JustCloud Review
- All-in-one backup, sync and share
- Easy to use
- Top-notch security
- 14-day free trial
- Few scheduling options
- No continuous backup
Final verdict
Just Cloud is one of those services that take care about your backups. You don’t have to worry about running out of space because they offer unlimited online backup, you can back up your files automatically without having to worry ever again and even sync your files across several devices. And hey, you can just test it for free for 14 days.
Is JustCloud something for me?
Who is JustCloud for?
Sometimes online backup can be very difficult. Not so with JustCloud. It is very easy to sign up and register an account with JustCloud and then start your backup. There is no need to think about weird preferences, data security, reliability or even space, as it is all unlimited (with the exception of a file size limit of 3GB – now 5GB!). Everything is taken care of by JustCloud. And that is the beauty of it: if you are not the most tech-savvy person alive, then you’ll certainly love JustCloud. In fact, I even recommended JustCloud to my grandma. She stores all her photos and videos on her PC, but she has never even thought about creating a backup. Imagine, all those photos and videos could be lost forever. If you are looking for a hassle-free online backup solution then you may try JustCloud for free for 14 days. You can’t go terribly wrong with that service. However, we are going to discuss the pros and cons in this review.
How does JustCloud stack up?
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As for the price, I’ve taken the 2-year plan of every provider to be sure to include the discounts you’ll get committing yourself for two years. You will have to pay the fee upfront – so take the monthly price times 24 and you’ll end up with the final price.
Also, you might notice that Carbonite, while offering unlimited backup, throttles bandwidth after a couple of gigabyte resulting in very slow online backups. This is something JustCloud doesn’t do. The only limitation you have with JustCloud is the file size limit of 3GB – now 5GB!. Mozy doesn’t offer an unlimited plan and is therefore quite a pricy option, as you’ll only get 50GB of storage. One of my folders with some photos alone would consume all that space.
JustCloud review
JustCloud is a relatively new online backup and synchronization service. Founded in 2010, the JustCloud team thought about how to revolutionize online backup and make it more accessible for everyone. They came up with the idea of unlimited online backup, as this is the easiest way to organize your files. Granted, the idea of unlimited online backup is not new: Carbonite and Backblaze also offer unlimited online backup. So there is some competition in the space and we are going to see whether JustCloud can live up to our expectations.
Unlimited online storage
JustCloud Homepage
For me, it is very compelling to combine backup and synchronization in one solution. Yes, backups are necessary, but I also need my files across multiple devices: for my personal use I have an iMac and a MacBook Pro. At work, I tend to work with a Windows PC. So I have at least 3 devices that I need to sync data across. Fortunately, JustCloud comes with a 1-GB free syncing space. 1 GB is not much, but certainly enough for the occasional syncing of documents or PowerPoint presentations. If you need more space you can extend your syncing folder up to 20 GB, at an additional cost.
If there is something to criticize about JustCloud it would be that they want you to buy additional features that are not necessary, such as priority backup, which is supposed to increase your backup speed. However, backup speed relies heavily on your own Internet connection and this is the bottleneck for most of the users.
Features
Before we dive deeper into JustCloud I’d like to have a look at the features it offers. As it is not only a backup solution but also a syncing and file sharing suite there is a lot for us to look at:
- Unlimited online backup
- File sharing ability
- 1 GB of free syncing space
- Mobile access
- File versioning
- Encrypted and secure online backups
- 100% automated
You get all those features for only $4.95 per month if you are willing to commit yourself for a two-year period. In my own experience, once you’ve chosen an online backup service, you are going to stay with it for a longer period than a year anyway. That’s why it makes sense to make use of the discounts for annual or biannual plans. However, if you don’t good about that idea, you can test the service for free for 14 days. That’s a great way to see if JustCloud is something for you.
Sign up for 2 years – save 50%
Ease of use
As I have already pointed out in my introduction to JustCloud – it is dead simple to use. Basically, there are only 3 steps necessary for your peace of mind. First: register an account with your e-mail and password. Second: download the software on your Windows machine or Macintosh, and install it. Third: select your files or let the software do the selection for you. There is no need to mess around with menus or other complicated items, because it is all done automatically.
Once you have installed the software, your backup starts with uploading the selected files. With the new version 2.1.1.9 of JustCloud the service uses Amazon S3 servers, which speeds up the backup significantly and also adds another layer of security to your files. Another advantage is that the JustCloud client is a very lightweight piece of software that does not take much system resources and thus doesn’t slow your machine down during backup.
Manually select your files or let JustCloud do the work for you
The backup process
There are a couple of options for backing up your data: you can hit the button “backup now” and your selected files will be backed up automatically. However, JustCloud is a completely automated online backup solution. That’s why it backs up your data automatically every day. If your data changes quickly and constantly you have the option to purchase hourly backups as well. But most of the time this is not needed. This service would be perfect if there were an option to activate continuous backup, meaning that your computer would get backed up on the fly. There are other online backup services that do offer this but they are a little more expensive.
