3 clear reasons Dropbox Backup beats Carbonite.
- It’s easy. Any Dropbox plan you choose comes with Dropbox Backup, which lets you automatically back up your computer and connected external drive. With Carbonite, you have to sort through plans to figure out what you can back up.
- It’s an automatic safety net. Dropbox Backup doesn’t mean manual backup. It’s always running—automatically protecting and encrypting your files in the cloud. So they’re always safe, no matter what happens to your computer. Not all Carbonite plans, on the other hand, automatically back up all file types—like videos. So if there’s malware or a meltdown and you haven’t done a manual backup, you’re out of luck.
- It’s how you get your files back now. If you lose your computer or lose your files, you don’t lose any time. Built on best-in-class sync technology, lightning-fast file downloads from Dropbox Backup reduce the waiting game, so you can move on to more important things. Carbonite simply can’t say the same.
Don’t take our word for it. A study from 2021 comparing top-tier backup solutions reports that people who use Dropbox Backup agree it’s easier and more intuitive than Carbonite.

It’s much easier to help you than confuse you.
As of 2022, Carbonite has six different plans and a mixed bag of features, so it’s difficult to know what you’re getting.
- Automatic video backup is available on some, but not all, plans.1
- External-drive backups are only available with certain plans.2
- Files larger than 4GB have to be manually updated one by one, even though the plan says it includes automatic backups.3
By contrast, every Dropbox plan with Dropbox Backup comes with every feature available—with automatic backup for files as big as 2 TB, depending on your plan. The only difference is how much backup storage you want.
That’s it. That’s all. That’s as easy as it gets.

We’re not telling you who to trust. We’re just telling you that 700 million registered users trust Dropbox.
With Dropbox Backup, you not only get simple, secure backups, you get a brand that’s trusted by hundreds of millions of registered users all over the world. You also get one, safe, centralized spot for your photos and videos, your insurance forms and work documents, your music and, well, every other element of your digital life.
And when you get Backup, you get other Dropbox functions, like cloud storage and document sharing and handling. With Carbonite, all you get is Carbonite.

Dropbox Backup vs. Carbonite: A closer look
Keep your digital self safe with a better backup, so you can quickly and easily recover from whatever life throws your way.
Dropbox Backup | Carbonite Basic | |
Built on a secure and reliable network trusted by 700M+ registered users worldwide | Yes | No |
Restore files & folders back in the original location | Yes | Yes |
Store files (photos, videos and more) and backups all in one place, instead of spread out across subscriptions | Yes | No |
Automated backups for videos | Yes | No |
Automated backups for files over 4GB (depending on your plan) | Yes | No |
Can be added as a part of Dropbox cloud storage subscription | Yes | No |