IDrive Compute vs Arq Backup
A detailed comparison to help you choose between IDrive Compute and Arq Backup.
Quick Verdict
2.0/5
IDrive Compute
0 reviews
4.0/5
Arq Backup
0 reviews
Arq Backup is rated higher (4.0 vs 2.0). IDrive Compute was a VPS offering from IDrive with NVMe-backed Linux instances across 9 US and EU data centers, entry plans from $5/month. DISCONTINUED since 15 August 2023. Arq Backup sends encrypted backups to your own S3, B2, Wasabi, or Google Drive. No subscription to Arq cloud — you own the destination. One-time purchase for macOS and Windows.
IDrive Compute Simple VPS from trusted backup company | Arq Backup Mac and Windows backup to your own cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 2.0 (0 reviews) | 4.0 (0 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | paid | one-time purchase + optional subscription (Arq Premium is subscription) |
| Starting price | From $2/mo✓ | From $59.99/mo |
| Best for | Nobody today — the service is discontinued; former customers should look at active providers in our VPS comparison or IDrive e2 for object storage | Mac and Windows users who want a one-time-purchase backup app sending encrypted, versioned backups to their own cloud or NAS storage |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ✓ | |
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ✓ | |
| Free tier | ||
| Tags | ||
| Tags | nvme storageipv6backups includedus datacenter | encryptedself hosted |
| Visit IDrive Compute → | Visit Arq Backup → | |
IDrive Compute
Pros
- + Straightforward published price list with hourly postpaid and prepaid discounts
- + Nine US and EU locations with NVMe storage and bare metal at most sites
- + Native IPv6 included at no extra charge
- + Live snapshots, cloning, and expandable block storage volumes in the base feature set
- + Unused balances refunded at shutdown — the right way to close a service
Cons
- - DISCONTINUED since 15 August 2023 — not purchasable
- - No independent long-term performance or reliability record
- - Backups were a paid add-on despite IDrive's backup heritage
- - No Kubernetes, load balancing, Windows images, or deeper cloud ecosystem
- - Homepage and data-center directory disagreed on the location list
Arq Backup
Pros
- + One-time $59.99 per-computer license with an optional, genuinely optional updates subscription
- + Backs up to storage you own — S3, B2, Wasabi, Google Drive, SFTP, NAS and other S3-compatible targets
- + End-to-end encryption with keys that never leave your machine
- + Open, documented backup format — restores do not depend on the vendor existing
Cons
- - macOS and Windows desktops only — no Linux or server agent
- - Destination storage, request and egress costs are separate and ongoing
- - File backup only: no disk imaging or bare-metal recovery
- - Small-company support with no published SLA
Stay in the loop
Get weekly updates on the best new hosting and infrastructure providers, deals, and comparisons.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.