Comparison
Why Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive & Dropbox Aren't Backups
They're excellent at what they do — but what they do is sync, not back up. There's a critical difference, and it's the difference between "recoverable" and "gone forever."
The One Sentence Version
Sync mirrors your files across devices. Backup keeps a separate copy that can't be touched by what happens to your devices.
You probably want both. Cloud storage for daily collaboration, a backup for protection.
What Each Service Actually Does
Google Drive
What it is: Cloud file sync. Anything in your Drive folder appears on every signed-in device.
Where it leaves you exposed: Delete a file on your laptop and it disappears everywhere within seconds. Trash holds it 30 days, then permanent. No version history past 30 days for most account types. Your account being compromised = total file loss.
iCloud (Apple)
What it is: Sync for Apple devices. Photos, Documents, Desktop, and select apps mirror across iPhone, Mac, iPad.
Where it leaves you exposed: Same sync model. A deleted photo in Photos.app on your iPhone is gone from your Mac too. iCloud only stores 30 days of recently-deleted items. If your Apple ID is locked, breached, or its payment lapses, you can lose access to your entire vault.
Microsoft OneDrive
What it is: Cloud sync built into Windows. Documents, Desktop, and Pictures often sync by default on Windows 10/11.
Where it leaves you exposed: Ransomware that encrypts your local files instantly syncs the encrypted versions to OneDrive, overwriting the originals. OneDrive keeps version history, but only if you act fast and only on file types it tracks. Many small businesses have lost everything to this exact pattern.
Dropbox
What it is: Cross-device file sync, similar model to Drive.
Where it leaves you exposed: Delete it locally, it deletes in Dropbox. Versions for 30 days on the basic plan, 180 days on paid plans — but only if the file existed in Dropbox. Dropbox accounts get hijacked too; a compromised login means a compromised vault.
Three Scenarios Cloud Storage Won't Save You From
Scenario 1: Ransomware
Your laptop catches ransomware. Every file on disk gets encrypted with a key only the attacker has. OneDrive (or Drive, or Dropbox) sees the changes and dutifully syncs the encrypted versions to the cloud, overwriting your good files. By the time you notice, your cloud copies are also encrypted. A real backup ignored those changes — your files from yesterday are still recoverable.
Scenario 2: Account compromise
Someone phishes your Google or Microsoft credentials. They delete everything in your Drive / OneDrive and empty the trash. By the time you realize and recover the account (which can take days), the 30-day recycle window has been wiped. A real backup uses a different account on a different system — independently safe.
Scenario 3: The slow accidental delete
A folder gets accidentally deleted or moved. Nobody notices for 60 days. The 30-day recycle window has expired. iCloud/Drive/OneDrive can't help. A real backup retains versions for 90+ days, often longer.
What Makes Everyday Backups a True Backup
✓ Files are stored separately, not synced
When you delete a file on your laptop, your backup keeps the previous version. Nothing about your local change touches the backup unless you explicitly trigger a restore.
✓ Versions go back further than 30 days
A real backup keeps daily snapshots for as long as your retention policy allows — months or years, not weeks. You can restore the version of a file from before you accidentally edited it 6 months ago.
✓ Encrypted with a key only you control
Even if our servers got compromised, your files would be unreadable because they're encrypted before they leave your device. Cloud storage providers technically have access to your raw files (they have to, in order to render previews and search them).
✓ Resists ransomware
Ransomware can encrypt every file on your computer. With sync, those encrypted versions immediately overwrite your good files in the cloud. With a backup, the encrypted versions just become the latest version — you restore from before the attack and you're back.
✓ Independent of your main account
If your Google / Apple / Microsoft / Dropbox account gets locked or hijacked, your backup is somewhere else entirely. Different login, different recovery path.
You Don't Have to Pick One
We're not telling you to ditch Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive, or Dropbox. They're great at what they do — letting you work across devices, share with collaborators, and access files from anywhere.
But they were never designed to protect you from losing data. That's a different job, and it needs a different tool. Use cloud storage for daily work. Use Everyday Backups as your safety net. The two are complementary, not competing.
Frequently Asked
Can't I just enable version history in OneDrive / Drive?
Version history helps for accidental edits to a single file. It doesn't protect against bulk deletion, ransomware, or account loss. And version retention windows are short — usually 30 days for free tiers, 180 days for paid.
Does Everyday Backups back up my OneDrive folder?
Yes. Pick your OneDrive folder during setup, and we'll back up everything inside it — completely independently of OneDrive's sync. Same for Dropbox, Drive, and iCloud Drive (on Mac). You get the convenience of sync AND the safety of a backup.
What about Apple's "iCloud Backup" for iPhone?
That's closer to a true backup, but it's tied to your Apple ID. Lose access to your Apple ID and you lose access to your iCloud Backup. Our mobile app stores your encrypted photos in S3 under a separate account — independent of Apple.
Is this a 3-2-1 backup?
The classic 3-2-1 rule is: 3 copies, 2 different media, 1 off-site. We give you the off-site copy on different media. Your local files are copy #1, your cloud-storage sync is copy #2, and Everyday Backups is the off-site copy #3 that's isolated from both.
Add a real safety net
Keep using whatever cloud sync you love. Add Everyday Backups underneath for the protection sync alone can't give you.
Start Backing Up