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Arq vs IDrive

Arq lands on Worth it, and IDrive lands on Depends.

Arq

arqbackup.com

Worth it
Confidence: Medium

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

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IDrive

idrive.com

Depends
Confidence: Medium

Buy if you're a cost-conscious individual or small business comfortable troubleshooting on your own . the per-TB pricing is hard to beat.

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Arq versus IDrive
CompareArqIDrive
VerdictWorth itDepends
Best forMac/Windows users with existing cloud storageBudget-conscious personal backups
Who it's not forAnyone wanting one-click, flat-rate unlimited backupSet-and-forget users who expect hands-off reliability
PrivacyNo known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.²Private-key encryption available, but the Windows client had CVE-2026-1995 (local privilege escalation, patched), and a 2018 phishing/breach incident is documented.15
Support qualityNo support evidence foundTrustpilot ambiguity complaints; multiple Reddit support warnings
Public sentimentForum users report years of reliable backups and built-in encryption, with occasional grumbling about pricing.³Reviewers consistently praise IDrive's price and feature breadth, while Reddit threads split sharply on long-term reliability and support.10
Biggest gotchaOverage billing at $0.0059/GB monthly beyond 1TB; large media libraries add up fast¹First-year deals renew at full price . budget for the jump.14

Pick Arq when

  • 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

When Arq is not a fit

  • 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

Pick IDrive when

  • Budget-conscious personal backups
  • Data hoarders with big libraries
  • Small businesses on mixed devices
  • Hybrid local + cloud backup users

When IDrive is not a fit

  • Set-and-forget users who expect hands-off reliability
  • Teams needing responsive, SLA-backed support
  • Security-strict orgs uneasy about client-side CVEs
  • Synology-centric shops . there's a serious-warning thread

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
  10. IDrive Review . PCMagpcmag.com
    review
  11. IDrive seller reviews . G2g2.com
    review
  12. IDrive Online Backup Reviews . Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  13. Is anyone happy with iDrive? . Redditreddit.com
    review
  14. A serious warning about iDrive backup service . Redditreddit.com
    review
  15. VU#330121 . IDrive local privilege escalation . CERTkb.cert.org
    security
  16. CVE-2026-1995 . SentinelOne databasesentinelone.com
    security