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ZipCloud Review: Cloud Storage |
| Sign up for ZipCloud | |
Rating: |
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| Cheap and easy service that lets users store an unlimited number of files from one computer safely online; syncfolder available for light syncing needs | |
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The first thing you will notice about ZipCloud is its 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. This surprisingly cheap plan gives you not only 1.015 GB of syncing space in the cloud, but also unlimited storage space for when you want to use ZipCloud as your go-to online backup service for one computer. ZipCloud is a nice service thanks to its quick syncing and a few nifty features. If you're a person who works on multiple computers and wants your files to always be up-to-date, ZipCloud is a perfect solution for just that!
Setup and Initial Backup After following ZipCloud's installation wizard, you will be asked whether you want to do the recommended backup of the 'My Documents' folder, or do a manual selection of specific folders. Once you make your selection, the ZipCloud desktop application will launch. The initial backup for the PC took a very long time compared to other online backup services, even though the specific computer we were using did not have many files. However, you can still use your computer while the backup is happening, so the slow initial backup shouldn't be too much of a problem. After your files are backed up, you can access them anywhere through your account on ZipCloud's handy web interface. On the PC, You can also 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. However, this was glitchy and did not work when we tried to use it. When you backup files on the Mac version, you must go into ZipCloud's desktop application and click "backup selection" whenever you want to add something to backup. Syncfolder Like its sister company MyPCBackup, and identical twin, JustCloud, the syncfolder is one of the best features of the service. And because ZipCloud is more focused on cloud storage, the syncfolder is definitely the star. Even though you must pay an extra subscription fee to fully backup an additional computer, you can still download the ZipCloud 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. Simply use the same login information as the main computer — this way, you will be able to sync the same file on multiple computers. 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 also access these files anywhere, anytime through the ZipCloud web interface. Here you can view all versions of the files as well by clicking on the green arrow. Not only that, but viewing your files on your mobile phone is just as easy when you sign in through your smart phone's web browser! You cannot edit the files within the ZipCloud web interface, but you can download them onto your computer and edit them there. 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! Other Features A great feature is the ability to share folders through ZipCloud. 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 the emails of the people you would like to share the folder with 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 ZipCloud account to view it but this is completely free and is simply used to show the folder you shared. ZipCloud also allows you to backup USB and external drives. Pricing If you decide to take the plunge, paying 2 years upfront comes out to only $4.95/month. Paying for a year upfront 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. You can also add space to your syncfolder anytime by spending a little extra. There is a 30 day money back guarantee for all of these plans if you aren't satisfied with the service. Remember, 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. You don't need to enter in any credit card information when signing up for the trial either. Conclusion With ZipCloud, there is no limit with how many computers you sync. If you are someone who works on many different computers and needs particular files and folders to be constantly updated no matter where you are, this is a great solution for you. 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. |
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| 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: | 1.015 GB; pay extra for more space |
| # of Computers Backed Up: | 1; $24.95/yr per add'l computer |
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