The JustCloud client provides you with a good overview of your backups
Here is a crucial tip: go into the settings menu “backup settings” and then click on “backup selection” and set the file size limit to “unlimited.” Otherwise, JustCloud would only back up files that are not larger than 1 MB. Personally, I don’t understand the reason for this setting. Why would anybody want to backup files that are smaller than 1 MB? I urge the developers of JustCloud to change this standard setting because I think many people would not be aware of it, and consequently a lot of files could ultimately be lost.
You should set this to “unlimited” to make sure all your files are being backed up.
As I’ve mentioned before, JustCloud not only backs up your files but also, you get a 1 GB syncing folder that gets added automatically to your file system. It is called “sync folder.” You can open that folder and just drag and drop files into that folder that you want to keep in sync among all of your devices. It is a nice addition if you don’t like to sign up for other services like Dropbox, for example. This way, you’ll get an all-in-one solution without the need to juggle multiple accounts.
Automated Online Backup
Backup status
Whenever you upload files to JustCloud you’ll get a detailed overview of the file batch that needs a backup. This way you can see how long it will take to upload your files and also how many gigabytes the folder contains. With JustCloud everything is about easy online backup. However, I’d like to see some more options here. For example, I’d like to prioritize my files that I want to back up first. Let’s say you are working on an important presentation for your client and before you hit “save,” your computer crashes. Everything is lost. It would be a shame if JustCloud could not back up that presentation in time for you to use it because it was dabbling around uploading James Bond’s “Tomorrow Never Dies.”
Get a detailed overview of your backup progress
I have been talking to the developers, and they told me that they were going to implement this function in future versions of JustCloud. This is also something I like a lot: being a young start-up from the UK they are very open-minded and are willing to share information without hesitation. This transparency is important to me, as I know that I’m talking to real people there.
When you’re not backing up files, JustCloud gives you an overview of how much available space you have (which is quite unnecessary as it offers unlimited online backup, so I pretty much don’t care how much space there is left) and also how much space you have already used, how many files you have backed up, and what your backup schedule is. One great piece of additional information is that you can see when your last backup was and also when you have scheduled the next. This way you can be sure no data is going to be lost in the case of hard drive failure or other computer failures.
Performance
I’ve been testing JustCloud now for a couple of months. I used to be very unhappy with its backup speed, to say the least. However, JustCloud just updated to Amazon servers which are known to be blazingly fast. I noticed that immediately when I started to upload my 1-GB test folder. It got pushed in less than 35 minutes, record speed for online backups. Many online backup services decided against Amazon S3 servers because they are quite expensive, but not JustCloud. Also, knowing that Amazon servers are behind the infrastructure of JustCloud I can be sure that my data is safe.
The test folder I uploaded is a mixture of photos, videos and MP3s. I tried to emulate typical files that users might upload to JustCloud. Also, there are both larger files and smaller files, as they behave differently (as opposed to uploading just one file of 1 GB in size). JustCloud handled the backup quite well, first scanning the folder the files were in (here, I must say, the performance can be improved) and then preparing them for backup.
Security
Security is one of the major issues when thinking about online backup. You need to make sure that nobody can spy on your data. Especially when you have sensitive files that are crucial to your business or personal use. Hackers are everywhere, and especially as a Windows user your PC is prone to attack. However, in many cases the best security isn’t worth a dime if you don’t choose your passwords wisely. That’s why it is important to set up a secure password when registering for JustCloud or any other service. Don’t use 123456!
Secure Online Backup
With a secure password in place you can safely upload your files with JustCloud as it uses the Internet standard AES encryption. This encryption method is also used by banks and other institutions that rely heavily on data security.
But as I said, the best security isn’t worth a dime, if the bottleneck is the user himself. Make sure your antivirus software is up to date and your system is clean. Otherwise, you’re making it easy for hackers to intrude into your backups.
Restoring your files with JustCloud
Restoring files from JustCloud is as straightforward as the backup process. Just open up the client and click on “restore files” and select the files that you want to restore. JustCloud gives you the opportunity to backup multiple PCs at an additional cost. That’s why you have to first choose the machine you want to get a restore of. Then you can go down to the file level and select individual files and folders or do a full restore of your files.
The restore process is a crucial part in any backup routine. That’s why it is important that is works flawlessly. I tried to restore a big folder with photos I have taken over the years and the restore process was quite speedy. Obviously it is going to take longer than just downloading any file from the Internet because JustCloud needs to repackage the files from their servers.
I was gladly surprised that I could do a restore of my files even while my backup was running. This was a feature I have missed in other online backup services. After downloading the files you get a new folder that looks like this: “JustCloud_Restore_Date_ID” that will allow you to identify clearly when you restored and what. Also, it retains the file structure.
File syncing and sharing
One of the major benefits of JustCloud is that it combines online backup with the ability to share AND sync your files with yourself or with friends, family and colleagues. Unfortunately, file sharing can’t be done from within the client software. Instead you have to login to the web client and select the folder you want to share. This works similarly to selecting your files to restore. On the right-hand side just click on “Share a Folder,” then you can send an invite to anyone via email. However, for your partner to see the files she has to sign up for free for JustCloud.
