Product Review: Carbonite Endpoint – 2.1 stars

Is Carbonite good? Our team tested Carbonite Endpoint, marketed by its developers as “enterprise-grade endpoint backup for modern workforces,” to find out. The installation was simple enough for non-tech-savvy users. However, we found that once it was set up, Carbonite Endpoint presented several critical drawbacks and missing features that could make a user think twice before purchasing and installing the product. So, is Carbonite good? In our Carbonite review testing, we concluded that the cons significantly outweigh the pros. Here’s what we found:

Pros

• Easy to Install – The installation is relatively simple. Unfortunately, after installation, our Carbonite review found that effective operation is more challenging.

Cons

• Limited Backups – Carbonite doesn’t back up your entire system, which makes restoration difficult, if not impossible, in the event of a cyberattack or some other disaster
• No Sharing or File Syncing – Other platforms allow users to sync and share files across all their devices. Carbonite does not have this feature
• No Mobile Backup – The developers don’t have a mobile app for backing up data from Android and iOS devices. This is a glaring omission
• Limited Functions with Basic Plan – The basic Carbonite plan does not back up larger files, such as videos. Users must pay for an upgrade to back up such files
• Slow Initial Backups and Restorations – We found that initial backups were very slow, as were restorations. During an event such as a ransomware attack, every second counts, and our tests indicated that the backup and restoration processes take a potentially problematic amount of time
• Nonintuitive User Interface – Our tests showed that, compared to its competitors, the Carbonite interface feels clunky and outdated.
• Confusing Backup Setup –Selecting which files you wish to back up can be confusing, requiring users to close the backup wizard and grab the files through file explorer
• Limited Functionality for Mac Users – When we tested Carbonite with Macs, we found that it offers fewer features than it does for PCs. For example, we found no private encryption keys available in the iOS version of the app
• Poor Customer Support – In our interactions, we found the support reps were not fully trained or knowledgeable about their product
• Data Wipes on External Drives – We found that if an external drive is not connected for a prolonged period of time, it can be accidentally wiped. This would be a major point of stress for an SMB owner

During our Carbonite review, testers found that Carbonite’s competitors offer more comprehensive and user-friendly backup platforms; therefore, we do not recommend Carbonite at this time. Get in touch if you are in the greater New York City area or contact your local IT provider to discuss secure data backup and more managed network services for your small business.

Rating

Overall

2.1/5