Gator offers an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface that makes creating your own website simple and straightforward.
What is Gator website builder by HostGator?
Gator is a website builder created by HostGator that makes website building easier than ever before. It's designed to be intuitive, so even if you don't have any experience in web design, you can still create a great-looking website with ease.
The drag-and-drop editor allows you to customize your site without having to write code. With Gator, you can choose from hundreds of templates and customize them with your own images, text, videos, and other content.
Gator Website Builder offers three different plans to choose from depending on your needs (Image credit: HostGator)
Pricing: Is Gator good value for money?
Gator offers three plans, each of which is tailored to meet the needs of different types of businesses. The Start plan is Gator’s most basic plan, but it still includes some great features such as intelligent site building, free hosting, unmetered bandwidth, a free domain, bookings capability, fast websites (CDN), and a free SSL certificate. Additionally, you can access Unsplash’s image library with the Start plan. However, this plan has a limit of only three products that can be sold through your website. This makes it ideal if you are just starting out with online sales or have fewer than three products to offer customers. The monthly cost of the Start plan is $3.84.
The Site plan has all of the same features as the Start plan plus calendar management and a side-by-side view of staff calendars for email notifications. It also allows up to 10 products to be sold through your website. The price for the Site plan is $5.99/mo. This plan may be better suited for businesses that have more than three products and need additional functionality like calendar management or staff calendars for email notifications.
If you need even more features than what is included in the Site plan then consider investing in Gator’s Store plan which includes everything in the Site plan plus unlimited product sales capabilities, priority support, and no transaction fees. This option costs $9.22/mo. The Store plan may be beneficial if your business sells multiple products or services that need to be managed through your website with unlimited product sales capabilities.
HostGator also offer you a 45-day money back guarantee on the hosting fee, should you not be satisfied with their service.
Setup
Signing up for Gator Website Builder is simple and straightforward. The interface is familiar, and generally easy to use. A left-hand sidebar enables managing key areas of your hosting (websites, domains), while the opening screen prompts you to create your website, and once you're up and running, gives you a few very basic stats (unique visitors, total visits, page views, bounce rate.)
Tapping the Create A Site link displays thumbnails of Gator's hundreds of templates. There’s a lot to explore, but you can use keywords to narrow down your search.
Select an item on the page to reveal numerous editing options (Image credit: HostGator)
Features
The editing interface is familiar and straightforward. A left-hand sidebar enables adding various types of content to the site; a toolbar at the top of the screen has a range of essential functions (page navigation, undo/ redo, desktop or mobile views, Save, Preview and Publish options), and the rest of the screen is reserved for the content of your current page.
Gator's pages are initially built from predefined sections. These start with a header and a footer, but you can add others to display particular content types (text, images, videos, image galleries, schedule, a Features, Contact Us, Join My Mailing List section, and more.)
You have a large choice of templates to use for each section (Image credit: HostGator)
Each section comes in multiple templates, with their own layout and formatting. Sections like Images & Text, Video & Text and Text & Buttons allow you to include further content. Pick whatever most closely matches your needs, and you can add it to the page in a couple of clicks.
You’ll also find Elements which you can drag onto your pages - to help you further customise these templates, or create sections on your own from scratch. There are a good range of elements in most of the key areas, and include multiple button types, live feeds to Twitter and Instagram, various PayPal buttons (Buy Now, Add To Cart, Donate, and Check Out), and a range of social media features (social links, sharing icons, Like buttons, Follow buttons and more.)
Page layouts are generally very flexible. Existing section elements can be moved or resized, and new elements may be dropped onto the page with pixel-level precision.
Clicking any object within a section - a text block, an image, a menu, social media buttons - displays a floating toolbar above it, with actions you can perform. These start with a decent set of standard options, including the ability to add animations (have an image fly in from the left, for instance), use drop shadows, or have the element move with the page. But there are also a good number of more element-specific tweaks to explore.
Add a video gallery, you can set up the number of items on a space, how they're positioned, the entrance and exit transitions, the transition timings, SEO information, and set up any custom element behaviours (display a pop-up image when an element is clicked, for instance.)
The Responsive preview feels too minimalistic (Image credit: HostGator)
Although all sites are advertised as fully responsive, The Mobile Preview section feels pretty limited, only offering an illustration of what your site would look like on a phone in vertical orientation. You can’t appear to be able to rotate it, or even see what it would look like on a larger tablet.
Smart design keeps Gator easy to use. Key functions are available in a click or two, and most of the complicated stuff is tucked away where it won't baffle newbies. Overall, it's a well-balanced editor which has plenty to offer both first-timers and more demanding users.
Gator’s blogging tool feels underpowered and too basic (Image credit: HostGator)
Blogging
Adding a blog to your Gator site, and managing it afterwards, is quick and easy.
The process starts by selecting your preferred templates. New blog posts are created using a subset of the standard page editor. There are all the usual text formatting commands, but you don't get access to the main editing widgets, and the Add Element button only allows for the insertion of images, videos, lines, headings and paragraphs. If you want to add a map, or an image gallery, or any of the other components available in the main editor, you're out of luck.
There are plenty of ways to customise how your post looks and behaves on the blog page. You're able to set a title, a cover image, and a summary, as well as assigning tags to help users find related posts, and pin a post to the top of the blog.
There's no option to schedule posts, unfortunately. Blog comments are supported by the Facebook comments system only, which can't be controlled or configured in any way. The blog has one advanced feature in its optional RSS support, but otherwise it's very much about the basics only.
E-commerce
As mentioned above, all of Gator Website Builder plans give you an option to extend your site with a simple web store, but only the high end one offers you all the bells and whistles.
The store supports both physical goods and digital products. You can make the digital download time-limited, or set a maximum number of times a customer can download the same product from a single purchase.
If you need to import a ready-made product catalog, Gator accepts various formats such as Excel, Google Sheets, ecwid, and CSV. If your needs are more modest and you only have a few products to sell, you can input the data manually as well.
There is very little control over how products will be structured and displayed however. Your time will mostly be spent entering product details and configuring key store data (address, preferred currency, and so on.)
Product descriptions are basic, but there is enough power here for many simple sites. You start by entering one or more images, along with some formatted text and a price. There's support for product variants (size, color) and organizing products into categories (shoes, accessories). Setting up and applying discounts should appeal to potential customers, and adding a weight allows the site to automatically calculate shipping rates.
None of this begins to compete in depth and power with specialist e-commerce providers like Shopify, but Gator is undeniably easy to use, and much cheaper. You could manually add three or four products in a few minutes. Shipping and tax calculations (with international support) are built in, PayPal integration enables taking payments right away, and creating a Stripe account gets you card support, too. There’s also an option for Cash on Delivery.
Experienced users won't be impressed, but Gator Website Designer could be a reasonable choice for creating a simple web store.
Final verdict
Gator Website Builder's smartly-designed editor is a great way to quick create professional and good-looking websites. The integrated blog and web store are relatively basic, though, and are unlikely to satisfy demanding or experienced users, but could well be appealing to beginners.
iDrive offers what might be the best cloud backup and best cloud storage services in a comprehensive, user-friendly package that even lets you backup all of your PCs, Macs, mobiles, and tablets from the convenience of a single account.
Personal plans come in 5TB, 10TB, 20TB and 50TB forms, and Team plans are available for anywhere between five and 100 users, offering 1TB per person.
Larger companies will benefit from the Business plan, offering as little as 250GB or as much as 50TB per person, with an unlimited number of users.
