The Difference between Cloud Storage and Backup

Cloud storage and cloud backup services are two terms that most people tend to use interchangeably. Note that these two services are not completely similar. To understand the important differences between these two cloud services, you will have to dig a bit deeper into the whole cloud concept. In simple words, you cannot expect the same peace of mind that is offered by cloud backup when it comes to cloud storage.

The Basic Differences

Cloud storage is used to store your important files and documents including photos, videos, audios, data, etc., from your computer or any other device to a unified location called the cloud. OneDrive and Dropbox are popular examples of cloud data storage. In this case, you can easily access files from anywhere at any time using a device and reliable internet connection. You can also share your data with others without any hassle. Furthermore, it offers easy syncing as well. However, it cannot offer you the same security offered by the cloud backup service.

Note that during unfortunate incidents like if your computer gets stolen or it crashes, you will lose all the data that you haven’t uploaded to the cloud manually. In other words, you’ll have to keep moving the updated files to the cloud constantly to secure them when it comes to cloud storage. You’ll lose data even if the auto sync option is turned on. Note that if a file on your laptop gets infected or deleted by a virus, the same thing will happen with the synced file as well. This is when the cloud backup services come into play.

Keep in mind that cloud backup or online backup is designed to store a copy of your file even in case of incidents like your data being stolen or infected by malware. Backup services include file versioning. With this service, even if your laptop is infected by ransomware, you can still retrieve a decent copy of your file for an amount of time before your device gets infected. This action makes cloud backup a supreme service when compared to cloud storage. To give you some in-depth details about cloud storage, below are some of the notable differences between the usual cloud storage and backup services.

• Cloud storage is designed in a way to support your device memory or HDD space. Plus, you can access your stored files anytime anywhere. When it comes to cloud backup, it’s designed to retrieve a clean copy of your data even in case of a malware attack or other data loss incidents.
• While you’ll still have to upload all the files to the cloud manually when using the cloud storage, the task is automated in case of cloud backup
• The process of transferring data is more secure in the cloud backup when compared to the cloud storage.