IDrive Online Backup vs Sync with iCloud Drive
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
IDrive Online Backup
Securely back up and sync your mobile data with private key encryption for maximum security. Access your files from anywhere, on any device, and share them easily. Protect photos and videos automatically as they are taken.
- Private key encryption
- Backup and restore contacts, photos, videos, calendars
- Sync files across devices
- Access data from anywhere
- Selective backup and restore
- Share files and folders securely
- Automatic photo/video upload
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Protect your digital life with IDrive! Securely backup your mobile data with private key encryption – the highest level of data security available – so only you can access your files. You can backup multiple devices to one account, and sync files across devices to access your data from anywhere. IDrive for iOS is the winner of PCMag Editors’ Choice Award. "There's a heck of a lot to like about IDrive ... it can do things that none of the alternatives can." - PC Mag, September 2013 Features: • Backup and restore contacts, photos, videos, and calendars with a single tap. • Easily sync files between all linked devices. • Link your devices to a single account and access data from anywhere. • Selectively backup and restore files. • Share files and folders over a single, secure link. • Automatic upload option protects photos and videos as soon as they are taken via Wi-Fi or cellular data. • Gallery View allows you to easily slide through pictures and videos. Security features: • Private key encryption ensures only you have access to your data. • Lock app with a passcode. • Easily unlink devices, which are lost or stolen.
Sync with iCloud Drive
This app synchronizes your phone's photo library to iCloud Drive, preserving album and folder structures. It automatically updates changes, backs up edited photos and videos, and offers a free tier with limitations and a premium subscription for full access.
- Syncs photo library to iCloud Drive
- Preserves album and folder hierarchy
- Saves edited photos and videos
- Supports Live Photos video component
- One-way sync to match phone library
- Mirror or backup entire library
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Sync for iCloud Drive synchronizes your phone’s photo library, including the album and folder hierarchy, to iCloud Drive. For users who like to organize their photos into folders and albums, Sync offers many advantages over saving your photos and videos to iCloud Drive and manually recreating your folder structure on iCloud Drive. - Sync automatically creates folders and albums you may have created in your phone’s photo library on iCloud Drive. - Saves the video component for Live Photos. - Saves the edited versions of photos and videos. - Mirror or back up your photo library. - Synchronize your entire photo library or only certain folders and albums. In summary, each time you run Sync, it will make sure any changes to your phone’s photo library are updated on iCloud Drive, overwriting, renaming, uploading, and deleting items from iCloud Drive if needed. Sync will also NEVER delete any photos from your phone. Sync performs a ONE-WAY sync only, making a folder in your iCloud Drive account match your phone’s photo library. Any changes made on iCloud Drive will not be synced to your phone, rather, the changes on iCloud Drive will simply be overwritten the next time you run Sync. Free Plan The free plan is limited to syncing up to 3 top-level folders and albums and up to 200 photos. Premium Plan Our affordable premium plan removes all restrictions and unlocks access to all future features. Subscription Pricing and Terms - Annual or monthly subscription billing will start immediately after you subscribe and will auto-renew each year or month. - Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled at least one day before the renewal date within 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. You can manage and cancel your subscription by going to your account settings in the App Store. - Subscriptions are non-refundable, so please choose this option carefully. - Please refer to the In-App Purchases section for pricing. Terms of Use — https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy — https://sync.photosplus.app/privacy.php
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sync with iCloud Drive at 4.9 against IDrive Online Backup's 4.3. Sync with iCloud Drive also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). IDrive Online Backup's advantage is ratings volume (5K vs 7) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. IDrive Online Backup sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Sync with iCloud Drive sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Sync with iCloud Drive holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IDrive Online Backup has 5K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.
IDrive Online Backup ships an update every 3 weeks, Sync with iCloud Drive every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | IDrive Online Backup | Sync with iCloud Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (5K ratings) | 4.9 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5K — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 111 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | IDrive Incorporated | Pixegram, LLC |
Customer experience
IDrive Online Backup
Sync with iCloud Drive
Bugs and requests
IDrive Online Backup
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes when trying to access backed up data
- Inconsistent backup progress reporting
- Fails to backup all photos and videos
- Sync issues between devices
Requested features
4 requests- Add option to view backed up files in folder structure
- Improve upload and download speeds
- Allow background uploads without pausing
- Add facial recognition and photo organization features
Sync with iCloud Drive
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
IDrive Online Backup
- IDrive Pro Mobile$0.99
- IDrive 100GB at $2.99$2.99
- IDrive 100GB at $3.99$3.99
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- IDrive Mobile Unlimited$4.99
- IDrive 500GB at $9.99$9.99
- IDrive 1TB at $14.99$14.99
- IDrive 1TB at $15.99$15.99
- IDrive 2TB at $54.99$54.99
- IDrive 1TB at $59.99$59.99
- IDrive 5TB at $59.99$59.99
Sync with iCloud Drive
- Premium - Monthly$2.991 Month
- Premium - Yearly$19.991 Year
Questions
Is IDrive Online Backup free?
Is Sync with iCloud Drive free?
Which has better reviews, IDrive Online Backup or Sync with iCloud Drive?
Do IDrive Online Backup or Sync with iCloud Drive have ads?
Which is updated more often, IDrive Online Backup or Sync with iCloud Drive?
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