Jungle Disc - A Unique Online Backup Service

Many people may have already heard about Jungle Disc, but not all know that it has a unique aspect - instead of being a "full-service" operation, Jungle Disc is the "middle-man". Jungle Disc provides you with a feature-packed program, but does not do the actual storing of your data. Instead, Amazon S3 or Rackspace gets the job done. A closer look at Jungle Disc reveals some of its advantages and downsides to help you in deciding if Jungle Disc is right for you.

Features

Features-wise, Jungle Disc is as packed as many popular online backup services today. With this solution you can schedule automatic backups, access files remotely, share files, retrieve past file versions, and sync data across multiple devices. The restoring process is also easy to use, an important feature when you experience a computer failure.

Users who are very particular with their backup needs won't be disappointed with the options offered. There are various choices for what, when, and where to backup, as well as other settings. Those new to online backup however, could fare better with a simpler service with fewer user options.

A key feature of Jungle Disc is the RSS feed reports. Users have access to a private RSS feed that details the backup process. The feed is updated anytime a backup is completed or once a day. This is a convenient feature for anyone that leaves a backup service to "do its thing" but still wants to know exactly what it did.

The Pros and Cons

While it has many good features, Jungle Disc also has its share of drawbacks. The good news about Jungle Disc includes compatibility with Windows, Mac and Linux, reliable storage with Amazon and Rackspace (your choice), plenty of features, and impressive security. What makes the service less-than-ideal is the complicated pricing scheme, lack of phone/live chat support, and complex options.

Storage and Pricing

The pricing of Jungle Disc is different from other online backup services. Instead of having one payment a month, you have two. The reason is because you pay Jungle Disc for using their program to backup your data and you pay Amazon of Rackspace for storing your data. The pricing of both services combined is comparable to other online backup services, so you should not let the dual billing discourage you.

On the Jungle Disc side, the cost is $2 and $3 monthly for consumer plans, and $4 and $5 per month for business plans. When you add up these monthly fees to Amazon or Rackspace's storage charges of $0.15 per gigabyte per month, the costs with Jungle Disc are actually quite reasonable considering you get a feature-packed backup solution. It is important to note that there is no maximum capacity for storage ? you pay for as much as you want.

Should You Use Jungle Disc?

Jungle Disc is designed for someone that has an understanding of how online backup services work. You have a lot of options for customizing your backup so that it fits your needs exactly. However, it lacks the simplicity of other online backup services, making it difficult for the average home user to grasp and operate.

Still having doubts about whether Jungle Disc is the best online storage solution for you? Visit us to read our full indepth Jungle Disc review to get more details about the service and to compare it to other popular backup services.