Sync and share your files
With JustCloud you get a 1GB syncing space for free. If you want more, you need to purchase extra syncing storage of up to 20GB. Yes, other providers do offer more syncing space for free, for example SugarSync, but there is not yet an online storage provider that offers unlimited online backup with free syncing for more than 5GB. If you don’t want to purchase extra syncing storage it is certainly a viable option to combine several free syncing providers. But this leads to more administrative effort required, which I personally dislike. On the long run you’re going to lose a good overview of your files if they’re all over the place.
As I said, JustCloud installs a folder on your system that functions as your synced folder across your devices. As with backup and restoring, syncing was fast as well. As JustCloud is available for Windows and Mac you can install it to any of your devices and sync your data. Unlike Dropbox, JustCloud does not offer LAN sync, meaning that it is a little bit slower because it has to download the files to sync from the JustCloud servers instead of your local network. This is a feature request I’d like to direct to the JustCloud staff, too. However, their focus is on backup and storage and that they do very well.
Mobile access
With the web client you can access your files wherever you are. Doesn’t matter if you’re using somebody else’s laptop or your mobile. If you have access to a web browser you can access your files wherever you want. I love to be able to access my file via my iPhone. There is no app to download yet but the client website is optimized to be viewed on small screens, which makes it really easy to navigate in your backups and choose (or search) for files that you need now. Have a look at the pictures I have taken off my iPhone to get a good idea how JustCloud looks in all its mobile beauty:
Try JustCloud for free for 14 days
Customer support
If you are having problems with your online backup, customer support is very speedy. Even the best online backup service cannot guarantee 100% successful backups. Therefore, if you are having problems with uploading or downloading any files it is important to have contact persons available. JustCloud offers a 24/7 emergency support which gets you somebody on the line fast.
My contact with support has been superb. They always respond fast, and also they figured out a technical problem I faked.
Certainly, sometimes I had to wait a little if my question was tech-related. Even though I couldn’t find bad reviews about JustCloud’s customer support, there will certainly always be somebody who couldn’t get the support he or she needed. Especially if you are getting successful with your service, there are a lot of customer inquiries that need to be handled. But overall, JustCloud manages that pretty well.
Bottom line of this JustCloud review
JustCloud is a powerful yet easy-to-use online backup service. Since it’s an unlimited backup solution you certainly get your moneys worth for only $4.95 per month if you choose the biannual plan. If you are a geek you probably miss some options that other online backup services offer, such as file prioritization or continuous backup. However, if you just want to backup your files, JustCloud is the way to go. You don’t have to think about which files to back up–it just backs up everything.
JustCloud is still a relatively unknown backup company and one might raise a question about its reliability. I’ve been testing the service now for a couple of months and all I can say is: yes, it is reliable. What makes me so sure is the good communications you get with the team. If you have any questions, just contact support, and they are going to answer you within minutes.
For me, online backup security is very important, as I store a lot of sensitive data online. JustCloud doesn’t give me a false sense of security, it just protects my files well, using industry-standard encryption. If you’re looking for a hassle-free online backup solution I recommend giving JustCloud a free try to see whether it fits your needs. The good thing is, you are not committed, and you can test the service for 14 days.
Try JustCloud for free for 14 days
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{ 61 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey,
I have been a justcloud customer for a couple of months now and I just wanted to say that I am very greatful for their services…Last month my hd crashed and I already panicked but then I remembered that I had a backup with justcloud. I was just so seemless that I didnt even notice it while doing my daily tasks.
I had some issues with installing justcloud and i asked customer support for help. Unfortunately they didnt answwer as fast as advertised it took them two days…well until now thats the only negative thing i noticed.
Hi Greg,
Glad that you like the service. Indeed, the best thing about a backup is when don’t even notice that it’s running. Kudos to JustCloud for that. I have also noticed that the customer support tends to be on the slower side…but they’re always helpful.
Thanks Mauricio for the review. What made me sign up for JustCloud was the ability to login from anywhere and being able to access my data. Unfortunately, they don’t have a native app so you have to access it via your browser but fingers crossed they’ll soon release one….
Hey,
It’s really a shame that JustCloud doesnt backup your larger files automatically. I almost lost all of my important movie files that I created with Final Cut Pro and that were larger than a gigabyte…Thanks for mentioning that in your review!
Yes, it is. I have forwarded that concern to the developers as a lot of people could be angry about that when it comes to data loss…
What’s the story. Does it back up unlimited size files or just up to 1GB.
Question: If I have my files backed up and my computer crashes and I am unable to use it, how do I restore?
Hey Patrik,
Thanks for your comment! I am sorry for the mistake I made in my Youtube Video saying that it supports unlimited file sizes. Nobody is perfect and I will correct that error as soon as I can. I have attached a note to the video where I say that the file size limit is 3GB:
http://www.justcloud.com/faq/restrictions-and-limitations
First of all, you can access your files via the JustCloud webclient and select your files that you want to restore. You don’t need to install the software as the file download is browser based anyway.
Remember: no online backup service is perfect. That’s why I highly recommend making a test restore before wiping and reinstalling your system or deleting anything else on your machine.
Hope that helps,
Mauricio
Hello Mauricio,
I’ve recently become a justcloud customer.
