month, from, 10 machines minimum
For MSPs and large companies; yearly contract sold through sales. Adds organization management, SSO with MFA and agent-based deployment.
IDrive
Basic$0
10 GB of storage with no credit card required.
IDrive Mini$0.25
per month for 100 GB, billed annually
One user. 500 GB is $0.83 a month. Sold on yearly billing only, to new sign-ups, and the pricing page marks it "Limited time only".
IDrive Personal$9.99
per month for 5 TB, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly)
One user, multiple computers. Advertised at $6.99 a month for the first year. 10 TB is $14.99 a month and 100 TB $99.99, billed annually.
IDrive Team$9.99
per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($11.99 monthly)
5 computers, 5 users and 5 TB, managed from a web console. Advertised at $6.99 a month for the first year; 10 users and 10 TB is $19.99 a month.
IDrive Business$19.99
per month for 500 GB, billed annually
Unlimited users, computers, servers and NAS devices. Advertised at $13.99 a month the first year; 1.25 TB is $49.99 a month, or $59.99 billed monthly.
Ways to pay less
Duplicati
- Annual discount
Pro costs less when billed annually
The pricing page shows Pro at $2 per machine per month with annual billing selected, against $2.50 as the other displayed figure.
IDrive
- Other savings
30% off the first year
New sign-ups on yearly Personal, Team and Business plans pay 30% less for the first year, such as $6.99 instead of $9.99 a month for Personal 5 TB. Standard pricing applies from the second year.
- Other savings
50% off the first year of a 2-year plan
Two-year plans take 50% off the first year: Personal 5 TB is $179.82 for 2 years instead of $239.76.
- Annual discount
Lower price with yearly billing
Personal and Team 5 TB cost $9.99 a month billed yearly against $11.99 billed monthly, a saving of about 17%.
- Education
50% off for students and schools
Students, educational institutions and anyone with a valid education email address can get Personal or Business at half price, as a limited-period offer.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Duplicati or IDrive?
As of Nov 13, 2026, IDrive is cheaper to start with: $0.25 a month, against $2 a month for Duplicati. Duplicati starts at $2 per machine / month, billed annually ($2.50 billed monthly), and IDrive starts at $0.25 per month for 100 GB, billed annually (Mini).
Which has a free plan, Duplicati or IDrive?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Duplicati and IDrive have a free plan.
Which platforms do Duplicati and IDrive run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only IDrive lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows and Linux 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.