The flexible and tailored pricing strategy does make iDrive a very reasonable proposition, although the cost does go up for those that need the business features – such as server backup. At the higher tiers, it becomes a more expensive solution than the likes of Google Drive and Dropbox, justified by its wider set of features.
1. IDrive is the best cloud storage provider IDrive, the cloud backup veteran, delivers tons of storage online for an incredibly small outlay. 10TB for $3.98 for the first year is unmatched till now and so is the support for unlimited devices and the extensive file versioning system available. View Deal
iDrive: Pricing & plans
iDrive used to offer 5GB of free storage with no credit card required - making it one of best free cloud storage solutions for casual users. Now, you get an even sweeter deal: 10GB free cloud storage, which is among the best free offerings of any cloud service. Services and features are more limited in this case, though.
A basic Personal plan starts at 5TB, costing $59.62 a year, although a $15 upgrade for twice the amount of storage (10TB) will likely provide greater peace of mind when backing up several devices.
The Business plan offers unlimited users and devices, with pricing starting from $74.62 for a year for 250GB, going up to $8699.62 for 50TB of space per user. Sitting somewhere in the middle is the Team plan. This comes in several version, offering support for five to 100 users, each with 1TB of space. The cheapest plan starts at $74.62 for one year, climbing to $7499.62.
Choosing the business account rather than a personal one also gives you extra features such as server backups, multiple user management, and access to priority support. We also like the support for single sign-on, which helps to streamline access for non-tech savvy employees making iDrive a genuinely usable service for all.
TechRadar readers can get 10TB of cloud storage for $3.98 for the first year. You can grab this exclusive deal by clicking here.
iDrive: Features
(Image credit: iDrive)
It’s really hard to accuse iDrive of being short on features. For example, there's Snapshots, which lets you store up to 30 different versions of your files, an Express service that lets you put your data on all the best hard drives and actually post them off, and the ability to create full disk images in case you need to rebuild a computer from scratch. All paid users get access to these physical backups via a temporary storage device via 'iDrive Express, which is especially handy for those with poor Internet connectivity.
This is capped at once per year for Personal customers and three times a year for Team and Business subscribers, though subsequent requests are always available at the cost of $59.95.
Then there's also some less obvious functions. iDrive only uploads modified parts of files to reduce bandwidth usage; data gets retained until you specifically delete it; there’s an extensive set of activity logs and reports you can access. For team managers, there are multiple user management and remote backup services.
This is all on top of the core functionality, which backs up an unlimited number of devices – computers, mobile phones, servers – to a single account. If necessary, it can also back up data from mapped drives on a network. Meanwhile, the iDrive web portal makes short work of managing all of these devices together in one place. While it is filled with function, the basic and frankly uninspiring user interface of the desktop client does leave users feeling somewhat short-changed.
In addition to the standard features that will appeal to everyone, there are several aimed at organizations with larger, more complex requirements. This includes server cloud backups covering Linux, Oracle, Sharepoint, MS SQL, Exchange Server, and more.
iDrive includes bare-metal disaster recovery, which is the business-grade solution for the best ransomware protection. Help with new data standards can be found as well, via encryption and date stamping for those in the medical, accounting, and legal professions.
iDrive: Interface & experience
(Image credit: iDrive)
Cloud storage can be accessed through the browser portal, but for the full experience including device backup, the relevant program or application should be installed. Handily, iDrive supports all major device types, though the desktop clients are more impressive than the mobile apps in terms of polish and features. You can have iDrive backup your entire hard drive (or mobile device) or just specific files and folders, and run backups manually or on a schedule.
By default, the desktop client selects your Music, Video, and OneDrive folders for backup, although you can add or remove other locations. The goal here is very much ‘set and forget’. Set up everything the way you like, and then let iDrive quietly work in the background.
Another useful feature is folder syncing, for keeping certain files consistent across all of your devices. There are intuitive menus and settings screens that make it clear how to create the configurations you need. It’s also great that it is simple to use, so you don't need to have an IT degree or to even consult the help pages to figure out how to do the vast majority of tasks.
The iDrive cloud storage apps have a ton of settings, though iOS versions are less impressive. While the Android client is able to back up things like your SMS messages, iPhones and iPads are limited to contact, calendar, photos and videos. In fairness, this is more of a limitation set out by Apple than iDrive. The desktop client allows granular adjustments for bandwidth throttling, file and folder exclusion, data verification, and more. You can even pause a backup if the battery level on your laptop or your phone drops below a certain level.
Uploading and backing up files is just as quick as big players in the cloud storage game, such as Google Drive. As such, it’s unlikely that iDrive will be the bottleneck here. The primary restriction will come from your ISP’s upload speeds which, in most cases, is slower than the download speeds.
(Image credit: iDrive)
Worth noting is that browser downloads redirect to a new tab, and the process of opening the new location can be slow. In our original benchmark the 1GB test file took up to 6 times longer to open in a new tab on the mobile client than the actual download process, which can prove both time consuming and rather annoying. The entire download process wasn’t quite as slick, and took several minutes more than Google Drive. Fortunately, we didn't find this to be a problem when using the desktop client for our most recent tests - more on that in a moment.
One feature of the iDrive web interface that particularly impressed us was that the account password is required to delete any file, helping to prevent any accidental deletes as the user unconsciously navigates the portal on autopilot.
Due to the nature of the service, iDrive is intended more as a backup drive than a cloud space from which to work, so editing documents online is a no-go. This means downloading and reuploading your files as and when necessary, so it’s crucial that you take into account the somewhat convoluted downloading process mentioned above before committing.
Nevertheless there is a Cloud Drive option, which you need to manually activate when you download and run the client. Any files or folders placed in this folder in your home directory are synced to iDrive’s servers.
Having reached out to iDrive, it is confirmed that there is no maximum file size limit, which is great news to teams and businesses working on large projects such as video production.
iDrive: Security
On top of two-factor authentication, iDrive provides end-to-end encryption for your data. Be cautioned that this requires a private key known only to you, so don’t forget it, or you can't get anything back. It also means that you won't be able to share files and folders with other people, as this will break the end-to-end encryption protocols.
Another option is standard encryption, which isn't quite as secure, but will still protect your data against most potential breaches. In this scenario, iDrive stores the encryption key, and can help you restore your data if needed as well as potentially hand over your files if compelled to by law enforcement. The other advantage is that you get to use the file and folder sharing features with this setting. If you still want to be able to share some files, we recommend using best encryption software to protect any data before uploading it to the cloud.
iDrive: Our tests
When testing iDrive’s performance, we ran a total of 3 tests measuring sync speed, file recovery, and versioning. In order to do this, we used the free 10GB plan, as our chosen files were well within the limit. As we understand it, iDrive doesn't limit transfer speeds or features for users on the free tier. Tests were completed on a Windows 11 virtual machine running the iDrive desktop client. Our VM was connected to the internet through fiber broadband via VPN server, which in our speed tests consistently showed an average upload speed of 70 Mbps
Test 1 - Sync speed
(Image credit: iDrive)
For this test we first closed any third party/internet apps. We then copied a 650 MB folder of Sherlock Holmes audio books from the Internet Archive into the application directory. We measured how quickly the desktop client was able to sync the files to the cloud. The folder contained 22 files including MP3s, images, metadata files and a PDF.