I’ve been told by the tech support that the files that are deleted from the computer will remain on the website for 7 days before they get deleted online too unless the customer subscribes for the “Previous Versions Plus” addon.
Have you checked that out?
Hello Dheeraj,
Thanks for providing your comment on Cloudbackuping.com. Yes, you’re right, files that you delete on your PC will get deleted from JustCloud’s servers as well after 7 days. Personally, I find 7 days enough to rethink my decision if I really wanted to delete a file or not.
This is actually something to criticise about JustCloud, some features that might be necessary have to be purchased extra. I will include this point into my next revision of that service which I do regularly.
Thanks again for your comment.
Mauricio
I have several videos of my daughter’s hockey games. Some are just over 3 GB for the SD quality and some are over 5 GB for the HD quality. What online backup service would you suggest that would be comparable to JustCloud but not have a file size limitation?
Hey Mark,
Thanks for your question! Those home videos can get quite large! I do have a collection myself (some from 8th grade where we shot a little high school movie
) for those I have my local backups and then transfer those to Backblaze: http://www.cloudbackuping.com/backblaze-online-backup-review/
Backblaze is a superb service, too which does not have file size limit. They once had a 9GB limit but got rid of it.
Can’t go wrong with that.
Kind regards,
Mauricio
You really need to spell check and proof read your blogs before posting them. This makes your credibility drop but quite a significant amount of points.
JustCloud might be easy to use, but the options of them limiting document sizes means that if you have too many files backed up or giant files backed up, they hold the option to limit you whenever they want. Read the Terms & Agreements, its in there. Find a back up provider that promises to never limit the file size. Carbonite does this as well. And Mozy limits your throttle speeds as they see fit. It’s hard to find the perfect provider. But don’t trust one source. Make sure you do your own research as well.
P.S. If it is in the options for you to limit yourself, they hold the power to do it to you too. Remember that.
Hey Kamil,
Indeed, many online backup services have the options to limit your uploads whenever they want. All I can say is this: I have backed up 750GB with JustCloud right now, and I have not been thottled yet (as it happended with Carbonite).
I will address your concern in an update of this review that is due by the end of this month.
Thanks again for your comment!
Regards,
Mauricio
Hey Mauricio,
I’ve noticed that you’ve marked JustCloud as “24/7 Phone Support” user support in your “Top 10 Online Backup Services” but I’ve looked up justcloud.com thoroughly and it seems to me that they do not provide phone support at all. If that is the case, please do update your list for others’ benefit.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for looking up the details. Apparently, JustCloud changed that recently. However, there is still phone support (no technical support, though):
Is there a number I can call?
UK: 0844 475 7025
USA: 888 851 0954
CA: 888 247 1610
AU: 611 800 649 265
I have updated the Top List accordingly.
Kind regards,
Mauricio
Dear Mauricio,
Currently I’m a Backblaze user, but I recently found that JustCloud could be, maybe, a better option. What are your considerations when comparing these two services? Backblaze has no limits for file size, right? Whereas JustCloud allows files up to 3G. Does it puts Backblaze ahead in this dispute? On the other hand, JusCloud seems to have a good multi-device integration – which Backblaze does not. So, what do you think? Would you go for Backblaze or JustCloud?
Hi Henrique,
First of all, thank you very much for your time to comment on my site. Let me tell you that Backblaze is a great product. So is JustCloud, however, after I found out about JustCloud’s file size limit, I was unsure if it’s still a no-brainer and if that might be an aspect that brings Backblaze ahead of JustCloud in my ranking.
Still have to think about that as rankings tend to be quite subjective, anyway. For one user JustCloud might be the perfect solution, for the other it is just horrible; with my in-depth reviews I try to give digg as deep as I can into the service as I can to provide a holistic image of it to that point in time.
About multi-device integration: Backblaze and JustCloud support backing up external hard drives at no additional cost. That wasn’t always the case for Backblaze, in previous versions this would cost extra but with Backblaze 2.0 they got rid of that limitation (as well as the 9GB file size limit).
One advantage of JustCloud could be the extra syncing capability and you have to ask yourself if you really need that. If you do you get 1GB of syncing space for free but you can *purchase* more if you need it.
What I would say is this: if you have been with Backblaze for a longer time and have your complete backup with them it is probably not worth the hassle to change the provider UNLESS you need sync or want to fiddle around with some back up options. Why I am saying this? Well, initial backup takes time. It can take weeks to complete and Backblaze is a good product, run by great guys.
Disclaimer: I need to include this disclaimer, here. Each and every backup situation requires a thorough assessment of your data. So I can only give you general advice without knowing your exact situation.
Hope this helps,
Mauricio
Hi Mauricio,
Thanks a lot. Syncing seems to be a good point that makes me consider JustCloud. BUT does it sync only a single folder like Dropbox? Or can it sync multiple folders independently like SugarSync or Syncplicity? In JustCloud can I choose what folders I want to sync? That’s a crucial difference for my needs – I use Syncplicity exactly because I can sync any folder without having to ‘move’ it to a dropbox-like folder. So in terms of syncing is JustCloud more like Dropbox or more like SugarSync/Syncplicity?
