 |
JustCloud Review: Cloud Storage |
| Sign up for JustCloud | |
Rating: |
 |
| Affordable and comprehensive cloud storage service that allows unlimited file storage; best for users with light syncing needs | |
|
JustCloud is a great cloud storage solution that makes sure your most important files are always updated, synced, and ready to be safely accessed online no matter where you're at. Now available for Mac as well as PC, this handy program offers 1.015 GB of sync space (with the option to upgrade to more space any time) in addition to its unlimited online backup space for one computer. Part of the MyPCBackup family, one could say that JustCloud is ZipCloud's identical twin. Everything but their names are totally the same, including the affordable price! The monthly plan is $9.95/mo; however, if you choose to commit to a 2 year plan, it comes out to only $4.95 per month.
Setup and Initial Backup After installation, you will be asked to either backup your "My Documents" folder, which is recommended, or more advanced users can do a manual selection of the specific files and folders they want to backup. Once this is done, the JustCloud desktop application will launch. This initial backup went pretty fast on the Mac and a bit slower on the PC. Note that you can use your computer while the backup is running, so if you have a lot of files to back up, no worries! On the PC, you can choose to separately backup any file while you work by right clicking into the context menu and selecting 'add to backup selection'. When you do this, a small tab shows up on the bottom right-hand side of your screen and says '1 item added to backup selection'. Another option is to click 'instant backup', where the files you choose are instantly backed up in that moment. When you backup files on the Mac, you must go into JustCloud's desktop application and click "backup selection" whenever you want to add something to backup. We had trouble opening the JustCloud desktop application on the Mac after exiting out the first time post-install, so we uninstalled it and re-downloaded it. It worked after this minor glitch and all of our files, including the ones in the syncfolder, were unharmed. Syncfolder JustCloud's syncfolder is really what makes this cloud storage service stand out from general online backup services. Just like with ZipCloud, even though you must pay an extra subscription fee to fully backup an additional computer, you can still download the JustCloud desktop application on multiple computers for free and sync them all. It is important to note that even though you can sync an unlimited amount of computers with the syncfolder, the free trial gives you only 15 MB of sync space, and an additional 1 GB when you get a paid account. This storage allowance is much smaller than the 2 TB that cloud storage competitor LiveDrive allows; however, JustCloud is cheaper. You can upgrade to more sync space any time by clicking upgrade account. To sync your files on other computers, use the same login information as the main computer and open up the syncfolder. All you need to do on the PC in order to sync a file is drag and drop, copy and paste or use the right click context menu to move the files you want to sync into the syncfolder. On the Mac, you must copy and paste or drag and drop files into the syncfolder, there is no context menu. After syncing these files, they will appear in the syncfolder on your other computer. You can access your files anytime you want through the JustCloud web interface or on your mobile phone's browser. They are stored safely online waiting for you to access them. Here you can view all versions of the files as well by clicking on the little green arrow next to the file. To edit your files, you must download them onto the computer you're using and edit them in any program of your choice. The awesome thing is that as soon as you edit a file that belongs to the syncfolder on your computer, it will be synced up within seconds across all of your computers and on the web! Make sure to replace the original file with the edited file inside the syncfolder itself, for this is the only way that it will get synced. Other Features With JustCloud, you can share files with anyone you want through email. After clicking on 'view syncfolder', hover over the folder you would like to share in 'folder view', click the green button and hit share. You can then enter in people's emails and type out an optional message. Shortly after, the other person will receive an email where they can follow the steps to view the folder. They must create a JustCloud account to view it but this is completely free and is simply used to show the folder you shared. JustCloud also allows you to backup USB and external drives. Pricing The cheapest option is to pay 2 years upfront, which comes out to only $4.95/month. Paying for a year comes out to $5.95/month and 6 months is $6.95/month. If you feel more comfortable paying month to month, the plan costs $9.95 each month. Though 1.015 GB of sync space comes with the plan, you can always pay for more space to be added to your syncfolder. There is a 30 day money back guarantee for all of these plans if you aren't satisfied with the service. Note that before you purchase you can always try it out with the 14-day free trial, which doesn't give you the full unlimited backup storage space but at the same time you don't need to enter in any credit card information when signing up for it. Conclusion JustCloud is a great solution if you're looking for unlimited cloud storage and backup as well as syncing for some select important files. You can sync as many computers as you wish with JustCloud, so if you find yourself working on many different computers and need particular files and folders to be constantly updated no matter where you are, JustCloud is up to the task. If you decide to get the 2 year plan, the price of $4.95/month is a great value considering all of the perks you get. |
|
| Cheapest Price: | $4.95/mo (w/ 2 year plan) |
| Free Trial / Discount: | 14-day free trial; .015 GB of free storage |
| Gigabytes (GB) of Storage Included: | Unlimited |
| Gigabytes (GB) of Sync Space Included: | 1.015GB; pay extra for more space |
| # of Computers Backed Up: | 1; $24.95/yr per add'l computer |
NextAdvisor Blog Headlines
Facebook Privacy Issues: Facebook Being Sued by Users for $15 Billion
On the day that Facebook has gone public, it is also being sued for $15 billion by users who claim that Facebook was tracking their Internet usage, even after they had logged out of Facebook. The lawsuit is a combination of 21 other cases that have been filed against Facebook. This is just another case [...]
