Cloud backup vs external hard drive
An external hard drive is fast, private to you and has no ongoing fee, but it sits next to the computer it protects. Cloud backup keeps a copy somewhere else and can run without you, but it depends on your internet connection and a provider. For important files the safest answer is usually both, because each one covers the other's weak points.
The short answer
Neither option is wrong. They protect against different things. An external drive protects you from a failed internal disk or an accidental delete, and it restores quickly because the data is in your hands. A cloud backup protects you from the things that happen to the whole room: theft, fire, flood, or a power surge that takes out the computer and the drive plugged into it.
If you can only do one, pick the one that you will actually keep running. A drive in a drawer that you plug in twice a year protects very little. A cloud backup that runs in the background protects whatever you chose, as long as you check that it is working.
What an external hard drive does well, and where it falls short
A local drive is simple and familiar. You pay once for the hardware, the data never needs the internet, and copying or restoring large amounts of data runs at the speed of the cable, not your broadband.
- Speed. Copying or restoring many gigabytes is usually much faster over USB than over a home internet connection.
- Cost model. You buy the drive once. There is no subscription, though drives do wear out and need replacing.
- Control. The copy is physically with you. Nothing depends on a provider or an account.
The limits are just as real. The drive is usually in the same place as the computer, so a theft, fire or flood can take both. Drives fail too, and they fail quietly: you often discover a dead backup drive at the moment you need it. Backups also depend on your habits. If the drive is not connected, or the copy job is not running, nothing is saved.
Two more points are easy to miss. A drive that stays plugged in can be reached by malware or ransomware that encrypts the files it can see, including the backup copies. And a simple drag-and-drop copy gives you one copy of each file, so it will not help if you need the version from last month.
What cloud backup does well, and where it falls short
Cloud backup sends your chosen files over the internet to storage run by a provider. Because the copy is held off site, it survives anything that happens to your home or office. Once it is set up it can run on a schedule without you doing anything. For the basics, see what cloud backup is.
- Off-site by default. The copy lives in a different place from the computer.
- Automatic. It runs on a schedule, so it does not depend on remembering to plug something in.
- Reachable from another computer. If your PC is lost, you can restore from a different one once you sign in.
The trade-offs are an ongoing fee and the internet. The first backup can take a long time, because everything is sent. Restoring a very large amount of data over a slow connection can also take time. You are also trusting a provider, so it is worth reading how the provider describes encryption and access rather than assuming.
Side by side
External hard drive and cloud backup compared in general terms
| Question | External hard drive | Cloud backup |
|---|
| Survives theft, fire or flood at home? | Not if it is kept next to the computer | Yes, the copy is held elsewhere |
|---|
| Speed to restore a large amount of data | Usually fast, limited by the cable | Depends on your internet connection |
|---|
| Runs without you? | Only if you set up and keep running a copy job, and the drive is connected | Yes, on a schedule |
|---|
| Cost model | One-off hardware cost, replaced when it wears out | Ongoing subscription based on the plan |
|---|
| Can fail silently? | Yes, the drive or the copy job may stop without warning | Yes, so you need to look at the backup status now and then |
|---|
| Exposed to ransomware? | Yes, if it stays connected | Less directly, but depends on how versions and access are handled |
|---|
| Needs the internet? | No | Yes |
|---|
Why most people are safest using both
The widely used 3-2-1 backup strategy says to keep three copies of your data, on two kinds of storage, with one copy off site. Your working files on the PC count as the first copy. An external drive is the second copy on a different device. A cloud backup is the off-site copy.
With both in place, a failed internal disk is fixed quickly from the drive. A lost or stolen computer is fixed from the cloud. A mistake you only notice weeks later is the case where version history helps most, and that is something to check on whichever tool you use.
Keep the drive disconnected If you use an external drive as one of your copies, connect it only to run the backup and then unplug it. A drive that is always attached is more exposed to ransomware and to power surges.
How Tornova fits
Tornova Backup is cloud backup for Windows PCs, so it covers the off-site part. You choose a Backup Set of files, folders or whole drives, and you are never required to back up the entire device. Backups can run on a schedule you set with Automatic Backup, and the first backup sends everything while later backups send new and changed data.
It is not a system-image backup, so it does not capture Windows, programs and settings as a bootable image. That is a reason to keep an external drive for a full image if you want one, alongside Tornova for your files. Tornova also does not currently back up NAS or network drives. See the features page for what is included and the pricing page for plans and trials.
Which should you start with?
- Start with an external drive if you have a lot of data, a slow connection, or a one-off need such as moving to a new computer.
- Start with cloud backup if you want the protection that survives theft or fire and you prefer something that runs on its own.
- Add the second one as soon as you can. The files you would be most upset to lose deserve two different kinds of protection.
Whatever you choose, test a restore. Copy one file back from the drive and one from the cloud, and open them. A backup you have not restored from is still a guess.
Frequently asked questions
Is an external hard drive enough as a backup?
It protects against a failed internal disk and accidental deletes, but a theft, fire or flood can take the drive along with the computer. For important files, add a copy that is kept somewhere else.
Is cloud backup safer than an external drive?
They cover different risks. Cloud backup is better against loss of the whole location, while a drive is faster to restore and does not need the internet. Using both gives the most coverage.
How long does a first cloud backup take?
It depends on how much you back up and how fast your upload connection is. The first backup sends everything, so it is the longest; later backups send only new and changed data.
Does Tornova back up an external drive?
Tornova lets you include drives in a Backup Set, so a connected external drive can be chosen like any other drive. If the drive is disconnected, Tornova reports the source as unavailable and does not delete the cloud copy.
Can I back up a whole PC image with Tornova?
No. Tornova backs up the files, folders and drives you choose. It does not create a system image of Windows and installed programs.
Keep reading
JavaScript is needed to sign in, buy a plan or use the dashboard.