Cheers,
Henrique
Hello Henrique great to see you back!
Unfortunately, JustCloud can only sync one folder, so it is more like Dropbox or Google Drive. If you highly rely on sync I’d consider a combo between a syncing provider (SugarSync, Google Drive, Syncplicity or another) and a backup provider such as JustCloud. But this highly depends on how much data you have to backup.
Btw. JustCloud just bumped up their file size limit to 5GB.
-Mauricio
Thank you, Mauricio! I’ll use both, then. Backblaze for backup (maybe JustCloud next year) and Syncplicity for sync.
Last question: what about making a review on JustCloud for iPhone? I heard it’s buggy. Is it true?
Hi Maricio,
I just need to upload files and audio files (Logic Studio sessions) for storage only. But i have several friends who would need to access the files (4+ people) – I need something that isn’t too expensive and will allow multiple users. I noticed Backblaze charges per device/computer. Also it would be good to have an app that allows me to downloand and use to access on my phone or Mac.
What would you recommend?
Thanks,
Josh
Hey Josh,
Thank you very much for your comment. If you needed storage only and the occasional sharing of files – JustCloud would be perfect. BUT as it seems you have some special file/folder sharing needs with 4+ people. Therefore, I would go for a cloud service which specializes in file sharing / syncing with multiple people.
With Backblaze, it is impossible to share files, the only thing you could do is giving your user name and password to your partners – it would be quite tedious with Backblaze because it just backs up everything and you would have to exclude all the files that you don’t want to back up as you certainly don’t want to grant access to all of your files.
It seems like SugarSync might be an ideal solution for your needs. It is more affordable than Dropbox and is a sharing and syncing powerhouse and they also have a mobile app. Also, if the people you invited do have to edit those files they can do that and they’ll get synced automatically among all participants. Have a look at my review:
http://www.cloudbackuping.com/sugarsync-review/
Reiterating on JustCloud: it is great for storage and offers some free syncing (but only one gig). Also if you only occasionally shared files that would be OK as well. But I think you need a little more sophisticated solution.
I hope that helps a little,
Mauricio
Thanks for your insight!
How about ZipCloud.com?
Josh
Zip, MyPCBackup and Justcloud are all the same services offered in different brands!
So all three are equally good.
Hey,
Yes it is true – the three brands do belong to the same company. I’ve tested MyPCBackup and JustCloud and found that JustCloud worked better for me than MyPCBackup. I don’t know if they are using different servers or anything but in my testing (especially with the restore part) JustCloud worked better than MyPCBackup.
I like the service except for a few things. One, I don’t like the fact that AFTER my purchase, I was told that my justcloud service could be improved by buying further options: priority backups, hourly backups. I feel that this is cheating. It should be stated upfront that the service is not “optimal” under current pricing. Another thing that I do not like. I bought the service, thinking it was European (at least UK) but the amazon servers are in the US and therefore not protected under EU privacy laws. Finally, monitoring my firewall, I noticed that JustCloud just does not prepare the files, in advance, that it needs to backup. Bandwith / Time are not optimized because 2.3 gb of data backup in 12 hours, out of 41 gb, is not very effective (and I have a very fast connection. Had I known, I would have stayed with Mozy.
Compared to Mozy, JustCloud
Hello philippe,
Yes, Justcloud is a little slow.
I’m unhappy about the upgrades part too.
The 3gb limit is also a problem.
Hence, I shifted to CrashPlan.
It has everything JustCloud has including all the upgrades except the Synchronization (which is a plus for JustCloud).
Do check it out. I know one thing for sure, its better than Mozy in every way.
I’m not promoting or advertising CrashPlan in any way and I’m in noway affiliated to them but Mauricio, can you review CrashPlan?
Because at least according to me, it is the best in only the ‘backup’ part of all the cloud backup and storage solutions. It has features like Unlimited Version Retention which is essentially “Previous Versions Plus” without any additional cost/upgrade.
I’m so sorry, I just noticed the CrashPlan review!
So you do have a review for crashplan..
Hi Dheeraj,
Yes, indeed, I did a Crashplan review and it one of my most extensive ones, if you like you can watch my tutorial. It half an hour but goes really in-depth.
Will justcloud tell you which files were not backed up (I.e. that we’re greater than 3 gig), so you can at least note it?
I personally use a pc, a MacBook, and an iMac, all for different functions. I need each backed up separately, not synced. Will justcloud do this on 1 account? Is this extra $, and if so, how much?
Finally, I am buying a new MacBook when the come out, is it easy to deauthorize my current pc and transfer the files, backup client and account to the new pc?
By the way, I sent these exact questions to sales@justcloud.com several times over the last 14 days (of my free trial period), and they have not responded.
Hi Nino,
Thanks for your comment! I’ll try to answer your questions:
1) As far as I know JustCloud doesn’t tell you which files aren’t backed up, so you would have to check that manually.
2) The license you buy is just for one device. That is a common structure with providers who offer unlimited online backup. Additional license per machine is 24.95 per year.
3) Yes, you would have to contact them to de-authorize your current machine.
