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Head-to-head · Continuous Data Protection Software

IDrive vs Live File Backup

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score IDrive #5 in Continuous Data Protection Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit IDrive

IDrive leads on 1 check, Live File Backup on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreIDrive · 8.6/10
  • Free planonly IDrive
  • Most featuresLive File Backup · 1 of 4

IDrive scores higher on our rubric for continuous data protection software: 8.6 against 8.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #8.

IDrive offers free plan; Live File Backup doesn't.

IDrive is the better fit for budget-conscious teams needing broad device coverage. Live File Backup is the better fit for windows users needing continuous file versioning.

  • IDrive fits best

    Budget-conscious teams needing broad device coverage

  • Live File Backup fits best

    Windows users needing continuous file versioning

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Side by side

Feature IDrive 8.6/10 Visit ↗ Live File Backup 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.6 8.3
Ranking #5 in Continuous Data Protection Software #8 in Continuous Data Protection Software
Best for Budget-conscious teams needing broad device coverage Windows users needing continuous file versioning
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price — —
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Desktop
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Windows
Support Email, Live chat, Phone · 24/7 Email
Integrations 13 integrations 3 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features IDrive 0/4 · Live File Backup 1/4
Point-in-time recovery Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Immutable storage Not checked yet Not checked yet
VM protection Not checked yet Not checked yet
Database protection Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Minimum RPO Not checked yet 60 seconds
Retention period Not checked yet 9999 days
Deployment model Not checked yet Self_hosted
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan plus paid entry from $0.25 per month
  • Covers computers, mobile devices, servers, and databases
  • Supports disk imaging, bare-metal restore, and ransomware recovery
  • Continuous backup with configurable intervals and multiple file generations
  • Supports local, USB, network, NAS, FTP, and cloud-drive destinations
  • Includes point-in-time recovery, filters, compression, and encryption
Cons
  • Team plans are limited to five computers and five users
  • Advanced server and business application backups use separate pricing
  • The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple file backup
  • Windows-only, with no broader workload coverage
  • Focused on files rather than full-system or application backup
  • The trial stops backup after two hours and retains data for two days
Our verdict

IDrive is a cloud backup and storage service for individuals, small teams, and businesses. It supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and web access, with coverage for computers, mobile devices, servers, NAS devices, and selected…

Read the review →

Live File Backup is self-hosted Windows software for continuously protecting working files. It suits home users, office PCs, laptops, and small or mid-sized companies that need background backup, configurable intervals, multiple file…

Read the review →
  1. IDriveContinuous Data Protection Software 8.6Free plan
  2. Live File BackupContinuous Data Protection Software 8.3Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • IDrive — where it wins

    • Free plan plus paid entry from $0.25 per month
    • Covers computers, mobile devices, servers, and databases
    • Supports disk imaging, bare-metal restore, and ransomware recovery

    Where it doesn't

    • Team plans are limited to five computers and five users
    • Advanced server and business application backups use separate pricing
    • The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple file backup
  • Live File Backup — where it wins

    • Continuous backup with configurable intervals and multiple file generations
    • Supports local, USB, network, NAS, FTP, and cloud-drive destinations
    • Includes point-in-time recovery, filters, compression, and encryption

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows-only, with no broader workload coverage
    • Focused on files rather than full-system or application backup
    • The trial stops backup after two hours and retains data for two days

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update