In order to get cloud sync working, we had to open the desktop app and enable it manually from a tab. A new folder named Cloud-Drive then appeared in our home directory. When we copied the folder of audio books into here, the folder appeared with a green tick next to it, suggesting it had synced right away. We had to double click to go into the folder to see some files had been uploaded (green tick) while others still had the 'pending' icon.
The iDrive Tray icon also reported on the sync process. In all it took 110 seconds to upload all 625MB of data, which is consistent with our device's uploaded speed.
Test 2 - File recovery
(Image credit: iDrive)
In this test we simply deleted the audiobook folder from the application directory, removing it from the device. We then checked to see if the files had been removed from the cloud drive and if it was possible to recover them.
If the cloud provider offers you a way to store files in the cloud without keeping them on your device, we test this feature too.
After we deleted the audio book data from the Cloud-Drive folder, we emptied the Recycle Bin then opened the iDrive desktop client. We found the 'Restore' tab but the deleted files weren't listed.
We had more joy when logging in via the web portal though. We found after login if we clicked "Cloud Drive", then "Trash", the deleted files were listed. We selected them all then clicked "Put Back". The client took a minute or so to respond but then it did quickly download the deleted files back to their original location.
Test 3 - Versioning
(Image credit: iDrive)
If you're writing a long, important document, the last thing you want is to make changes you can't undo. Some cloud providers prevent this by regularly saving different versions of a file. This means if you change something you shouldn't have, you can just roll the file back to before this happened.
To test this in iDrive, we copied a Microsoft Word (.docx) file of the public domain story The Purple Cloud to the cloud application folder. Once it synced, we then deleted all the text except the introduction, then saved and closed. We then tried to restore the document back to its original form, complete with all chapters.
In order to test whether iDrive could restore an older version of a file, we first copied the Word document to the Cloud-Drive folder. Even though it was less than 400KB, it still took around a minute to sync.
We then deleted all text except for the introduction, closed the document then opened the desktop app. We were able to click the file in Recently Modified Items, but this just opened the Cloud-Drive folder.
Luckily, this is where the iDrive website dashboard came to the rescue again. When we opened the cloud drive there and selected the file, we were able to select Version. From there we could download the original unmodified file by clicking on the corresponding icon.
iDrive: Verdict
iDrive gets high scores for the sheer breadth of services offered – from backing up the photos on your smartphone to backing up the files on your company's servers. The software packages and various interfaces aren't the best ever, but they get the job done very well.
For those that have a lot of devices with data that needs to be secured at reasonable prices, then iDrive could well be the service for you. It has a great feature set that covers a lot of ground, with enough security protection and extra features such as folder sync and bandwidth controls to satisfy the majority of users.
During our tests the files synced to the cloud quickly. We were also able to see that iDrive can handle restoring deleted files or even older versions. However, it's a shame you can't access those features from the desktop client.
The free 10GB plan only makes sense for users looking to store documents in the cloud, as space is too limited to perform any major backups of computers, phones and tablets. In this case, due to the lengthy and awkward download process, it’s hard to recommend the free version, even if the sizable 10GB of storage space is rather valuable.
When considered relative to other free allowances offered by other cloud storage providers, iDrive lands somewhere in the middle. It's much more generous than Dropbox's 2GB but considerably smaller than Google's generous 15GB. We can't help but feel that iDrive might be better off taking their focus away from server backups and raising their free allowance game instead. Still, pricing is clearly laid out and can be customized to your needs.
Ultimately, iDrive is best suited to businesses - from self-employed individuals and small teams to huge, international corporations - thanks to the level of flexibility across three different plan types.
Backblaze is one of the best cloud backup services that we've tested, providing unlimited storage with no file size limits for a very reasonable price. The company started in 2007 as a way for a developer to backup a friend’s computer online. Fast forward to the present, and it is used by over 500,000 customers.
If you're just looking for an ultra-simple high capacity backup service, then Backblaze is a must-see, especially as with only a single payment tier and unlimited storage, you're always paying just the same amount, not matter how much you upload.
Backblaze is entirely focused on backups, which means there's no file syncing, no clever collaboration tools, and only the simplest of file sharing options. This can be a positive or negative, depending on your requirements.
Alternatively, if you need a VPN to protect yourself online, you can get Backblaze completely free for a year when you sign up to our #1 favorite, ExpressVPN (and you get three extra months of ExpressVPN protection, too).
Backblaze: Plans and pricing
You can try Backblaze for free for 15 days without providing any payment card information. As expected, there's no free tier since you get unlimited cloud backup. Personal plans cost $9 monthly, $99 a year, or $189 every two years. There is also a $2 monthly charge to upgrade file version history from 30 days to one year, which, in our opinion, is a must.
Business customers get similar pricing. However, you should contact Backblaze directly for quotes for backing up multiple computers and servers and storing more data in the cloud for long-term storage. This is especially useful if you're replacing tape backups. It's refreshing to see this sort of flexible pricing, but it does make it more challenging to compare Backblaze against competing services.
(Image credit: Backblaze)
(Image credit: Backblaze)
Backblaze: Features
Backblaze doesn’t bother you with the details of your backup plan, just that it is occurring: when you initially install the desktop client, it doesn’t require you to select files and folders, but rather just grabs all the files and folders it considers important and starts transferring them to your Backblaze cloud backup.
By default, Backblaze copies all data except ISOs, DMGs (Mac disk image), virtual drives, system files or executables. Backblaze also won't backup files created by other backup utilities like Time Machine.
You have the option to exclude other file types if you wish, but unless exclusively told to ignore them, it will include everything except the file types listed. During our testing, we found it very simple and straightforward, and you can rest easy that your entire computer can be recovered if needed.
(Image credit: Backblaze)
The tool is a "set-it-and-forget-it" solution. It's there to help you recover data such as if your hard drive catastrophically fails or your laptop fails to boot.
However, Backblaze is not designed for syncing files between computers, or getting at your music and video files in the cloud. You can include external hard drives and portable SSDs and, on a business plan, servers in your backups, although networked drives can't be included. While file sharing is possible, the feature can only be accessed through the web interface.
Backups can be continuous and this is a default option. They can also be configured to occur once a day, or just when you initiate them manually. Some extra variety with those timescales would be nice, but we expect the majority of users will leave it set to continuous backup mode. Although you can backup an unlimited amount of data, you are restricted to one computer for each Backblaze account, and mobile devices aren't included.
The fact that you can't select files or folders to backup individually can be an inconvenience if you only want to back up certain files. For instance, your Documents folder may contain irreplaceable data but your Pictures might not. You also can't fine-tune which folders within these directories are backed up. On the plus side, there's little chance of anything valuable being missed during backup.
(Image credit: Backblaze)
As standard, unlimited versions of files are kept, though only for a period of 30 days. This can be somewhat restrictive, especially as weeks can pass before you realize that you are missing an important document. Given the reasonable price for the standard plan, combined with the fact that an unlimited amount of storage could hold thousands of folders filled with documents, images and videos, we think the extra $2 a month (or $14 a year) for extended file history is a no-brainer. This extends it to one year. For an extra $2 per month and $0.005/GB per file, Backblaze can also store file versions forever.
While only one computer is supported per license, totally unlimited data storage with no file size limits means that Backblaze should never be the restricting element to your backing-up needs. This makes it a hugely valuable tool that is also affordable compared to rivals such as Polarbackup, LiveDrive, and Carbonite, all of which offer unlimited storage plans that are currently more expensive.
Because there are no subscription tiers, every account benefits from otherwise premium features. Uploading and downloading when using the desktop client is unthrottled, which means superquick backups up to the maximum speed of your ISP and router.
