Cloud based backup choices

Initially I thought there was just dropbox.

Then when I got my G1 I found out about SugarSync since they have mobile apps for all of the common smart phones such as iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows Mobile.

Recently I’ve been looking for a backup solution because I want to be prepared in the case of an emergency.  Anything from theft to water on the computer, I want to be able to be up and running as soon as possible and have all of the files I was working on.

It was also important to find something that was automatic. I don’t want to push buttons to make a sync happen, it should just do it’s thing and I shouldn’t have to worry about it. What if you forget to sync your files, then what?  Also, an external hard drive is a poor solution since I can’t access it from anywhere although definitely the fastest.

And of course privacy is a big one on that list, although it’s pretty hard to tell who is the most secure and what they are actually doing to protect your data.

I was going to pick “the best one” in this blog post but I’ve found way too many solutions now and just wanted to list them out for other people who are in this same boat.

• SugarSync – Pick and choose your folders, up to 250GB storage, mobile apps, sharing available.
• Dropbox – Seemless integration and sharing options, up to 100GB, great web interface, mobile apps available.
• ZumoDrive – Up to 500GB, seemless integration via a network like drive, mobile apps, sharing available.
• Your own server + rsync + lsyncd – For the hacker at heart, do it the cheap way and only be limited by the space on your server.
• Mesh – From Microsoft, don’t know what the limit is. Provides a feed for collaboration when you share documents with others. Can even remote desktop into a computer connected to Mesh(Windows only). Desktop and mobile apps available as well as sharing.
• Time Warp – Integrates with Time Machine and backs up to S3, only pay for what you use. Free during beta, $25 otherwise. @callstat(Mac Consulting) referred me to this one.
• ElasticDrive – A couple people mentioned this although their web site doesn’t sell very well. Don’t have many options or screenshots, free 5gb account.
• AS3Soft – Console based backup using your own S3 and a java application, not  to sure about this one. $9 and a free trial is available.
• Crash Plan – Free for personal use, multiple backup destinations, have an unlimited plan and geared towards family plans.
• Jungle Disk – works with Rackspace and Amazon S3, selective folder backup, can’t tell if it syncs automatically.
• Spider Oak – Similar to Dropbox, site is nifty, no screenshots. $10/100gb.
• Backblaze – $5/month, unlimited space. Getting your files seems like a chore, just a zip file or backup dvd mailed to you.

Remote drive access

• ExpanDrive – More focused on remote connections and drives but a worthy mention.

I really like Time Warp because it integrates with Time Machine but there isn’t a web interface or other ways to access your files. I like Dropbox a lot because of it’s seemless integration but you are limited to 100 GB and that’s at $19.99 where a product like Mozy is $4.99/month.

What are your favorites?