Carbonite vs CrashPlan: Personal or Business Backup?

Carbonite is the better choice for a household backing up one Windows PC or Mac. CrashPlan is the better choice for a small business that needs centrally managed endpoint backup, Linux support and more detailed retention controls. They are both unlimited services, but they target different customers.

Carbonite Safe Personal is sold per computer and organised into Basic, Plus and Prime tiers. CrashPlan’s current endpoint service is priced per user and is designed around employee computers, administration and business recovery. Comparing only the word “unlimited” misses the operational difference.

Carbonite vs CrashPlan: quick verdict

Category	Carbonite Safe Personal	CrashPlan
Best for	One home computer	Small-business employee endpoints
Storage	Unlimited for one licensed computer	Unlimited endpoint backup, subject to service terms and fair-use controls
Platforms	Windows and macOS	Windows, macOS and Linux support
Administration	Consumer account management	Central management and retention controls
External drives	Requires Plus or Prime	Coverage depends on the endpoint configuration and plan rules
Security role	Automatic personal file backup	Business endpoint resilience and recovery
Price shape	Annual tiers per computer	Per-user subscription
Our winner	Best for personal use	Best for a managed small business

Who each service is designed for

Carbonite Safe is deliberately consumer-friendly. A person installs it on one computer, selects the appropriate tier and lets backup run automatically. There is no need to design user groups or centrally manage a fleet.

CrashPlan treats the computer as a managed endpoint. Its appeal is strongest when a business owner or administrator needs consistent protection across employee devices, including Linux systems. Retention and device oversight matter more than consumer extras.

Pricing compared

Carbonite’s normal annual Personal prices are $95.99 for Basic, $131.99 for Plus and $161.99 for Prime. Each plan covers one computer. Plus adds external-drive and automatic video backup, while Prime adds eligible courier recovery. Temporary discounts often reduce the first payment.

CrashPlan pricing displayed for the reviewed plan was $88 per user for one year or $158 per user for two years. Business costs therefore scale with the number of protected users. Confirm the current plan because CrashPlan has changed its product structure over time.

Organisation	Likely better fit	Why
One home PC	Carbonite	Consumer workflow and personal pricing
Five employee laptops	CrashPlan	Central endpoint management
Linux workstation	CrashPlan	Linux support is a distinguishing feature
Home PC plus external drive	Carbonite Plus or an alternative	External-drive coverage requires the correct tier
Server or Microsoft 365 workloads	Neither automatically	Choose a product specifically covering those workloads

Backup coverage

Carbonite Basic focuses on files stored on one computer. Buyers with external disks or large video collections need to check the Plus and Prime feature lists carefully. Carbonite is not a full disk-imaging product and should not be expected to rebuild an operating system and applications.

CrashPlan protects user files on managed endpoints and offers flexible selection and exclusion rules. It is not the same as a server-backup platform, disaster-recovery appliance or SaaS backup for Microsoft 365. A business should map every important workload before assuming endpoint coverage is complete.

Retention and versioning

Carbonite retains versions according to its published retention policy, which varies with file age and platform. The service should be treated as ongoing computer backup rather than permanent archival storage.

CrashPlan’s detailed retention controls are a major reason businesses consider it. Administrators can define how frequently versions are kept over time and how deleted data is handled, subject to the current product rules. This provides more policy control but also creates responsibility: an overly aggressive policy can remove the versions needed during recovery.

Administration and reporting

Carbonite Personal is managed like a consumer subscription. That is convenient for one machine but becomes inefficient when several employees need consistent settings and status monitoring.

CrashPlan is designed for an administrator to oversee endpoints. Central visibility makes it easier to identify a laptop that has stopped backing up, apply settings consistently and manage employee departures. For a small company, those controls may be more valuable than a lower consumer price.

Restore options

Carbonite supports online restores, with courier recovery offered on an eligible Prime plan. This can be helpful for a home user facing a large recovery over slow broadband.

CrashPlan focuses on restoring files from its endpoint backup through the client and administrative environment. The business should test both a small self-service restore and a larger recovery. Unlimited capacity does not guarantee a fast recovery if the internet connection or endpoint cannot transfer data quickly.

Security

Both services encrypt backup data and provide account-security controls. A business should enforce multi-factor authentication where available, restrict administrator access and document offboarding. Consumer customers should also protect the email account used for password recovery.

Neither provider should be the only defence against ransomware. Maintain separated copies, monitor backup failures and practise restoring known-good versions.

Which should you choose?

Choose Carbonite if:

• you are protecting one personal Windows PC or Mac;
• you want a familiar automatic consumer service;
• the selected tier covers your external drives and videos;
• central employee administration is unnecessary.

Choose CrashPlan if:

• you manage employee laptops for a small business;
• Linux support is required;
• retention controls and central reporting matter;
• per-user pricing fits the organisation.

Final verdict

This comparison has two winners because the audiences are different. Carbonite is the sensible candidate for an individual who wants automatic unlimited backup of one computer. CrashPlan is substantially better suited to a company that needs managed endpoints and policy control.

Read our complete Carbonite review and CrashPlan review. Businesses should also compare the broader options in our small-business cloud backup guide.

Sources

• Carbonite Personal comparison chart
• Carbonite pricing
• CrashPlan official site

Details checked 23 September 2026. Verify current pricing, platform support and retention before purchase.