Backblaze has built-in safeguards to limit the amount of bandwidth consumed. The Control Panel settings list the latest upload speed and the amount of data backed up per day on average. In order to give users more control, manual throttling can limit the amount of bandwidth used by the app in order to prioritize other tasks. This can be useful for workers who often find themselves on video calls, as it allows backups to continue automatically in the background while providing optimal speeds for your workload.
Backblaze: Interface and use
The Backblaze desktop client targets simplicity over power. The options of the Backblaze package are limited, so the software doesn't have to do much except focus on the job at hand - to make sure that your files are getting continuously backed up in the background.
There is an option to exclude certain files and folders from a Backblaze backup, but we found it could be more straightforward. Considering you get an unlimited amount of space in the cloud, it's easier to just let Backblaze backup everything, just in case.
Transferring data from an entire computer to the web is potentially a lengthy process, but the speeds Backblaze managed were impressive. You can also choose to pause or throttle the upload process if you think Backblaze is taking up too much bandwidth to override the automatic throttling.
(Image credit: Backblaze)
We like its integration within the operating system that helps to simplify the backup process - or at least, for those rare events that users need to modify controls. In this case, Backblaze sits neatly in System Preferences within macOS for instance. The Backblaze control panel can also be launched via a handy system tray icon in Windows.
Like the desktop client, the web interface is also cut down and minimal, letting you review backed up files and restore them if needed. There's also a mechanism for sharing stored files to others that is exclusive to the web interface. Unfortunately, in terms of web functionality, Backblaze falls short of Dropbox, Google Drive, or Apple iCloud when it comes to sharing files. However, it is ultimately a different proposition so this comparison is, perhaps, slightly unfair.
In the event of a system failure or loss, files can be downloaded for free, or Backblaze will put them on a USB hard drive for $189 and ship your data to your door. While it may not do much beyond suck up all the files on a computer and let you restore them, Backblaze does these core jobs very well. The almost $200 spent on backing up your files should be seen more as a holding fee for the value of the large hard drive (up to 8TB), as when the restore is complete you can return it by mail and receive a full refund.
Backups are limited to PCs and Macs, however alongside the web interface there are iOS and Android apps that allow you to access your data from anywhere. Backblaze Mobile 6.0, released in December 2022, has a new feel to it with authentication improvements for both platforms plus many tweaks and updates.
Backblaze: Security
Backblaze gets high marks from a security perspective: as you can enable two-step authentication on your account.
The company behind the tool also claims that backed up files on your machine are protected with AES 128-bit encryption, the key for which is generated randomly for each backup session. Also worth noting is that users can pick between EU and US data centers.
The data is sent securely via an SSL connection to avoid your data being intercepted as it travels through the internet. Backblaze also says it uses OpenSSL for generating the necessary encryption keys to do this. While it's not full end-to-end encryption, it's certainly safe enough for most users. But if you do want end-to-end encryption, you can also set up a private encryption key, known only to you, which adds an extra layer of protection to your data.
The downside of this is that Backblaze can’t help you if you forget the key, and you need to share it with Backblaze if you ever need to restore your data.
Backblaze: How we tested
We performed three primary tests for Backblaze, focusing on sync speed, file recovery, and versioning.
These tests were carried out on a Windows 11 virtual machine using the Backblaze desktop client. The virtual machine was connected to the internet via a fiber broadband connection with a VPN server. Throughout our speed tests, we consistently recorded an average upload speed of 70 Mbps.
Test 1 - Sync speed
Our typical approach for evaluating cloud storage providers involves copying a 589MB folder containing various file types, such as PDFs, JPGs, Microsoft Word documents, and more, and then assessing the desktop client's synchronization speed. However, Backblaze primarily functions as an all-or-nothing backup solution. Therefore, for this particular test, we were compelled to allow the utility to back up everything in the home folder, including the test files.
Although Backblaze is designed for backups rather than traditional cloud storage, it is possible to use backed-up files for cloud storage purposes indirectly. Nevertheless, there is no straightforward method to selectively back up only a specific folder as we usually do for our standard cloud storage service tests. Consequently, we allowed Backblaze to back up all the folders in the test machine's home directory, including our test files.
This resulted in a data volume slightly exceeding 6GB, and the upload to Backblaze's servers was completed in less than 10 minutes. Therefore, our test files took just over a minute to upload. This performance is commendable, especially when considering that our average upload speed was 70Mbps, significantly faster than what many other cloud storage providers offer.
(Image credit: Future)
Test 1 - File Recovery
During our second test, we purposefully placed the test folder containing our files in the Recycle Bin and then manually triggered another backup. Once the backup was complete, we accessed the online Backblaze Control Panel through the desktop client and selected the Restore Options. Locating the test folder was straightforward, and upon choosing to Restore, we received a message stating that further instructions would be sent to us via email.
Upon checking our inbox, we found an email containing a link to download a ZIP file of the folder. We were also given the option to install the Backblaze Downloader app. Upon extraction, we discovered that the folder was organized within a directory structure mirroring our device. For example, the main folder was 'C,' and we found another folder named 'Users,' and so forth. Despite this multi-step process, we successfully recovered all the files.
Test 3 - Versioning
Versioning is an important feature when working on documents as it allows you to revert back to previous versions of the file. When Backblaze backed up all the files in the home directory, it included the original version of our test document. We opened this in Wordpad, deleted all the text except the intro, saved and closed the file, and then ran another backup.
After selecting "Restore Options" from the desktop client, we were able to recover the file from the first backup in the same way as we did for the deleted test folder. We chose to download the document as a ZIP file. Once extracted, the document opened without any issues.
Backblaze: Final verdict
Backblaze should be near the top of your shortlist if you want a comprehensive, unlimited, secure backup of all of the data from your home or business computers.
Backblaze isn't a simple cloud storage solution so much as a comprehensive cloud backup solution-rather than allow for some files and folders to be backed up it will simply grab everything. This means if you only want to sync individual files and folders this could prove tricky.
Additionally, when it comes to restoring deleted/modified data, we can't see any logic in offering a separate downloader app when this code could be integrated into Backblaze itself.
Still, Backblaze has a large user base, and it’s easy to see why – if you want to back up everything from one computer and its external drives, simply and securely and without spending too much, then the service is hard to beat. We appreciate, too, that there are no limits on file sizes and no limits on the amount of data you can send to the cloud.
Just be certain you know exactly what Backblaze is before you sign up. It's not for syncing files between computers or getting easy access to your files through a web browser. It's a comprehensive, set-and-forget cloud backup solution for protecting your data should the worst happen, and at that task it provides a great solution. With stellar performance in that regard, Backblaze is one of the best backup software solutions thanks to its unlimited storage at a reasonable cost, aided by its array of restoration methods and ease of use.
Speech recognition is one of the best use cases of computers. Speech recognition products convert the words you speak into your microphone into human-readable text. It saves a lot of effort you would otherwise have spent typing long texts and essays. It’s also very helpful for people with disabilities or temporary ailments that make typing difficult.
Dragon Professional is a speech recognition software long owned by Nuance Communications. Nuance was an independent software company specializing in speech recognition and artificial intelligence products before being acquired by Microsoft in 2022.
The first version of Dragon was developed in 1997 by an eponymous software company named Dragon Systems. The software has been through several iterations and updates and is currently at version 16.
Dragon has remained one of the most popular and best speech-to-text tools globally, and we’re reviewing it to help you decide if it’s a suitable tool for you to adopt.
