Cloud Storage vs External Drives: The Best Way to Back Up Your Data

Phones get lost, laptops fail and files get deleted. A good backup plan protects your photos, work and memories. The question is whether to use the cloud, a physical drive or both.

Cloud storage

Cloud services store your files on remote servers. They sync across devices, are easy to share and protect against local disasters such as theft or fire. The downsides are monthly fees and the need for an internet connection.

External drives

A hard drive or SSD gives fast, one time cost storage that you control. But drives can fail, be lost or be damaged, so they should not be your only copy.

The 3-2-1 rule

Keep three copies of important data, on two different types of media, with one copy stored off-site. For example, your computer, an external drive at home and a cloud backup.

Choosing a provider

Look at price per terabyte, encryption, version history, mobile apps and ease of restoring files. Use two-factor authentication on your account.

Take action

Automate backups so you never forget. Test restoring a file once in a while, because a backup you cannot restore is not a backup.