Arq Backup review (2026): is it worth $59.99?
Encrypted Mac and Windows backup to storage you choose
Black Friday: is there a Arq Backup sale?
Arq Backup report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for backing up a Mac or PC to storage you choose
Arq Backup encrypts your files on your own computer and sends them to cloud or NAS storage you pick, for a one-time $59.99. The price does not cover storage, updates stop after a year unless you pay $25 more, and it runs on Mac and Windows only.
Who Arq Backup is for
- Fits if you already pay for cloud storage and want a one-time backup program
- Works for backing up to a NAS plus a cloud account at once
Who Arq Backup is not for
- Skip it if you want storage included, as Arq 7 is the app only and your provider bills extra
- Not for you if you use Linux, as the vendor lists Mac and Windows only
- Pricey if you keep updating, at $25 per computer for each year after the first
- Watch out: Arq Premium adds 1 TB for $69.99 a year, then $0.00699 per GB a month above that
Why Arq Backup gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for money$59.99 once is under a year of the category's $7 middle subscription ($84). Storage is on top, and updates after the first year are $25 per computer.
- CFree plan and trial30-day free trial that you download, with no card shown. No free plan after it.
- CFeaturesBackup does the job fully, with client-side encryption, versioned history, schedules and bandwidth limits, and it is a narrower job than storage. It does not sync or share files.
- CEase of useYou pick and connect each destination, such as S3, Backblaze B2, SFTP or a NAS. No store rating is on record.
- CPlatforms and integrationsMac and Windows programs only, with no Linux, iOS or Android apps.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Haystack Software LLC's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Arq Backup? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/arq-backup#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/arq-backup.svg" alt="Arq Backup: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Arq Backup stands among file storage and sync services
Arq Backup's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 44 of the 91 other file storage and sync services we grade, and level with 17.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 74 of 91) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 1).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 92 file storage and sync services we grade, cut by the letter each got. Arq Backup’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 74 of 91, level with 17
- CFree plan and trialAbove 18 of 91, level with 48
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 91, level with 67
- CEase of useAbove 22 of 91, level with 37
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 91, level with 29
Keep Arq Backup, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Arq Backup you would be making files kept in step across devices without losing one. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $59.99, paid once.
What you could not
- Files kept in step across devices without losing one.
- A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
What this rests on. Arq Backup’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Arq Backup?
Arq is backup software for Mac and Windows computers. It copies files to a cloud account you already hold, an SFTP server, a NAS or an external drive, with encryption applied before the data leaves the machine. A separate Arq Premium subscription bundles the app with cloud storage the vendor manages.
Worth knowing
- No Linux, iOS or Android apps; the vendor lists Mac and Windows only.
- Arq 7 does not include storage, so cloud fees from your provider are extra.
- Updates are included for one year; after that, further years cost $25 per computer.
- Arq Premium storage above 1 TB is billed at $0.00699 per GB per month.
Key features
- Your own destinations
- Back up to a cloud account you already have, an SFTP server, a NAS or an external drive, or several of these at once.
- Client-side encryption
- The vendor says backups are encrypted so only the owner can read them, and stored in an open, documented format.
- Versioned history
- Keeps multiple versions of files so you can restore an earlier copy after corruption, deletion or ransomware.
- Efficient backups
- Uses compression, de-duplication and block-level incremental backup, with APFS snapshot support on Mac.
- Schedule and limits
- Run hourly or daily, skip certain Wi-Fi networks or battery power, cap bandwidth, and set exclusion rules.
- Open-source restore tool
- A separate open-source tool, arq_restore, lets advanced users read backed-up data directly.
Arq Backup pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Arq Backup is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $59.99 per computer, one-time.
- Starts at
- $59.99 per computer, one-time
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Arq 7 | $59.99per computer, one-time | App only; you supply the storage. Includes one year of updates, then $25 per computer per year if you want more. |
| Arq Premium | $69.99per year | Arq 7 on up to 5 computers plus 1 TB of vendor-managed storage and web access to backups. |
Read from arqbackup.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Arq Backup before you buy.
Works with
Arq Backup alternatives
- Arq Backup vs IDrive
Free plan · from $0.25/mo
- Arq Backup vs Backblaze B2
Free plan · from $6.95/mo
- Arq Backup vs Carbonite
Free trial · from $71.99/yr
- Arq Backup vs Zoolz
Free trial · from $7.99/mo
Common questions
Does Arq Backup have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Arq Backup is listed for macOS and Windows.
Does Arq Backup have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Arq Backup is listed for macOS and Windows.
Is Arq Backup open source?
Arq Backup is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Is Arq Backup end-to-end encrypted?
Arq Backup describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.