I am wondering why they haven’t responded to your email, I found that they were always very response, probably some spam filter issues. Try: support@justcloud.com
Hope that help!
Mauricio
Hi Mauricio
After I read you review I began using JustCloud
Only after the trial period I found that they don’t have Hebrew Character support
And till now for a long time they didn’t solved my problem…
Files (movies with a size of only 1GB) stack in “Uploading” status.
I have the last version and etheything configured OK…
I signed up for the unlimited 2 year plan. But having a lot of problems with JustCloud. Sometimes the drag and drop does not work, sometimes the manual backup does not work. Restoring large files sometimes get stuck too. Resuming, the client software really need more work. But hey, it is unlimited. How I wished that the client software worked fine, it would be the best. I am already tired of receiving an email from support telling me to unninstall, delete the JustCloud folder from program files and reinstall it again.
Well, I still have hope that this will work. 2 year plan…. uffff.
When it does not work? Well, rebooting sometimes make things working, sometimes JustGod.
@Gaby,
I am sorry to hear that they have problems with Hewbrew character support. That is actually a shame for some folks, but I am sure the guys at Justdevelop.it will listen and fix that bug in their latest update.
@Max
First off, it would be important to know which OS you’re on to troubleshoot your problem. I had some problems restoring larger files as well but with the newest version of their software they fixed this issue. Right now I couldn’t think of what’s the problem with drag and drop. I just tested mine and it worked perfectly. What kind of files/folders did you want to drag and drop?
Remember, if you’re absolutely not happy with the product you can always claim your money back and try out another service.
All the best,
Mauricio
Greetings Mauricio,
W7 64 here. Well, it was working pretty smooth here too. My files are all rar files with sizes from less than 1Mb to 4Gig. I am always in touch with support, but tired of that unninstall and install thing. Damm how I wished that this thing work.
Hi Mauricio
Everything now OK !!!
The Hebrew fonts and uploading of big files.
Thanks to JustCloud Development Team !!!
Gaby
Hi Gaby,
Glad to hear that they fixed this problem quickly!
-Mauricio
Hi Mauricio,
First of all, congratulations for the great reviews!
I’m interested in the online storage part of this service. I red in the comments that JustCloud deletes the files which are no longer on your PCs HDD after 7 days – but the thing is, that I want to upload & back-up my files from an external HDD, which I usually keep it shut down and use it for offline storage and back-up. Would they still delete these files, or if I upload something to their servers, I will have them there, no-matter if I also have them locally, on my HDD?
Thanks!
Arpi
Hey Arpi,
Thanks! I really appreciate your feedback. This reviews cost me a lot of effort and the more people I can help the better. Great that you know what the difference between online ‘backup’ and ‘storage’ means, many people think it is the same and get confused. So let’s look at how JustCloud handles your files after deleting them:
Quote:
“Once a file is backed up – it is backed up forever. If you change the file on your computer and back it up again the new file is added as a new version. After 7 days all versions except the most recently backed up are removed. Essentially the most recently backed up version of a file will always be available. ”
So yes JustCloud deletes files after 7 days, BUT only the file versions no longer needed. The most recent file is always available to you.
Hope that helps,
Mauricio
Dear Mauricio, thanks for your time in reviewing these. Very useful references.
I am seriously considering Justcloud. Before that, would like to know how good it could access the backed up files from my iPad. For examples, I have a couple of PDF files that I want to browse on my iPad and I do not want to maintain multiple copies. Before they support an APP, via the web access, may I ‘view’ the PDF file directly? Otherwise, the web ‘access’ would have no meaning at all. And I heard ( not sure which vendor/product ) can support direct rendering of music playing, file content viewing of backup files from a mobile device (iPhone/iPad).
If Justcloud cannot support the above right now, could you please help to check with their development team if they have any plan to support it in the future. I am ok to still subscribe while waiting for that to come out later.
Wck
Hey Wck,
Thanks for your comment, that gives me kind of a community feeling – I like that!
Unfortunately, JustClouds web interface only allows for ‘viewing’ your backed up in the sense that you can monitor if a certain file has been backed up and added to your backup stack. There is still no native viewing files possible. But I know that they’re working on it.
That’s what I like about JustCloud they constantly improve things on their client (e.g. adding drag and drop).
Crashplan has a native app that allows previewing of files in your iPhone or iPad and it supports PDF files.
Hope that helps,
Mauricio
Thanks Mauricio for the always prompt response. In that case, do you think I should consider CrashPlan? How does it compare with JustCloud?
Wck
Hello Wck,
I think your main requirements are backup and viewing the files from the internet.
I think CrashPlan is okay for that only if you have a supported mobile phone (Android or iPhone/iPad).
But I don’t think you can view them from another computer unless you download and install their software.
As far as backup goes, I’m a hundred percent sure its the best. It keeps all your files even after you delete them. It gives you the highest control of your backups. But it does only backup and almost nothing else.
