# Carbonite review (2026): is it worth $71.99 a year? > Automatic cloud backup for home computers and small businesses Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Carbonite, now part of OpenText, backs up computers to encrypted cloud storage so files can be restored after loss, damage or a malware infection. Personal plans cover one computer with unlimited storage. Professional plans add servers, group backup policies and fixed storage allowances for small businesses. - **Category:** File Storage & Sync - **Made by:** Open Text Corporation - **Website:** https://www.carbonite.com - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want a free plan or a personal trial, as there is only a money-back guarantee. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Carbonite is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $71.99 per year for 1 computer, billed annually. - **Pricing model:** Free trial - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** 30-day free trial on business plans; 30-day money-back guarantee on personal plans. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | 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. | Read from https://www.carbonite.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Carbonite before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Home users who want a set-and-forget backup of one computer - Small offices backing up a few servers and workstations - People who want antivirus bundled with backup ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.2 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Carbonite backs up a computer in the background to the cloud, with unlimited space on personal plans from $71.99 a year. It has no free plan, business storage is capped at 250 or 500 GB, and the sale prices come with no end date. - **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. - **Free plan and trial: D.** Personal plans only have a 30-day money-back guarantee, which isn't a trial. Business plans have a 30-day free trial. - **Features: C.** Automatic encrypted backup, unlimited personal space, malware recovery and a phone companion. The phone app does not back up, and business storage is capped. - **Ease of use: B.** No rating on record. You install it and it backs up in the background. - **Platforms and integrations: B.** Windows, Mac, web, iPhone and Android, though the phone apps are only companions. No integrations or API are listed. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Carbonite'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 - Carbonite's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 34 of the 91 other file storage and sync services we grade, and level with 9. - It stands best on ease of use (B, above 60 of 91) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 9). - Its paid plans start at $6 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $6.64 for the category: 25 of the 60 others that charge start lower. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 11 tools score higher and cost less. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/file-storage ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** To replace Carbonite you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It costs $71.99 a year. - You could not: An engine that recognises new malware as it appears. - You could not: Connections that pull numbers from dozens of other services. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other. - You could not: What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: HIPAA. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## What people say - **App Store rating of the iPhone and iPad app:** 4.4 out of 5 from 1,111 ratings in the United States, read Nov 13, 2026. This is the store's rating of the app, not a score from ToolGPA. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id347953228 **Tags:** Malware protection, Dashboards ## Alternatives - [IDrive](https://toolgpa.com/tools/idrive): Cloud backup for many devices in one account, with a sync folder. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/carbonite-vs-idrive) - [CrashPlan](https://toolgpa.com/tools/crashplan): Business backup for laptops, servers, Microsoft 365 and Google. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/carbonite-vs-crashplan) - [Arq Backup](https://toolgpa.com/tools/arq-backup): Encrypted Mac and Windows backup to storage you choose. [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/carbonite-vs-jungle-disk) - [Zoolz](https://toolgpa.com/tools/zoolz): Cloud backup for businesses, sold by storage tier. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/carbonite-vs-zoolz) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.carbonite.com - https://www.carbonite.com/professional/backup/ - https://www.carbonite.com/professional/pricing/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/carbonite Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).