Arq 7 Backup: Uniquely versatile local and online backup

This super-clean backup client connects to any number of local destinations and online storage services, including its own.

- JON JACOBI

There are lots of good options for local and online backup, but Arq 7 Backup, which is both an online service and a client (fave.co/ 3NRvV3J), stands out thanks to its support for myriad third-party online backup services.

Arq even sells the client separately for use with said third-party online repositories. Due to our flawless testing experience with the program, that's something we can actually recommend.

BACKUP PLANS AND FEATURES

The Arq 7 backup program on its own (single-seat, perpetual license) is a tad pricey at $49.99. But the alternative Arq Premium subscription plan covers five seats, along with 1TB of storage, for $59.99 yearly.

That's $10 less than I'm currently paying for OneDrive through Microsoft's Office 365 service. Of course, that has the Office apps, but I opted for it predominantly because it was the cheapest 1TB online storage option at the time.

Note that the client software provided with the online storage plan becomes restore-only, not perpetual, if you cancel the service. Additional online storage is available at $6 per TB per month.

The lengthy list of storage destinations and protocols that Arq 7 supports includes: Amazon Drive AWS S3, S3-compatible services, Glacier, Google Cloud Storage, Backblaze B2, Dropbox, Google Drive, Minio, OneDrive, SharePoint, Storj, Wasabi, SFTP, Network volume (SMB or AFP), and direct-attached storage. Whew.

Arq 7 supports multiple jobs (or backup plans) that you can tailor to each particular service or device that is, you can back up just your vital documents to a free cloud service, and all your files to a more capacious account, a local hard drive, NAS box, and so on.