What I really really think you should get is LiveDrive, a good backup software with really good mobile viewing. I find that all my files are readily accessible whenever I want through my mobile. It has good iOS and android apps. The web interface is also good. On the mobile/tablet it even supports streaming music and videos from your backup. So if you want to go for livedrive look for a livedrive reseller who sells it for cheap
If your requirement is PDF viewing and also other documents editing, this is not for you. You need a syncing solution if that’s the case. Anyway do let me know if the above two services are good for your requirement or you need syncing too.
Hey Dheeraj,
Thank you for your comment, always appreciated
You’re right you cannot view your files with Crashplan on other computers but you can preview them on you iPhone for example. Crashplan is really a very good backup solution, but certainly not perfect for everybody.
Livedrive is a solid backup and syncing solution as well but I’d highly discourage people signing up with ‘cheap’ resellers as they tend to go broke 2 weeks after launch.
All-in-all it depends how much your data is worth to you. I personally, don’t mind spending 20$ or more per month if I know my data is safe and secure. Fortunately, this is not even necessary nowadays as storage and online storage has become very cheap.
Okay, so I’ve read through the whole review and all the comments, I’m still confused about one point. I can’t tell if I need to buy the Previous Version Plus or not. The main reason I need JustCloud is not just to back up my work, but to store older photos so that I can delete them off my macbook in order to make more free space. So, if I delete them off my macbook, will JustCloud delete them, too? Do I need to purchase the previous version plus in order to stop this from happening? Thanks for all your help!
Hello Holly,
I understand why you’re confused.
I asked the same question in one of the comments above.
Previously, if a file had been deleted, the file and all its versions would be removed off of the servers. (Please refer to my first comment and Mauricio’s reply).
But, now, it looks like the old policy has been overwritten with a new one.
Now, if you delete a file, all the previous versions of the file will be deleted after 7 days. But, the LATEST version of the file will ALWAYS be AVAILABLE.
This is key point. So I assume it will serve your needs.
It most probably is enough to just store the latest versions of your photos even if they’re deleted from the computer.
This is all without previous versions plus add on.
The difference that will take place when you buy the previous versions plus add on is, all your previous versions i.e. modifications and changes will be saved forever as long as you keep purchasing this add on.
This if I’m not wrong is about a 100$/month without discount. Though you could send an email requesting for a 70% percent discount to the account manager, and you could get approved for it. That will get you the add on for 30$/month extra, i.e in addition to the monthly base fee.
So, in the end, I think the service without the previous plus add on should suffice.
Just in case it doesn’t, you can buy the add on.
In this case, before you buy the add on, consider CrashPlan.
For 5$/month, it will give you entire feautures of Previous Versions Plus add on without any additional charge. So you could have JustCloud and CrashPlan at the same time, saving 25$ at the same time (more if you did not qualify for the discount). CrashPlan is like the previous versions plus add on without the 5 GB file size limit.
So, all in all, a single line reply to your question is “You most probably do not need to purchase the add on”.
Just in case that line doesn’t suffice, I advice you to consider both the options I’ve put forward. If you want to go ahead with the add on, I advice you to request a discount. Or else you could go with JustCloud + CrashPlan or even CrashPlan only (you would miss some features – that’s another story).
I hate promoting another service on a service’s review page, but I’m just letting you know your options.
Let us know how you’re going about!
Dheeraj
Oh btw, please refer Mauricio’s reply to Arpi regarding the official word on the new policy I’ve told you about.
Hey Holly,
Yes cloud storage can be confusing sometimes
and thanks Dheeraj for answering so thoroughly. Let me just add one or two things:
First of all just because services offer infinite storage of files with unlimited retention doesn’t mean that you should use it. In fact, I would highly discourage people to delete files they want to keep from their hard drives.
NEVER EVER trust one single resource with your backups. Doesn’t matter if it’s an external hard drive or an online backup service.
That being said Dheeraj is right: JustCloud will always keep the most recent versions of your files (I just confirmed with a JustCloud rep.) but if you want to keep multiple versions of that file forever then you’d have to pay extra. Let me give you a scenario where this might be useful:
Let’s say you’re a writer and you have been working relentlessly on your first novel for months now. During the process you edited, saved and changed the document multiple times. Now you’re finally finished – you save the document (this is another version) and then you decide that what you’ve written is actually not that good. So you go ahead and edit parts of it – whole paragraphs – then you save again (this is the most recent version now). Then you decide to put your work away to get a little more distance to it for, let’s say, three weeks. After reading your novel again you think that the previous version was actually better but you cannot go back because it only saved the most recent version.
This is one case where unlimited file versioning could be a great feature – but you have to think for yourself if you really need it.
Hope that helps,
Mauricio
Hi Mauricio,
First of all, thank you for the reviews. I’ve found both your original post and the follow up Q&A the most honest and thorough of all the reviews I’ve waded through.
I have one comment to add and a question:
There is a 70% discount offered, although most comments I’ve see say “wait for your trial to expire and they will send you emails for a 70% discount.” No, don’t wait until your account has expired. The “free trial” is for 15mb (basically useless) and a waste of time. Go to My Account and delete your account. Give them a reason for deleting (I chose the second option but I don’t think it matters) and they will immediately offer you the 70% discount.
