Top 5 External Hard Drives With Cloud Backup

 

Are you confused if you can choose an external hard drive or a virtual cloud server to store your important files? You will be surprised to know you can opt for both at the price of one. There are several hard drives available that come with free-of-cost cloud subscriptions. So if the hard drive fails, you can restore your data from the cloud.

While several brands are now introducing external drives with this technology, investing in the right one is important. To ensure this, we have reviewed the top 5 external hard drives with cloud backup to purchase in 2023. Let’s get started!

 

Importance of External Hard Drives With Cloud Backup

Hard drives and cloud servers play a crucial role in data storage, and combining these two tools can provide a comprehensive backup solution. Since hard drives can get corrupt or stolen, securing your data on a virtual, off-site cloud is highly recommended.

Here are some other reasons that depict the importance of hard drives with cloud backup.

Redundancy: It means you can store your data on both hard drives and cloud servers so it can be recovered conveniently.

Security: When you sync data from an external drive to the cloud, it is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.

Accessibility: You can not carry your hard drive everywhere, but with cloud backup, it is easier to access the data from anywhere and on any device.

Cost-effective: Hard drives are inexpensive data storage tools, and when they come with free cloud backup, it’s totally worth it.

 

Top 5 External Hard Drives With Cloud Backup

Here are our comprehensive reviews on the top external hard drives with cloud backup.

1. Western Digital My Book

   The Western Digital My Book external hard drive can be your ultimate storage solution for memorable pictures, videos, or important documents. It comes in various storage capacities of 4 TB, 6 TB, 8 TB, 12 TB, and 16 TB. It is 100% compatible with major operating systems, including Windows and Mac.

   Amidst all the robust features, its integration with Dropbox sets this external drive apart. This feature lets you conveniently transfer all the data from the drive to the Dropbox cloud server. Since this drive comes with backup software, you can easily perform this task. It ensures the files on the cloud are always up to date and align with the hard drive’s data.

2. Seagate Backup Plus

   If you are looking for a feature-packed hard drive that offers cloud access simultaneously, consider investing in Seagate Backup Plus. This hard drive’s storage capacity extends up to 10TB. Even 4 TB, 6 TB, and 8 TB variants are available at lesser costs to match your needs.

   What most users love about this drive is its large cloud storage feature. Investing in Seagate Backup Plus gives you free access to OneDrive storage worth 200 GB of space. You can leverage one-click data backup to the cloud from the drive through its Toolkit software. There is also a feature to set up custom backup frequencies, including daily, weekly, or monthly.

3. Toshiba Canvio Connect II

   Your search for an external drive to transform your PC into a cloud server can end with the Toshiba Canvio Connect II. This pocket-sized device looks stylish and depicts exceptional functionality, especially in terms of cloud storage.

   You can start by installing its PogoPlus software to set up and use the cloud server on your computer or laptop. Besides the cloud’s exceptional storage capacity of 10 GB, the drive itself can store up to 3 TB of data. Moreover, its 500 GB model is also available if you have lower storage needs.

4. Buffalo LinkStation 220

   Our fourth pick, the Buffalo LinkStation 220, can be an ideal storage solution for users on a tight budget. Being available at economical rates doesn’t mean this drive compromises on quality. This small-sized device with a storage capacity of 8 TB is compatible with several operating systems, like Windows and Mac.

   It also comes with a free-of-cost cloud subscription, which backs up all the drive data efficiently to an off-site server. Another notable aspect of this drive is its top-notch security features. It offers SSL encryption to protect your files from cyber-attacks or malware.

5. Western Digital My Cloud Mirror - Gen 2

   Last but not the least, the Western Digital My Cloud Mirror is based on RAID technology and comes in a package of two drives. So you can store one copy of all the files on each. You can find several models of this drive in terms of storage, including 4 TB, 6 TB, 8 TB, and 16 TB.

   This drive even incorporates several cloud services for data backup. These mainly include Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon S3, and Dropbox. You can conveniently connect your drive to these cloud servers using the My Cloud App, which works on mobile, PC, and laptop. The best part is that it provides automatic data backup and sync to keep the files in the cloud up to date.

 

Wrap Up

We hope you understand why securing your data in multiple locations is crucial. While there are several other options to do so, we have covered hard drives with cloud backup in this article. We hope that after reviewing our top picks, you’ll be able to find the external drive for your needs and enjoy its exceptional cloud features that come on a complimentary basis.