Can I Use My Answering Machine With VoIP?
Q: Will my digital answering machine still take messages from incoming callers with VOIPo service? A: Provided you use the correct settings in your VoIP account, yes, your current digital answering machine should work just fine with VOIPo service. However, you might find you don't want to use it, and here's why: VOIPo, like almost [...]
Facebook IPO: Security, Privacy Still an Issue for Social Network
Tomorrow is the day that everybody has been waiting for, the day Facebook goes public. But along with all the accolades and excitement, Facebook's IPO has also brought some scrutiny to how the company handles the privacy and security of its users. In a recent survey by AP and CNBC, 59% of Facebook users said [...]
Mixbook Deal: Get 30% Off For Father's Day
This week, from May 17th through May 21st, one of our top custom photo card and invitation sites, Mixbook, is offering 30% off everything on the site, including their high-quality photo books, with the code BESTDAD. Honor your Dad with an album, calendar, or card featuring your favorite photos together, or order invitations and throw him [...]
Can I Transfer Files Between My Mac and PC Using Cloud Storage?
Q: I need to share files between two platforms, my Mac and PC. Which cloud storage services can do this? A: Other than being able to backup and access all of your files online, the best thing about cloud storage is the ability to sync and share your files across all of your computers. Thankfully, [...]
Wedding Ideas: Want to Trim Down for the Big Day? Save Time with Diet Meal De...
If you're planning your wedding, you may be too busy to focus on healthy eating. As much as you want to have the time to plan out and prepare healthy meals, sometimes it's just too difficult to spend an hour in the kitchen while centerpieces and invitations are taking up brain space. That's where meal [...]
Great Graduation Party Invitation Ideas
Got a graduate finishing high school or college this year? If you're planning a party, be sure to check out this set of our favorite graduation announcements from our top custom photo card and invitation sites Tiny Prints, Paper Culture, Minted, Pear Tree, and Simply To Impress. These sites have great options, whether you're looking [...]
Match.com Takes Online Dating Offline Again
Match.com, the winner of our Guy's Choice award and a five-star rating, recently announced the launch of a new program called "The Stir" that will take online dating back into the offline world. Rolling out in cities across the country over the next few weeks, the Stir will host a series of live events for [...]
Can Genealogy Sites Help Me Find My Birth Parents?
Q: I need to find my birth family. I have my mothers name at my birth and her age and place of birth but that is all. Which service will be best suited to find her family ancestry and anything current? A: The best site to start your search would be Ancestry.com. It has a [...]
Want Professional (or Hilarious) Voicemail? Try a Virtual Phone System
If you're interested in an automated answering system for your small business, a virtual phone system could be the way to go. These systems give you many of the features of a larger business telephone system on your existing phones. You can even forward calls to your home or cell phone if you need to take [...]
Malvertisements: New Brand of Malware Becoming More Popular
As if online advertising wasn't obtrusive enough, malvertisements are becoming more and more popular as a hacking tool, according to the San Jose Mercury News. What are malvertisements? They are basically malicious software disguised as advertisements on the web. In some cases, users don't even need to click on the malvertisements to be infected; merely [...]
Can I Use the AppliedBank Secured Visa Gold Card Internationally?
Q: I will be traveling to Australia in July, could I use the AppliedBank Secured Visa Gold Card there? How would I deposit funds for the card? A: Yes, you can use the AppliedBank® Secured Visa® Gold Card in Australia. According to the card agreement, cardholders are able to use the card in countries outside of the [...]
PayDay Loans: How to Spot a Scam
While there are a couple of legitimate and helpful payday loan sites, there are still a lot of scams out there. We've put together a few quick tips on how to dodge payday loan scams: - If the site is asking you to pay a particular sum of money before you receive the loan, it is probably [...]
Why Is My Credit Score Lower Than Last Year?
Q: I received a copy of my credit report last year and the score was 761. I have not applied for credit anywhere, but a year later my score was 448. What made my score drop so low? A: It's definitely possible for a credit score to drop during a 12 month period even though [...]
Is My Computer Compatible With Remote Desktop?
Q: My home laptop, which is what I would be using for current access, is Microsoft 7. I Don't see that listed in system compatibility, will it work? A: Yes, Microsoft 7 will work with most remote desktop programs. In fact, most programs support a range of Windows hardware, including Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, [...]
