The IDrive Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about IDrive in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
IDrive
The Insider’s Guide
Cloud backup for many devices in one account, with a sync folder
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among file storage and sync services, read from IDrive’s own pages.
Made by IDrive Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from IDrive’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on IDrive’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 12 of the 17 other file storage and sync services we grade
IDrive is a cloud backup service with a separate sync folder called Cloud Drive. One account backs up several PCs, Macs, Linux machines, phones and external drives, keeps up to 30 versions of each file and offers encryption with a private key you set. Team and Business plans add central management and server backup, and backups of Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and other cloud apps are sold as add-ons.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about IDrive, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Just know the big advertised discounts are for the first year, and the sync folder is a separate service you switch on.
- 1
Best for backing up lots of devices cheaply
IDrive is a backup service first and cloud storage second, and that's how we've graded it.
- 2
Paid plans start at $0.25 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $0.25 per month for 100 GB, billed annually (Mini).
- 3
There is a free plan
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.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 3.2 GPA, above 12 of 17
That is against the other file storage and sync services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace IDrive 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.
IDrive at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $0.25 per month for 100 GB, billed annually (Mini)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- IDrive Inc.
- Category
- File Storage & Sync
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for backing up lots of devices cheaply
IDrive is a backup service first and cloud storage second, and that's how we've graded it. One account backs up computers, phones, external drives and NAS boxes, keeps 30 versions of each file, and costs very little: 100 GB is $0.25 a month. Just know the big advertised discounts are for the first year, and the sync folder is a separate service you switch on.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Graded as backup. Mini is $0.25 a month for 100 GB billed yearly, far under the cheap end 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 | C | IDrive 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 | B | Graded 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 | B | No 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 | A | Web, 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. Every device and then some. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who IDrive is for
- Great if your household has several computers and phones to back up in one account
- Handy when you only need 100 GB or so of backup, which costs $0.25 a month
- Good for small businesses backing up servers, NAS boxes and laptops together
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you mainly want Dropbox-style sync, as Cloud Drive is a side service here
- Pricey if you budget on the advertised price, since the 30% off covers the first year only
- Tight if you're staying free, as 10 GB won't hold a whole computer
Good to know
Good for
- Households backing up several computers and phones to one account
- Small businesses that need server, NAS and computer backup together
- People who want large amounts of backup storage at a low yearly price
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$0.25
A month to start. There is a free plan too
IDrive has a free plan. Paid plans start at $0.25 per month for 100 GB, billed annually (Mini).
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.
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.
The free plan
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.
Read from idrive.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on idrive.comOther 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.
Stated on idrive.comAnnual 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%.
Stated on idrive.comEducation
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.
Stated on idrive.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Cloud backup for many devices in one account, with a sync folder. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: file sync, file sharing.
Cloud Drive adds sync, sharing and editing in the browser.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Salesforce
- Dropbox
- Box
- Synology
- QNAP
IDrive is made by IDrive Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
12/17
Other file storage and sync services it is graded above
IDrive's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 12 of the 17 other file storage and sync services we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 11 of 17) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $0.25 a month, against a middle price of $4.17 for the category: 0 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 18 file storage and sync services we grade, cut by the letter each got. IDrive’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 11 of 17
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 17
- BFeaturesAbove 7 of 17
- BEase of useAbove 4 of 17
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 7 of 17
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 18 file storage and sync services. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. IDrive is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace IDrive 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 is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 12 of the 17 other file storage and sync services we grade. It costs $3 a year.
What you could not
- Files kept in step across devices without losing one.
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID among them.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. IDrive’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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
pCloud, Sync.com, Dropbox, MEGA and Icedrive
The 5 tools IDrive is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
pCloud
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Swiss cloud storage sold by subscription or one-time payment.
- Only pCloud lists a browser extension.
- pCloud can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.4GPA
Sync.com
Free plan · from $6/mo
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage and file sharing for teams.
- Only IDrive lists a Linux app.
- Sync.com is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Dropbox
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Cloud storage and file sync with transfer and signing tools.
- Dropbox also covers documents.
- 3.2GPA
MEGA
Free plan · from €3.33/mo
Zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage with a 20 GB free plan.
- Only MEGA lists a browser extension.
- MEGA is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- MEGA also covers video calls.
- 2.2GPA
Icedrive
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Cloud storage with a mountable drive and client-side encryption.
- Icedrive is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Icedrive can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is IDrive free?
IDrive has a free plan. IDrive Basic: 10 GB of backup storage, no credit card required.
How much does IDrive cost?
IDrive lists 5 plans. Basic: $0.
What platforms does IDrive work on?
IDrive is available on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does IDrive offer any discounts?
IDrive publicly lists the following: 30% off the first year; 50% off the first year of a 2-year plan; Lower price with yearly billing; 50% off for students and schools.
Is IDrive open source?
IDrive is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does IDrive integrate with?
IDrive's listing names Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, Salesforce, Dropbox, Box, Synology and QNAP.
Does IDrive have a student discount?
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.
Who makes IDrive?
IDrive is made by IDrive Inc.
What are the alternatives to IDrive?
The closest alternatives to IDrive in our directory are pCloud, Sync.com, Dropbox, MEGA and Icedrive.
How does IDrive compare with other file storage and sync services?
IDrive's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 12 of the 17 other file storage and sync services we grade, and level with 2.
Is IDrive good value for money?
ToolGPA grades IDrive A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $0.25 a month, against a middle price of $4.17 for the category: 0 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of IDrive?
To replace IDrive you would be making files kept in step across devices without losing one.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from IDrive’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from IDrive's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by IDrive Inc. Prices change, so check idrive.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,021
Tools graded, in 54 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,021
tools graded
54
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- IDrive, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/idrive
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "IDrive: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/idrive
Know someone choosing between file storage and sync services?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/idrive/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded file storage and sync services after IDrive, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- File Storage & Sync Insider's GuideEvery one of the 18 file storage and sync services we grade, compared
- Google Drive Insider's GuideCloud storage tied to Google Docs, Gmail and Photos3.6 GPA
- Filen Insider's GuideEnd-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Germany with open source apps3.4 GPA
- Microsoft OneDrive Insider's GuideMicrosoft's cloud storage, bundled with Microsoft 365 plans3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what IDrive’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. IDrive is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by IDrive Inc. Prices and plans change: check idrive.com before you buy.