Zoolz Review
Another day, another new cloud company is born. However, don’t be so quick to pass (negative) judgment on Zoolz. You will be missing out greatly. Zoolz found a flaw in the current structure of online backup companies. As the backup industry has progressed, people have learned the hard way that the term “unlimited” has many meanings, but in almost every instance it does not actually mean unlimited. Zoolz not only offers true unlimited backup but they also do not delete your files…ever. As in forever. Your files are there for life, or what Zoolz likes to call “lifetime.” But this is not the only reason why you should choose an online backup service. So how do you distinguish between the new companies, like Zoolz, and the ones with millions of users like JustCloud? Read below!
Features
Zoolz does not pretend to be fancy or flashy. In fact, they started with the simple goal that backing up your files should be an easy process even for the most technologically challenged person. Yet, even with a basic approach, you have access to features that will impress cloud professionals and especially businesses looking for a storage solution. For example, they employ a backup measure called “cold storage.” This technique allows you to split your data – one set of data will be instantly accessible and the other set (“cold”) will be available within approximately 3 to 5 hours. Zoolz will email you when your “cold” data is available. You may be wondering why anyone would store data in the “cold storage” section? Well, the $2/month price tag for unlimited file storage via the “cold storage” method is one main reason. In addition to this, Zoolz offers incredible features that not only would you expect but will “wow” you:
- Unlimited lifetime storage
- Automatic backups
- File sharing
- File Deduplication & Compression
- Bandwidth throttling
- Pre transfer 256-bit AES encryption
- Simple restore
- File filtering
Another great feature that we would like to mention is their external and network drive backup feature. As per the Zoolz website, “Zoolz fully supports Network and external drive backup. You can disconnect your drives and store them away and Zoolz will never mark these files as missing or deleted.” If you join Zoolz with a business plan, you can also literally mail in your data to Zoolz on external media with pre set encryption. They will then transfer your data to their data centers. This will save businesses precious time rather than having to run the initial backup process themselves, which could theoretically take a few days. One more thing (we promise): you can access Zoolz via their mobile application (works on Apple and Android). We would love to talk about their features all day, but we cannot.
Zoolz Cold Storage Backup Process
Ease of Use
As stated above, there is honestly too much to write about when it comes to the features that Zoolz offers. Yet, when you are using the dashboard, it is pleasantly easy to navigate and not overwhelming in the slightest bit. You will also have the ability to download the software for free. Yes, 100% free, even before you make a purchase. The download takes roughly 45 seconds and will be installed with a few clicks of the mouse. Zoolz is also the first cloud solution based on Amazon Glacier designed for home users. Zoolz makes Amazon Glacier a very user friendly home solution. Additionally, business users will find that the dashboard comes with a fresh layout making the backup process quite simple, even for more complicated projects.
Zoolz Dashboard
Pricing
Unlike most other online backup providers, Zoolz is straight and to the point. True, you can find other brands like this but Zoolz out does them by stating everything you need to know about their pricing in one simple chart. That being said, these are the pricing options:
- $3/month – 1 year plan
- $2.5/month – 2 year plan
- $2/month – 5 year plan
It should be noted that all plans are limited to one computer only.
Security
You want change and innovation? Look no further. Heard about the recent NSA spying scandal? Who cares now, especially when you have Zoolz? A theory of how the NSA spied was that they obtained data while it was in transit (i.e. during a backup process) since there was never any technology for in-transfer encryption. Well, Zoolz has you covered on that now. They provide a 256-bit AES pre and in-transfer encryption, along with 256-bit AES encryption while your data sits at Amazons data centers throughout the world. Furthermore, you can select your own encryption key, thus further ensuring no Zoolz employee can access your data.
Customer Support
While we don’t claim that Zoolz has award winning customer support like MyPC Backup. This is impossible as they are a new brand. However, it is worth mentioning that their customer service is the fastest and most knowledgeable of all the new cloud storage companies. When you submit a technical question via their online web form, you can expect a reply within 2 hours during standard operating times and 6-8 hours if it is middle of the night “off-peak” hours. They also host an extremely resourceful Help Center. We have found that with many other brands, their help centers are there just for show. This is not the case with Zoolz. Any issue that may arise can be answered in this section.
Summary
If you are looking for a wide range of features with unbeatable security and ease of use, Zoolz is your choice. While we realize they do not have a million accounts like other big name online backup companies, we believe that this is not a reason to turn away from one of the best online storage services that we have reviewed. You will be hard pressed to find another brand that can offer what Zoolz is offering, and at that price level.
