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Should I Use Arq?

arqbackup.com·Analyzed 6 days ago··Based on 9 sources

Verdict

Worth it

Buy if you're comfortable picking a storage provider and want cheap, encrypted Mac/PC backups you control.

Confidence: Medium

Skip it if you want dead-simple flat-rate unlimited backup or centralized team administration.

Beloved, cheap, encrypted Mac/PC backup to your own cloud — skip it if you just want one-click unlimited.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • Base price not shown; 1TB included

    Starting price

  • 9

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Cheaper than iDrive; one user paid 50c for 50GB
  • Ease of use: 5/5. MacWorld: easier than CrashPlan; PCWorld: flawless
  • Feature depth: 4/5. BYO cloud destinations, encryption, web access, external drives
  • Support quality. No support evidence found
  • Security posture: 4/5. Local encryption before upload; no public vulnerability reports
  • 2009 Founded Self-funded, owner-operated, profitable
  • 1TB Included storage Arq Premium, with web access to backups
  • $0.0059/GB/mo Overage price Beyond 1TB on Arq Premium
  • Mac + Windows Platforms Also works with external drives

Pricing

Arq Premium

Base price not shown; 1TB included

  • Web access to your backups
  • Extra GBs billed at $0.0059/GB per month

Bring-your-own-cloud

Separate storage provider fees apply

  • Backs up to accounts like Google Drive
  • One user paid ~50 cents for 50GB
Best for and not for

Best for

  • Mac/Windows users with existing cloud storage
  • Privacy-focused users wanting client-side encryption
  • Photographers with large external drives
  • Long-term hands-off personal backup

Not for

  • Anyone wanting one-click, flat-rate unlimited backup
  • Teams needing centralized admin consoles and user management
  • People unwilling to choose and manage a storage provider
  • Phone- or tablet-only users; Mac/Windows only

Biggest gotcha

  • mediumOverage billing at $0.0059/GB monthly beyond 1TB; large media libraries add up fast¹
  • mediumBring-your-own-storage means also paying Google Drive or S3 fees separately⁶
  • lowNo security page content found during review; encryption details live in user posts²

Pros

  • PCWorld testing called it 'flawless'¹
  • MacWorld found it more reliable and easier to use than CrashPlan¹
  • Backs up to cloud accounts you already have, like Google Drive⁶
  • Users rely on it to encrypt files before cloud upload⁴
  • Self-funded, profitable, owner-operated since 2009¹

Cons

  • One Reddit user calls the pricing 'ludicrous for home use'³
  • Loudest praise sits on its own homepage; thin independent rating data¹
  • Requires choosing and managing a cloud storage backend¹

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Forum users report years of reliable backups and built-in encryption, with occasional grumbling about pricing.

“Arq (Cloud backup software for Mac and Windows : Arq) has been great for me for years.”
Reddit, r/selfhosted
“I use Arq for encrypting files before cloud backup services.”
MacRumors forums
“Backed up about ~50GB and it only cost 50c. Files are encrypted”
Mastodon, bne.social

Alternatives

Compare Arq with each alternative.

  • Backblaze

    Flat-rate unlimited computer backup; zero storage decisions.

  • iDrive

    Own-storage cloud backup; one user calls Arq cheaper month-to-month.

    Arq vs iDrive

  • Time Machine

    Free built-in Mac backup; add cloud for offsite copies.

Methodology

Based on 30+ public web sources; mostly community forum mentions plus the official site.

Sources

  1. Arq official sitearqbackup.com
    official
  2. Arq security page (no content found)arqbackup.com
    security
  3. Reddit r/selfhosted: What are you guys using to backup your computers?reddit.com
    review
  4. MacRumors: How to encrypt your data before cloud backupforums.macrumors.com
    review
  5. Mastodon: 50GB backed up for 50cbne.social
    review
  6. Stimpunks field guide: Backup and Passwordsstimpunks.org
    review
  7. MacRumors: Backblaze versus iDrive threadforums.macrumors.com
    review
  8. tldr.nettime: Going with Arq Backup, cheaper than iDrivetldr.nettime.org
    review
  9. DPReview forum: Backup software threaddpreview.com
    review

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