My question is about JustCloud and ZipCloud. The websites and pricing are exactly the same, minus a title change and different color schemes. Are they the same company? Is there any difference between the two? JustCloud is rated number one in so many reviews, but if it’s related to ZipCloud, why isn’t ZipCloud also number one, or at least two?
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks a lot for your comment. I must admit I haven’t gotten the offer for a 70% discount. I paid the regular price for this service. There is a legitimate 35% discount that kicks in after your trial expires as far as I know – but keep in mind that this can change anytime. So today they could be offering 50% and tomorrow 75% or 60%. Companies iterate all the time to test which offer resonates best with customers. So in the end there is no blueprint to getting a 70% discount.
JustCloud and Zipcloud are run by the same company but are branded differently to appeal to different market segments. But it appears to be the more or less the same offer, I had the feeling though that they are rolling out software updates to JustCloud a little faster. But this could be only subjective.
Hope that helps,
Mauricio
So I work with huge graphic files, lots of photos and lots of versions of the same document. More importantly, I have around 6 back-up or secondary drives up to 2TB each, and use them dependning on the project – obviously not all at once – would be difficult with a lap top and 6 external hard drives. So will the server assume any file it cna’t find because 5 of my 6 hard drives are not hooked up to the laptop any one time or another, that those files have been deleted and delete the online cloud copies as well? And then try to reload the drive everytime I use that or any of the other 6 drives?? Sounds like it could be a problem??
@Odee
Nope, JustCloud will keep the files even if it cannot find it on the computer.
The only thing it will delete is the versions. JustCloud will delete all the previous versions (BUT the main latest file will still be available) from the storage if the files are not found for 7 days.
Nice review of a little-known product. Especially liked your comments on support service. For all reviews, it would be nice to see the following information not usually mentioned:
1. Whether or not support is available by telephone as well as e-mail (in addition to the all-important quality and speed of support).
2. Whether or not the program will backup applications. This is important because computers often come loaded with software. In addition, users often buy software via download so they never get an installation disk. As a result, if an application becomes corrupted, their only hope lies in being able to download backup .exe and .dll files.
3. Whether or not the program can backup system files.
4. Upload/download speeds. Although a number of programs claim that they don’t throttle in any way, there still seem to be significant speed differences that would be useful to know what they are. Perhaps benchmarking would be useful.
Thank you for providing such a useful service to end-users.
@Teddy,
Nope support is not available by phone, its available only by email.
It will backup whatever you want, provided : You set the file size limit to 5 GB and remove all the filetype exclusions. But individual files above 5GB will not be backed up, everything else will.
Same thing applies. It has no restrictions.
Well just buying the subscription does not entitle you to the maximum speed, you can buy an add-on charged monthly to increase your upload speed so that your uploads are faster.
Hello,
I just purchased the unlimited plan because the online storage is limited unless you buy the unlimited plan. As far as setting the file size limit, I was only able to set it for 1 GB and not 5 GB as indicated in this thread. Did I purchase the wrong plan???
Hi Laura,
Apparently they changed their policy on that. There is something called “instant drag and drop backup” meaning that if you put your files manually into JustCloud is will backup files of up to 5GB for free. If you want the automated version you’ll have to purchase an upgrade. This could be useful if the large file you’re working on is changing a lot.
Mostly this is not needed so you should try the drag and drop backup. The automatic backup will kick in for files of 1GB in size.
Hi there,
Thank you for answering my question. I now see that I could upgrade to a 5GB file size for $19.95. We have a Mac, and I’m not the most technically gifted person, but do you know if there’s a way to list our files, for example our pictures and videos, in a way that I can see the file size to see if something is missing from the backup? Thanks again!
I read that Backblaze requires you to keep your local files, is this the same with Justcloud?
Hello Arjan,
With Justcloud, its not the case. The latest version of the file will always remain, once uploaded.
“Once a file is backed up – it is backed up forever. If you change the file on your computer and back it up again the new file is added as a new version. After 7 days all versions except the most recently backed up are removed. Essentially the most recently backed up version of a file will always be available. ”
(from above)
But what you require is a storage solution more than a Backup solution. Backup is meant to restore files from a crash or error, or perhaps on accidental file deletions.
Justcloud has storage/sync feature with its sync folder – but that comes with 1 GB free and you have to pay more to upgrade.
Though it is possible to just store files online as an archive, I think its not recommended.
Look through Justcloud Sync, or check if you’re fine with how you can use Justcloud for storage, retrieval is not very easy for repeated downloads (to keep accessing).
Or else, I suggest you to check out Bitcasa or OpenDrive or Pogoplug Cloud or Jottacloud for infinite storage.
It has been said earlier in the question section that the latest version of each file is stored. This could perhaps not be helpful in terms of restoring the desired version?
Scenario: Say I work with my music, video, and photo files over several months. A number of files have been changed and some deleted. Then my hard drive crashes and I need to restore. I want to restore my file structure as I had it at the time of the crash. I do not wish to take perhaps hours to go through all of the files that haven’t been deleted from the cloud that I do not wish to restore. How would one do this smoothly with Just Cloud or any other service for that matter? Google drive keeps a synced copy of the folders. This type of backup may seem preferable. Any comments on this?
Regards,
-Mark