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#10 - Storegate Review
Features
Storegate offers Home users an ideal solution for those who need to backup only a small amount of data, as this can be done via a free account. Although there is a Pro version aimed at businesses, the pricing is much higher than other similar services we reviewed, and the lack of support is likely to make this an undesirable option for most enterprise level users.
The Storegate backup system requires the installation of a client application, which is compatible only with Windows PCs (2000, XP, 2003 and Vista). Other users can still use the system via the Website, but this then does not allow automated backup to occur.
Once users have selected which files to backup, this is run automatically by the client on a scheduled basis. Although the schedule can be modified by the user, it is not as easy to see at a glance when the next backup will occur as it is with some of the other programs we have reviewed.
The fact that real-time backup is not available also means that users are at risk of losing data which has been changed or created throughout the day, until the scheduled backup occurs. It would also appear that users do not receive an e-mail notification should the scheduled backup be interrupted or not occur for any reason. This means that backup could fail to occur and users would be completely oblivious to the fact until they went to restore something and it wasn’t there.
Another major issue which we had with the Storegate system was that it is not possible with the Home version of Storegate to setup multiple users. The only ways to share files are to either make files fully public, give other users full access to your account with your password, or to pay a whopping fee for the Storegate Multi account.
One feature of Storegate that we did like was that it is specifically designed to allow users to sync their phones and mobile devices to their account, which makes it great for home users who want to be able to fully backup all the media they have on these too.
Users can access their files from any computer or mobile device, which makes it ideal for users who need to be able to access their files when away from home. This is also great for users who listen to music or watch video on their phone as they can simply store the media online and then access it whenever they want through their phone’s Web browser.
Security - 
The security setup with Storegate is typical of this type of service, with SSL encryption used for data transmission and prior to data storage.
Storegate does not provide geo-redundant backups (copying your data to data storage centers in different geographical locations) as would be expected of such a high-priced system.
Price/Value - 
Storegate offer Home users 2GB of storage completely free. The prices for their paid plans are however comparatively expensive, ranging from $6.99 per month for 10GB and $19.99 per month for 50GB of storage for use on one computer.
Users must also pay an additional $2.49 per month to be able to sync their phone.
Corporate accounts are also very costly, starting from $17.99 per month for 5GB and running to $349.99 per month for 200GB. Storegate is also the only company featured in our top 10 that charges a setup fee, ranging from $33.99 to $849.99 depending on the amount of storage space.
In addition, there are also hefty fees if you want to set up more than one user on the system, ranging from $39.99 per month for 5 users to $699.99 per month for 100 users. Plus there are again setup fees for this service of up to $999.99.
Ease of Use - 
Storegate is not the most user-friendly interface of the services we reviewed, but it is simple enough for most users to be able to get to grips with quite quickly.
Selecting which files to backup is simple with Storegate. All users need to do is to drag the folders or files they wish to backup over to the window in their application, and these files will then be earmarked for automatic backup.
It is equally as simple when using Storegate on your mobile phone. It features simple drag-and-drop capability for phones that allow this feature, or tick boxes for other types of mobile device.
The restoration process is also pretty simple with Storegate. Users simply find the individual files they wish to restore by dragging and dropping from the Web site to their computer folders.
Storegate is however lacking in features found in many of the other programs, especially considering the price. For example, there is a lack of a timeline to restore, which allows the user to restore to points in time other than the last backup.
Support - 
No telephone support is available or even live chat. The only option given on the Contact Us page is a very basic e-mail form, which does not even ask for specific items which are likely to be required by technical support to assist in solving issues.
The FAQ which is provided on the site is really quite basic, answering mostly pre-sale queries rather than offering support with technical issues.
Storegate Review 2012 Conclusion
Storegate is best designed for Home PC users who wish simply to maintain a small online hard drive which automatically backs up the documents when changes are made. Despite the fact that Storegate aims specifically at business customers with the Pro version, the lack of support and advanced features make this a poor choice for business users compared to many of the less expensive options we reviewed.
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