2012/05/13

Cloud sync and backup

I have been using http://wuala.com for couple of years to keep ca 80GB in safely synced and backed up in the cloud, for free. But they changed from p2p storage to commercial centralized server model, as a result, I am going to loose that  free storage. What are my options at the moment?

I took a look at

- Windows Live Mesh (will become Windows SkyDrive and loose p2p sync ability). Storage limit is good though at 25GB.

- I have beta invite from Cubby (by LogMeIn) – only 5GB in the cloud, but promise of free and unlimited p2p sync

- Google Drive – only 5GB, but good gmail/gdocs integration, no p2p sync

- Dropbox – up to 16GB storage after referrals, hmm. Plenty of mobile clients, but nothing else going for it, other than ability to game it easily to grow storage.

- Ubuntu One, SugarSync, Megacloud – 5GB free cloud, some mobile clients

- Bitcasa – speaks about unlimited cloud storage for $10/month, using p2p similar to wuala?

I am sorry, to see wuala go nuts like this. Theirs was the best option for owners of 24x7 servers (e.g. home NAS + torrent server + wuala cloud peer). After fallout, not many options are left, most of them are good for usual users, who do not have own server and fully depend on the cloud for sync. However, I see opportunity to achieve most of what wuala did for free by combining various parts of different services.

Here is what I’m going to try

1) for unlimited p2p sync (which provides backup too) between my server and several laptops

2) to raise protection bar – e.g. unlikely event that both laptops and server are destroyed by fire at the same time – p2p sync to my parents PC – this is good for anything, bar nuclear strike :(

3) Google Drive for my working docs (5GB)

4) Dropbox/SkyDrive for my music/photos files (16+25GB)

Other services, like UbuntuOne, SugarSync, MegaCloud, Bitcasa – I do not see much use for, with current pricing. I will however, try them to see if I missed anything.