# Arq Backup review (2026): is it worth $59.99? > Encrypted Mac and Windows backup to storage you choose Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. 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. - **Category:** File Storage & Sync - **Made by:** Haystack Software LLC (since 2009) - **Website:** https://www.arqbackup.com - **Runs on:** macOS, Windows - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want storage included, as Arq 7 is the app only and your provider bills extra. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Arq Backup is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $59.99 per computer, one-time. - **Pricing model:** Free trial - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** 30-day free trial. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Arq 7 | $59.99 per 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 | $69.99 per year | Arq 7 on up to 5 computers plus 1 TB of vendor-managed storage and web access to backups. | Read from https://www.arqbackup.com/pricing/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Arq Backup before buying. ## 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. ## Good for - Mac and Windows users who already pay for cloud storage elsewhere - People who want a one-time purchase instead of a backup subscription - Backing up to several places, such as a NAS plus a cloud account ## 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.4 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. 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. - **Value for money: A.** $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. - **Free plan and trial: C.** 30-day free trial that you download, with no card shown. No free plan after it. - **Features: C.** Backup 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. - **Ease of use: C.** You pick and connect each destination, such as S3, Backblaze B2, SFTP or a NAS. No store rating is on record. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Mac and Windows programs only, with no Linux, iOS or Android apps. These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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. ## Where it 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). The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/file-storage ## Keep it, 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. - You could not: Files kept in step across devices without losing one. - You could not: A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page. - You could not: End-to-end encryption done properly. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, SFTP, NAS **Tags:** End-to-end encrypted, One-time purchase, File sync ## Alternatives - [IDrive](https://toolgpa.com/tools/idrive): Cloud backup for many devices in one account, with a sync folder. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/arq-backup-vs-idrive) - [Backblaze B2](https://toolgpa.com/tools/backblaze-b2): S3-compatible object storage billed per terabyte. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/arq-backup-vs-backblaze-b2) - [Carbonite](https://toolgpa.com/tools/carbonite): Automatic cloud backup for home computers and small businesses. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/arq-backup-vs-carbonite) - [Jungle Disk](https://toolgpa.com/tools/jungle-disk): Endpoint backup and cloud network drive for small businesses. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/arq-backup-vs-jungle-disk) - [Zoolz](https://toolgpa.com/tools/zoolz): Cloud backup for businesses, sold by storage tier. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/arq-backup-vs-zoolz) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.arqbackup.com/ - https://www.arqbackup.com/pricing/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/arq-backup Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).