Dragon Professional: Plans and pricing
Dragon Professional has simple pricing. You’ll pay a one-time fee of $699 for each license. This software works for English, French, and Spanish, and each license costs the same. But you can negotiate bulk licenses with Nuance’s sales team and get discounts.
$699 is considerably expensive, but understandable given you pay only once. You’ll keep enjoying the features of your Dragon Pro version for as long as you want. But, if a new version gets released and you want to update yours, you must pay another $349 one-time fee.
Nuance also offers a cloud-based version of Dragon Professional on a subscription basis. Pricing starts from $55 monthly or $660 annually.
Dragon Professional: Features
Dragon Professional is built exclusively for the Windows operating system. It had a macOS app, but Nuance Communications discontinued it in 2018. Mac owners can use another Nuance product called Dictate for Mac.
Dragon Professional is built for both individual and enterprise use. It provides a lot of benefits to its users. For example, people with limited use of their hands can use Dragon Pro to type with voice commands. A notable use case is assisted living facility operators employing Dragon Pro to help residents communicate easily.
This software is highly accurate and can understand words, phrases, and sentences dictated in English, French, and Spanish. However, it’s not perfect. It might occasionally make mistakes that you’ll need to correct.
Dragon Pro can recognize live speech and convert it into text in real time. It can also transcribe pre-existing audio files on your computer. You can transcribe audio files individually or use the Auto Transcribe Folder Agent (ATFA) to transcribe files in bulk.
Nuance uses deep learning techniques to make the software as good as possible. It’s constantly improving, especially as the cost of deep learning tools decreases over time.
A good thing about Dragon Pro is that you can create custom voice commands to automate your tasks. For example, you can use a unique phrase to automatically insert standard boilerplate text. You can also use custom voice commands to insert signatures into documents. Dragon Pro is interactive, so you can share your custom commands for other users to adopt.
Dragon Pro offers advanced vocabulary management, a very important feature. There are some industry-specific terminologies that speech recognition software doesn't recognize out of the box. But you can add these unique words to your Dragon Pro vocabulary. You’ll say the word clearly and specify the text for the software to write once it hears it; afterward, Dragon Pro will always recognize the unique word.
Dragon Professional Anywhere
Nuance offers a cloud-based version of Dragon Professional. This cloud-based version is called Dragon Professional Anywhere. You can access the software online from anywhere. You can log into your account from any computer if you have the correct credentials, unlike the typical Dragon Professional, where you must use the exact PC you bought a license for.
Another advantage of the cloud-based version is that it uses artificial intelligence to transcribe words into text. This feature makes the system more accurate, as it constantly learns and adjusts to your accent. You won’t be able to run an AI-based system on your local PC because of insufficient computing resources, but Professional Anywhere gives you access to AI resources online.
Nuance claims up to 99% accuracy for Professional Anywhere with no voice training needed. The platform establishes a cloud-based profile for your voice after your first use. Manual adaptations on the typical Dragon Professional, e.g., accent adjustments and microphone calibration, become automatic on the cloud-based version.
Dragon Professional Anywhere is easy to set up and install. Unlike the local version, you don’t need complex configurations to set it up initially. You can access it online and deploy new licenses as you wish. This model is subscription-based, unlike the local version, which requires a one-time payment.
Dragon Professional Anywhere is a secure tool with 256-bit encryption for your data. It's compliant with HIPAA requirements that demand confidentiality in medical settings.
This cloud-based version has a unique feature called Anchor Focus Dictation. You can dictate into a document while you have your eyes on a separate window. The document you're dictating into will be displayed as a small anchor on your screen while you focus on doing other things.
You can manage your usage from the Nuance Management Center if you're an enterprise buyer. This Management Center makes it easy for administrators to track employee usage and distribute licenses based on that usage. Administrators can also manage and share customizations from this dashboard.
Dragon Anywhere
Nuance provides an accompanying mobile app for its Dragon speech-to-text software. This app is called Dragon Anywhere and is available on Android and iOS for people based in the United States and Canada.
The Dragon Anywhere mobile app works like the cloud-based version but from a mobile phone. You can dictate words and convert them into text at high accuracy. There are no time limits for transcription, so you can speak as long as you want. You can add custom words as you’d do on the desktop app.
You can edit your transcribed document within the mobile app for perfection. Afterward, you can export it to other cloud-based storage platforms like Dropbox and Google Drive.
You can pay $15 per month for this mobile app or 12 months in one go at a discounted rate of $150. Enterprises with many users can also contact Nuance's sales team and negotiate discounted volume licenses.
Dragon Professional is a very helpful tool, whether you’re using the locally-hosted app, the cloud-based version, or the mobile app. It tackles a major problem of people with disabilities finding it difficult or impossible to type long documents. People in this cohort can just dictate words and convert them into text.
Of course, Dragon Professional’s transcription isn’t perfect; it can make some mistakes, so you’ll need to crosscheck the transcript before sending it out. This tool is also noticeably expensive.
Dragon Professional: Interface
Dragon Professional is a user-friendly tool. It has a simple interface that anyone can easily understand. But this platform has a steep learning curve; you’ll need some time to get used to all its features, especially the customization aspects. It’s not something you should expect to master within a short period.
If you have a non-native English accent, you'll need time to train Dragon Professional to recognize your pronunciation.
Another drawback we observed about Dragon Professional is that it consumes much of your computer’s random access memory (RAM). It’s difficult to run Dragon Professional alongside other apps, especially if you use a low-end or mid-range PC with limited processing power.
Dragon Professional: Support
Nuance Communications offers customer support through email and telephone. You can open a ticket on the official website and await an email response within 24 hours. You can also dial the technical support line when facing any issues.
You also have access to a collection of user guides, cheat sheets, and tutorials on the official Dragon Professional website.
Dragon Professional: The competition
Google Cloud Speech-to-Text is the main competitor to Dragon Professional that we’d like to highlight. This platform allows you to convert voice to text in over 125 languages, much more than the 3 languages Dragon Professional supports. It is also more accurate and easier to use.
The drawback is that Google Cloud Speech-to-Text only works online. There’s no local version to host on your PC. Pricing starts at $0.024 per minute, which can add up to a significant amount if you use it heavily. In contrast, Dragon Pro offers a fixed lifetime fee or recurring subscription that you can use for as many minutes as you wish.
Dragon Professional: Final verdict
Dragon Professional is one of the best speech-to-text tools out there. It makes life easier for people who have limited use of their hands and find it difficult or impossible to type. But, it’s not without drawbacks, such as the steep learning curve required to get used to the software.
With a range of features and a choice of free and premium versions, Disk Drill is designed to recover data from hard disk drives, solid-state drives, USB flash drives, SD/CF cards, digital cameras, and even smartphones.
Disk Drill's website boasts that any lost data file type can be recovered, from almost any data loss scenario you can think of. But does Disk Drill rediscover the deleted data you're expecting?
Disk Drill offers three different plans to fit your data recovery needs (Image credit: CleverFiles)
Disk Drill: Plans and pricing
Three versions of Disk Drill are available. The free option gives you file recovery of up to 500 MB. Beyond this, the software cannot work without being upgraded. Recovered data is stored in a Recovery Vault, with disks backed up with "byte-to-byte" recovery. All recovery methods can be used.
For the PRO version, you'll need to pay either $89.99 (£78.35) or $118 (£103.88) with lifetime upgrades and for the price you'll get unlimited recovery for one user with activation on up to three devices. Aimed at home users with high data recovery requirements, PRO features include Quick & Deep Scan, Smart FAT and NTFS algorithms, and Lost Partition Search. All storage types and file systems are supported.
