Given the daily reliance on data, users increasingly turn to cloud backup to protect their valuable personal data. When considering their options for cloud backup solutions, they understandably want to know how each will actually perform in real life – because each personal product will perform differently and the time required to safely move data to the cloud can vary greatly.
The challenge for end-users is knowing which solution will create reliable backups, perform seamlessly, and back up to the cloud quickly. In short, they want a solution that will cause the least amount of frustration while providing the best data protection.
To help customers wade through the options and have some guidance, Acronis recently asked MRG Effitas – a well-known independent testing laboratory and a member of the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO) – to conduct a performance test of popular cloud backup solutions.
As you’ll see the results uncovered clear differences and revealed Acronis True Image 2020 as clearly the fastest personal backup.
Based on realistic scenarios
Before getting to the result, it’s important to note that the test methodology was not influenced by Acronis in any way. (In fact, it was so simple and straightforward that anyone could easily replicate the test by referring to the full report.)
When conducting these tests, the testing laboratory tried to simulate typical user behaviors and the processes used to work with data. They paid particular attention to each products’ capabilities and limitations.
MRG Effitas stated in the report that “It is very important to note that the best choice for an average user is to keep things very simple and fast, and for the product not to present too many confusing settings or questions”.
With that in mind, the lab tested each backup solution using their individual default settings. The test consisted of two major scenarios:
- Full disk and incremental backups to the cloud
- 3-2-1 backup strategy test, replicating a local backup to the cloud
For the full backup scenario, the testing laboratory simulated a full system backup with 20 GB of files, which is equal to a minimum Windows 10x64 installation. After that, an additional 1 GB of user files was added, which was used to measure the incremental backup time to the cloud. The limitations of some solutions meant only certain file types could be used, so each solution was tested with the same files.
The next scenario tested the ability to enable the gold-standard of data protection: the 3-2-1 backup strategy. This protection strategy involves having three copies of your data, kept on two different types of storage media, with at least one copy stored off-site, such as in the cloud.
Acronis True Image 2020 and IDrive Personal were the only two products in the test that support the 3-2-1 backup strategy. MRG Effitas measured the time it took for a local backup of the full system plus the time to replicate the local backup to the cloud. An external SSD was used and both applications were tested with the same C: drive, which means the same files were used.
Following the 3-2-1 backup approach is made much easier with Acronis True Image 2020 thanks to the introduction of a new feature called Dual Protection, which automatically replicates local backups in the cloud – ensuring an off-site copy is always available for recovery. Once the user successfully completes the first backup, the backup and replication occur simultaneously, saving time and effort.
Excellent test results
Based on the test results, MRG Effitas concluded that “Acronis True Image 2020 is the best application of the tested products. From the perspective of file-level backup time, Acronis True Image 2020 was the fastest application. Carbonite and Backblaze do not offer the option to perform full system or local disk backup and save it in the cloud, so only Acronis True Image 2020 and IDrive Personal were featured in the dual protection test phase. Acronis True Image 2020 was the fastest in this test.”
With Acronis True Image 2020, the full backup time to the cloud was more than 13-times faster than Backblaze and 3-5 times faster than the other two competitors’ solutions included in the test.
For the 3-2-1 backup strategy test, Acronis True Image 2020 replicated the local backup copy in the cloud a whopping 20-times faster than IDrive!
Final thought
These results are just the most recent illustration of how the continuous innovation and improvements we put into our cyber protection solutions help users ensure the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security of their data.
And while we are proud of the findings from MRG Effitas’ test, we encourage you to experience it for yourself with a free 30-day trial of Acronis True Image 2020. You’ll see exactly what you’ll get if you choose our solution for your cloud backup.
For complete details of their findings, read the full test report from MRG Effitas.
About Acronis
A Swiss company founded in Singapore in 2003, Acronis has 15 offices worldwide and employees in 50+ countries. Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud is available in 26 languages in 150 countries and is used by over 20,000 service providers to protect over 750,000 businesses.