Pogoplug Cloud Storage Service

Pogoplug Cloud Storage Service Review

Pogoplug is a cloud storage service that focuses on one main strength, accessibility. They claim to be an unlimited online storage service catering, especially to mobile users. In our Pogoplug cloud review, we will be taking a closer look at this service and give you all the facts.

Accessibility might be its main feature, but Pogoplug isn’t limited to that. They offer file streaming between all connected devices and no limitations in regards to the size. We will be taking a look at how they fare against other cloud storage services. We will also suggest alternatives, should Pogoplug not suit your needs.

Pogoplug General Info

Pogoplug manages to put some distance between it and its main competitors with its unlimited storage offer, regardless of what type of plan you choose (even the 30-days free trial period plan has unlimited storage and backup).

To top it all up, some of the customers who have created a free account on Pogoplug allegedly managed to amass more than 60 TB of personal data.

With Pogoplug you will be able to perform the following actions:

  • Backup data from your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
  • Restore your lost information.
  • View file versions.
  • Share files with your contacts via e-mail, Facebook or Twitter.
  • Stream media files.
  • Integrate various third-party apps such as Pogoplug cast, Pogoplug Remote Access, Pogoplug drive, and Pogoplug Backup Software.
  • Create links.

Pogoplug Plans and Pricing

Pogoplug currently offers three types of plans: one designed for a single user; a family plan, with a master account and at least one other user; and a business plan, which can have increased security and prioritized support. They also have a different plan for remote access, specially designed for mobile devices.

Below, you will find a table containing the prices of each plan, as well as their features. Note that all plans come with a 30-days free trial feature, which can help you decide whether this service is what you’re looking for or not.

PlanPriceStorage AllotmentFeatures
Pogoplug Personal Backup$49.95 per yearUnlimitedAn unlimited number of devices; Restricted to one user per account.
Pogoplug Family Backup$49.95 per yearUnlimitedAn unlimited number of devices; Admin tools;1 user master account and at least 1 invited user; Each user has their own account and can share files with others; Remote access for $19.95 per year per invited user.
Pogoplug Business Backup$100 per yearUnlimitedAn unlimited number of devices; Admin tools;2-factor authentification; Business-focused performance improvements; Prioritized support; Remote access for $100 per year per invited user.
Pogoplug Remote Access$29.95 per yearUnlimitedAn unlimited number of devices; Restricted to one user per account.

Pogoplug In-Depth Review

The first thing we’ve observed during our Pogoplug cloud review is how simple it is to create an account and deploy the manager on your machine. After typing in your credentials, the Web app will automatically launch, and you’re ready to back up files and folders.

According to Pogoplug, the service works with any kind of file, but, in our experience, works best with multimedia files. Just upload them to the cloud, and access them with one click from any device. The dev team even included a picture viewer and a video/audio player.

File Backup

There are two major ways of backing up your files: by using the desktop application or the web application.

To our displeasure, we’ve discovered that the backup process takes a long time to complete on the Web-based app. And worse, the size of the files did not exceed 5 MB. Still, the manager successfully uploaded the files, and placed them in the appropriate folders, in regard to their extensions.

The desktop-based app only has three buttons (Backup, Recovery and one for visiting the Web-based app) and doesn’t let you choose which files to upload. It just has a gigantic “Start” button that begins the backup process.

File Restoration

Restoring your files from the cloud is as easy as uploading them. We’ve found out that the easiest way to retrieve your files is by using the desktop-based app. Just head over to the “Restore” section in your desktop application, select them, right-click and choose the “Restore” function.

Within a couple of seconds, the manager will automatically download the files in your default Pogoplug folder.

As for file versioning, the cloud will automatically save the last 20 versions of each file, which you can view using the Web-based application.

Pogoplug Security

By default, Pogoplug uses a 256-bit SSL key to encrypt your data in transit. Furthermore, if you want to add an extra layer of protection, you can create your own encryption key, by using the settings tab.

After all the prodding we did for our Pogoplug cloud review, we have to say that we were impressed by how much emphasis the company has placed on security. All the more reason to try out this amazing cloud storage service.

Pogoplug Other Features

We can safely say that sharing is considered one of Pogoplug’s strongest points. With Pogoplug you will be able to share your favorite files and folders via e-mail or by using Facebook or Twitter. Simply select the files, and click on the “Share” button.

Unfortunately, you cannot use the desktop application to share files with your contacts.

Pogoplug also has free apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. In terms of features, the mobile version of Pogoplug has basically the same functions as the Web-based application. Furthermore, you can use the mobile app to back up your camera roll, each time the folder receives a new picture.

Pogoplug – Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Unlimited storage;
  • Unbeatable prices;
  • Easy to use and to deploy;
  • Tons of third-party applications;
  • Advanced File Management;

Cons:

  • Slow compared to other services;
  • The desktop app is rudimentary.

Pogoplug Alternative Options

One of the best alternatives to Pogoplug is Backblaze. Backblaze focuses very much on file encryption and security, using AES and SSL protocols. It also allows for a full file recovery of up to 30 days and a backup of all owned devices. All this, coupled with their very affordable costs for both personal and business plans, make it a top contender.

Syncplicity is also a good choice if Pogoplug does not meet your needs. Just looking at their Personal plan, which offers 10 GB of free storage allotment with file versioning and sharing, and multiple device syncs are enough to cement Syncplicity as a top alternative. They offer 2 types of plans for both personal and corporate use but are a bit pricier than most.

The now-famous Dropbox can pose as a serious adversary to Pogoplug’s affordability. Dropbox is offering free storage allotment for up to 2 GB of data and $20/user/month for unlimited storage. It also offers mobile app support, free file sharing and 30 days recovery time. Dropbox uses OAuth security protocols if SSL isn’t what you’re looking for.

Our Verdict

As part of our Pogoplug cloud review, we’ve been able to see quite a lot of things. Some of them we liked, and some we don’t. For example, we do appreciate the fact that the company has made ample efforts to keep it as simple as possible. On the other hand, we found it quite frustrating to work with the simplistic desktop application.

All in all, we recommend this cloud storage and backup service for its decent price tiers and unlimited backup space.

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