Enterprise users can enjoy all the above, licenses for 10 users and infinite activations, and priority support for $499 (£439.28) or $598 (£526.44) with lifetime upgrades.
Minor upgrades within major versions e.g. version 5.2 to 5.5 are free.
At the time of writing, there's a limited two-for-one deal, which gives you a copy of the Mac version of Disk Drill free with the Windows PRO version.
The developers also offer a 50% discount to anyone upgrading from a past version of Disk Drill or a competing Windows/macOS product bought within the last year, provided you can present a valid proof of purchase. Education/Non-Profits also benefit from a 20% discount.
Whether you're trying to recover images, videos, documents, archives or other file types, Disk Drill has you covered (Image credit: CleverFiles)
Disk Drill: Features
A vast collection of file formats can be recovered with Disk Drill, including (but not limited to) AVI, FLV, and MP4 videos, MP3 and AIFF audio, and BMP, JPEG, JP2, GIF, and PSD images. Further, DOCX, PDF, and XLSX document formats can be recovered, along with ZIP, RAR, and DMG archives and image formats.
At the time of writing Disk Drill supports 363 different file types in total. You can visit the developer's website to see a full list and request support for other file formats.
Disk Drill will work with Windows systems with internal or attached HDDs manufactured by HP, Samsung, Seagate, Toshiba, WD, LaCie, Intel, and others. USB drives from SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston, Corsair, and others are also supported, and you should even be able to recover data from SD/CF cards from SanDisk, Transcend, Toshiba, PNY, Kingston, and others. Disk Drill also claims to be able to recover data from digital cameras, iPhones, and Android phones.
Whatever media you're recovering, Disk Drill gives you the tools to find them. As well as detecting internal devices and USB drives, Disk Drill lets you attach disk images in a range of formats, including IMG, ISO, and even VMDK disks from VMware virtual PCs. It detects drives that won't otherwise mount, with options to scan quickly, deep, uncover lost partitions, and even undelete protected data.
They also clearly state that not all files are recoverable and list reasons why this might be the case including unsupported formats, fragmented or overwritten data and physical damage to the drive.
They also recommend using Windows own built-in CHKDSK and File Recovery or macOS' Disk Utility to scan and repair drives, as well as their own product.
Disk Drill also supports a wide variety of devices (Image credit: CleverFiles)
Disk Drill: How we tested
For our data recovery tests we used a virtual machine with a clean install of Windows 11.
Data Files
Our tests were done using the 'Free' version of Disk Drill. The files we chose for recovery were an album of Mozart's Music available from the Internet Archive.
We did this as we wanted to see how the utility performed with a wide variety of files.The album included 4 music files (2 in Mp3 and 2 in FLAC) format, 6 JPG image files of album covers (with thumbnails) and 2 PNG image files. The files also included 2 XML files, a torrent file and an 'SQLite' file containing details of the album. There were 25 files in total.
We copied the files in the music album to a 512MB virtual hard drive, which was then attached to the Windows 11 virtual machine. For all intents and purposes it acts as a second hard drive, attached to the main virtual machine.
Data Tests
The tests were performed one after the other on three separate virtual drives:
1. File deletion : the album files were simply deleted from the drive and the Recyle Bin emptied. No other data was copied to the drive. We then tried to recover the files.
2. Delete & Format : The files were deleted as outlined above and we also performed a 'Quick Format' using the 'Disk Management' utility built into Windows 11. We then tried to recover the files from the formatted partition.
3. Recover files from a corrupted drive: We used the freeware program 'Victoria' to overwrite the volume header of tjhe drive containing the files with zeroes. The drive didn't mount automatically in File Explorer and showed as being unpartitioned in Windows "Disk Management" utility. We then checked if the utility could see it and if so, tried to recover the files.
We do not believe that running data recovery tools in a virtual environment has a significant effect on how they function. Still, if you're considering buying software we encourage you to read all reviews thoroughly and make sure that the developer offers a refund policy.
Disk Drill's user interface makes it easy to find your drives as well as your files (Image credit: CleverFiles)
Finding files with Disk Drill
Disk Drill's main screen lists attached devices. You'll see all internal storage, along with any attached devices such as USB devices and SD/CF cards. The option to attach a disk image is also here – useful if you have an image of an old disk drive that might have some vital documents stored on it.
Recovery with Disk Drill is incredibly simple. Select the drive or partition to be recovered, click the recovery type drop-down menu on the right, choose the recovery type, then click the Search for lost data button.
Disk Drill gives the option of individual or all recovery methods. A quick scan obviously completes faster than a deep scan, but whichever option you choose, Disk Drill displays a status page to show the progress so far. Once complete, you simply select the files you wish to recover – using the filter on the left pane to find specific file types - click Recover, then select where to save them.
(Image credit: Future)
Disk Drill: Recovery performance
Various factors impact performance when using recovery software. The size of the disk, its condition, the connection type, and the type of recovery chosen all contribute to the length of time required. Unsurprisingly a 250GB SATA disk can be scanned and data recovered quicker than a 1TB HDD.
In testing, Disk Drill repeatedly returned the contents of the 512MB virtual drive within a few seconds. That's a good result, and indicative of similar performance on larger devices – assuming optimum conditions.
We especially enjoyed the "preview" feature, which allows users to examine files before copying them to a new location. This is important as the "Recovery Vault" doesn't always give files their original file name. Sometimes fragments of the same file are recovered and listed as multiple files.
Users' lives are made easier by the fact that detected files are categorized into types i.e. Pictures, Video, Audio, Documents, Archives and other. If Disk Drill detects a missing partition (as was the case during our tests), it will list this too.
If you do choose to recover files, Disk Drill's simple wizard asks you the location to copy them and even lets you create a brand new folder for the purpose.
(Image credit: Future)
Disk Drill: Test results
Disk Drill's website cautions that the software can't recovery all types of files under all circumstances. The version we used also doesn't have advanced recovery tools such as specialist algorithms. Still we were eager to see what the 'Free' version could do for us:
Test Round # 1 (Recover deleted files)
At first launch, Disk Drill detected our virtual drive whose files had recently been deleted. When we chose to try data recovery, it found 82 files in total. The helpful Recovery Wizard categorised these into files recovered from the partition and the drive itself.
When we restored the files to a folder on the C drive we found that all of the 25 original files were intact and opened without issue. The remaining files were either duplicates or system files.
Test Round # 2 (Recover deleted files from a formatted drive)
When we tried to recover files from a drive that had been deleted and formatted, Disk Drill listed 32 as recoverable, these included the original 25 and some system files. The filenames of the audio FLAC files were missing but they played straight away in VLC.
Test Round # 3 (Recover files from a corrupted drive)
Although Windows didn't mount the damaged partition of the virtual drive, when we launched Disk Drill it automatically detected it and even showed a message proudly proclaiming, "Woohoo! Lost partitions found."
Upon clicking on the lost partition, we were able to recover 82 files. Just as for the drive where the data had been deleted from the Recycle Bin, these were a mixture of the original data, duplicates and system files.
For the final round of tests we ran up against the 500MB limit for data recovery, so made use of Disk Drill's handy preview feature to see the files instead. Preview not only supports viewing images and playing back audio : you can also view the hex code for recovered files to check if they're worth saving.
Disk Drill: Support
Disk Drill is easy to use and it's fast. But what happens when you run into problems?
