Cloud Storage Is Not a Backup (and What to Do About It)
Sync propagates your mistakes. The difference between the two, and the rule that has saved more files than any product.
What sync does
It makes every device match. Delete a folder on the laptop and it disappears from the phone, the web and everywhere else — usually within seconds. That is the feature, and it is also the risk. Ransomware, a bad script and a tired Tuesday all propagate the same way.
What versioning gives you back
Most services keep deleted files and old versions for a while: Dropbox and Google 30 days, Sync.com 180, pCloud 30 with a paid extension to 365. That window is your only protection, and it is shorter than most people assume.
What backup does
It keeps copies you did not ask it to keep, of everything, including files you deleted. Backblaze Personal Backup at $99 a year for one machine is the cheapest way to have this.
The rule
Three copies of anything irreplaceable, on two different kinds of media, one of them somewhere else. In practice for a household: the files on your machine, a sync service, and either a backup service or an external drive you rotate.
The five-minute check
Open your service now and find the "deleted files" or "version history" screen. If you cannot find it in five minutes, you will not find it on the day you need it.
» See the full rankings: Best Cloud Storage of 2026, Best Free Cloud Storage, Best Cloud Storage for Photos .