To help you out, a comprehensive selection of tutorials is provided on the website, covering everything from recovering data from specific device types, platforms, and file types. If these documents don't solve your problem, the detailed Lost file recovery university (Disk Drill's knowledge base) almost certainly will.
You can contact support by filling out a form or through live chat (Image credit: CleverFiles)
As readers have seen, we were particularly impressed by the knowledge base suggesting that users try to use their own OS built-in utilities to recover data before buying Disk Drill. The support section also provides balanced reviews of other data recovery tools. We particularly recommend the 'Understanding' section of the Knowledge Base, which contains some tutorials on basic subjects like how to recover just one lost file, as well as providing an overview of all Disk Drill features.
Failing that, a live chat service is available, and you can also get in touch with Disk Drill on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and LinkedIn.
(Image credit: Future)
Disk Drill: Final verdict
Disk Drill for Windows has lived under the shadow of the macOS "original" for quite some time. Based on what we've seen in testing, this seems unfair. Disk Drill's complete collection of features for every imaginable platform and scenario are impressive enough.
Its ability to effortlessly mount and read a previously unmountable virtual hard drive and to recover at least some data from it within a comparatively small timeframe proves that Disk Drill is a recovery tool that you should be considering. Disk Drill spotted all the deleted test files and recovered them in record time.
Pricing for the PRO version isn't ideal for home users, sadly, but there are generous discounts for users of existing tools who aren't satisfied with their experience. Students and charities can also benefit from lower prices.
Pricing aside, Disk Drill is an excellent recovery option for both Windows and macOS.
• Original review date: April 2021
• No new model released
• Launch price: $3,899 / £4,199 / AU$6,899
• Official price now: $3,399 / £4,299 / AU$6,349
Updated: February 2024. When Canon announced the EOS R5 in July 2020, it made headlines and it's still a popular camera nearly four years on, staying put in our best camera roundup. There are rumors of a Mark II coming in 2024, but details are thin on the ground. Despite now being a few years old, the price for the body hasn't changed a great deal, dropping most in the US and a little in Australia, but is strangely listed for a higher price in the UK on Canon's official site and retailers like Jessops. Retailers, however, regularly discount this camera and, going by what we saw during Black Friday 2023, we think you shouldn't be paying more than $2,999 / £2,300 / AU$4,500 for the EOS R5. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
Canon EOS R5: two-minute review
A lot has happened in the camera world since we first reviewed the Canon EOS R5 in August 2020 and labelled it 'Canon's best ever stills camera'.
That statement still stands and the EOS R5 remains the best mirrorless camera that Canon has made so far. It's almost certainly the best Canon camera on the market right now too. But with the Sony A7S III and Sony A1 now here, and Canon responding with firmware updates for the EOS R5 and the announcement of the Canon EOS R3, is it already on the verge of being overshadowed?
Not quite yet. We've tested the Canon EOS R5's firmware upgrades, and they improve the camera and smooth out its rough edges, albeit without fundamentally changing its character. It's a fantastic stills camera, one of the best you can buy, but the verdict on its video skills is a little more nuanced.
In short, if video is your priority, you should test out the Canon EOS R5 in situations that are as close as possible to your real-world workflow - you may still find it to be one of the best video cameras you can buy. Those looking to shoot long, extended takes might be better served by the Sony A7S III. But if you look at the Canon EOS R5 as a stills camera that you'll occasionally use to shoot high-quality video, you'll likely never run into any overheating problems.
(Image credit: Future)
For stills photographers, though, there isn't much wrong with the Canon EOS R5. The combination of a next-generation autofocus system, excellent image quality and fast 12fps/20fps continuous shooting means this is a camera that is just as comfortable (and capable) in professionally-lit studios as it is shooting breaking news stories at dusk.
The EOS R5's autofocus deserves a special mention. Its eye-detection is incredibly accurate and sticky, while its subject-detection and tracking is similarly impressive. As we found on our wildlife shoot, the animal detection is simply mind-blowing and a huge selling point on its own, if you regularly indulge in that kind of photography.
What about battery life? If you're coming from a traditional DSLR, this is an obvious constriction. But we managed about four hours of very intensive shooting, while using the EVF. On a standard shoot, this means going through two (or, at a push, three) batteries in a day. With spares easy and relatively cheap to come by, plus backwards compatibility with the older LP-E6N battery, it’s not quite the impediment it firsts appears.
If you’re a high-volume, high-speed filmmaker, you might find the EOS R5's heat constrictions a little onerous. But during our half-day documentary shoot, where we shot in a variety of formats, we didn't see any overheating warnings.
The video footage was also sharp and flexible for color grading, while a recent firmware update has added the Canon Log 3 (or C-Log 3) format to help its footage slot into cinematic workflows. The combination of stabilized RF-mount lenses and in-camera image stabilization (IBIS) also makes it possible to get reasonably smooth shots without a gimbal.
(Image credit: Future)
As you'd hope at this price, the Canon EOS R5 brings lots of smaller treats, too. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is superb and practically indistinguishable from the optical ones found in DSLRs, at least to our eyes. And weather-proofing is right up there with the 5D series, if not quite as indestructible as the Canon EOS 1DX Mark III.
Canon has pulled out all the stops with the EOS R5, but it had to. It was relatively late to the mirrorless party and the competition at the pro level is now fierce. But it's Canon's best camera for stills shooters, and a more-than-capable hybrid option for those who like to mix that up with some video, too.
Professional filmmakers who are looking for a small, hybrid camera whose priority is 4K video shooting should consider the Sony A7S II instead. And non-professionals of any kind should check out our Canon EOS R6 review. But even if, like us, you can't afford justify the Canon EOS R5's price, it's certainly an exciting example of what happens when Canon fully commits to mirrorless.
Canon EOS R5 review: price and release date
The Canon EOS R5 was released on July 30, 2020 with a body-only launch price of $3,899 / £4,199 / AU$6,899.
It was initially difficult to find stock, with demand outstripping supply for the first few months of its life, but the EOS R5 is now widely available worldwide.
(Image credit: Future)
Of course, that price tag is a big investment, but it's in the ballpark of its nearest rivals. It's only a shade more than the lower-resolution, 4K-only Sony A9 Mark II and the Sony A7S III in most regions, and is also very much in the region of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV's original pricing, which started at $3,499 / £3,599 / AU$5,060 when it launched in 2016.
Is the Canon EOS R5 expensive? Yes. Unjustifiably so? Probably not...
Design-wise, we’re not looking at a game-changer with the Canon EOS R5. But given the usability of the Canon EOS R, which it's heavily based on, that’s no bad thing.
In terms of width and height, the EOS R5 is all-but identical to that latter camera; three mysterious millimeters have been added to its depth, and 70g has been added to its weight.
Significantly, the EOS R’s touch bar – the touch-sensitive strip on the top-right of the camera – is gone, perhaps testament to its lukewarm reception. In its place is a chunky, knurled joystick for navigating autofocus points and menus, along the lines of the control on Canon’s other high-end cameras.
(Image credit: Future)
Pick up the EOS R5 and the first thing you’ll notice is that it practically floats in the hand. Its 738g weight with a card and battery compares extremely favorably to the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV’s 890g, and even more favorably to the tank-like Canon EOS 1D X Mark III’s 1.4kg kerb weight.
The EOS R5 is still substantial-feeling, with a deep grip that makes it easy and comfortable to hold, but it’s also easy to tote around without it feeling burdensome. Weather resistance is said to be up to the standard of Canon's 5D series, which professionals will tell you means the R5 should withstand troublesome weather better than some photographers. We’d be confident in most situations.
Canon’s adroit touch when it comes to building cameras that are quick and easy to use is much in evidence. Along with that four-way joystick, which makes diddling through menus or selecting autofocus points a breeze, you also get a click-wheel on the back, plus a dial behind the shutter button and a ring around the mode dial.
Don’t forget that RF-mount lenses also have a control ring, so getting the EOS R5 set up just-so is easy. If you’re coming from another of Canon’s cameras, the learning curve is basically flat – the R5 is easy to adjust to. Newcomers will find the menus responsive, intuitive, and powerful, whether you’re a power user or launching into photography for the first time.
A square display on the top right-hand shoulder of the camera displays your current shooting information. This is a good way to keep the rear monitor turned off between shots, and the secondary display has a backlight that you can turn on and off manually. The touchscreen monitor is a good ‘un, too, measuring a generous 3.15in and offering a 2.1MP resolution. It’s also vari-angle, which is handy for video.
But goodness gracious, the electronic viewfinder. The only thing that beats it for resolution right now is the 9.44-million pixel EVF seen on the Sony A7S III and Sony A1. And while the R5 might only offer 5.76-million pixels, in use we could barely distinguish it from the true optical viewfinders found in traditional DSLRs.
Beautifully smooth and with an incredible amount of fine detail, it makes the normal bugbear of mirrorless cameras – being able to tell when an image with slim depth of field is actually focussed – a thing of past. It’s really easy to tell, and with focus peaking available in manual focus mode, it conspires to make the R5 very easy to use.
On paper, the EOS R5 might be the best hybrid mirrorless camera on the market. It’s both high resolution and full-frame, producing 8,192 x 5,464 resolution files that weighed in, on average, at about 60MB each.
That means, at the R5’s fastest continuous motor mode, you’re shooting about 1.2GB per second. In other words, make sure you’ve budgeted for extra storage, both in your camera and at home.
Speaking of storage, the R5 brings a pro-level solution to the table, offering both a standard SD card slot and a CFexpress slot. This allows you to either boost your camera’s available storage, shoot to two cards for real-time backup, or shoot raw files to one card and JPEGs to the other.
Memory cards take on more of a bearing if you plan to use the R5’s movie-shooting abilities. Its higher-end video modes, including 4K 10-bit HEVC (which is what you’ll shoot in Canon LOG or HDR PQ), 4K ALL-I 50/60fps, 4K 100/120fps or 8K ALL-I or raw, all require a CFexpress card. We shot exclusively with SanDisk’s 512GB Extreme PRO card, which is rated at 1,400MB/s write speed, and found that the buffer refilled at virtually the rate it was depleted, making in-the-field workflow completely hassle-free.
(Image credit: Future)
Powering everything is Canon’s DIGIC X processor. It’s the same chip as the one you'll find in the powerhouse 1D X Mark III and it kept everything ticking over as our EOS R5 voraciously gobbled up light and churned out data.
The sensor is a new model, and this is Canon’s first body to feature in-body image stabilization (IBIS). In combination with the high speed data throughput of the RF mount, this can combine with the image stabilization in a lens to offer, in the right circumstances, up to eight stops of image stabilization.
You get all the expected mod cons, and then some. Wi-fi is there, of course, but in exotic 5GHz as well as 2.4GHz. There’s an FTP client built-in, allowing press photographers to offload images to remote servers as they shoot.
Just about the only thing not present is a proper Ethernet socket – the Sony A9 Mark IIdoes have one of these and pro sports photographers might lament its absence here. If you want one, you’ll need to dig out your wallet for the Canon WTF-R10B –this upgrades the R5’s FTP client to one that supports SFTP, while also adding two MIMO antennae for stronger connections and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Those are pretty niche features that will only be desirable for full-time agency photographers, though.
Of more interest to the rest of us is the EOS R5's new battery – the LP-E6NH has about 14 per cent more capacity than the slightly older LC-E6N. Those who already own Canon kit should note that the older model of battery is still compatible with the R5. You can also use a Power Delivery supply to charge the R5 via its USB-C port, saving you popping the battery out when it’s time to recharge.
Flick the mode selector to video and you’re greeted with yet more out-of-this-world performance. 4K, naturally, but up to 120fps, and with the option of shooting raw.
Or, the headliner: 8K video. Again, the option of shooting raw is there, at 30, 25, 24 or 23.98fps, and at a galactic bitrate of approximately 2,600Mbps. Opting to shoot H.265 files, at the same settings, lowers the bitrate to about 1,300Mbps, while H.264 lowers it further to 300Mbps.
Of course, these headline figures are only part of the video story, and Canon was forced to subsequently recalibrate expectations a little by publishing estimated recording times for each of the EOS R5's modes. We've included that information in the table below.
Perhaps even more significant than these recording times, particularly if you're planning to use the Canon EOS R5 as your main video workhorse, are the 'cool down' recovery times it needs after shooting extended scenes. Most mirrorless video cameras overheat, but not as many need quite as long to recover as the EOS R5.
We re-tested the Canon EOS R5's video performance after the arrival of its 1.1.0 firmware update, which promised to "extend video shooting times in some situations". You can read the full results of our video tests here, but the short answer is that while it slightly improves recovery times in some modes and situations, it's not a radical change from the original figures quoted for the EOS R5.
For example, when shooting 8K/30p, a 10-minute rest will then give you only three minutes of recording time, while letting it cool for an additional 20 minutes will give you an extra eight minutes of recording.
That's fair enough for 8K, a mode that no other mirrorless camera offers, but even if you're shooting 4K/60p on the EOS R5, a 10-minute rest will only give you another 10 minutes of recording time. So for both of the EOS R5's most demanding modes, you're still restricted to relatively short bursts.
(Image credit: Future)
Canon EOS R5 review: autofocus
5,940 AF zones
Animal and face-detection
100 per cent horizontal autofocus coverage
The Canon EOS R5’s autofocus is very nearly unbelievable. Its eye-detection is practically infallible, grabbing hold of human faces and holding on even with subjects moving rapidly forwards or backwards through the frame. Subject detection and tracking is similarly impressive.
The new animal detection mode is out of this world, as we raved about in our wildlife test, with the R5 detecting and tracking non-human eyes and faces in some very demanding circumstances.
The R5 uses a new version of Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus, which means focussing is done on the sensor itself. This allows you to manually choose from 5,940 different AF points across 100 per cent of the sensor’s horizontal dimension and 90 per cent of its vertical.
You can cut things however you want; splitting the sensor into large autofocus zones, allowing it to pick entirely for itself, or opting for tiny individual autofocus points using either the joystick or by dragging your thumb across the touchscreen monitor. Once you’ve got a zone picked, the R5’s autofocus will blow you away.
The animal recognition currently works for dogs, cats and birds, but it naturally isn't blind to other species, too. We're looking forward to seeing where this autofocus system goes next, but Canon's certainly made a very impressive start on the EOS R5.
(Image credit: Future)
Canon EOS R5 review: performance
12fps mechanical shutter/20fps electronic shutter
Backwards-compatible batteries
High-speed video modes
With the Digic X processor on board, it’s fair to expect good things of the R5’s performance – and so it proved in our tests.
With our SanDisk Extreme Pro card we found the buffer cleared almost as fast as we could shoot, writing multiple frames per second when we’d finished shooting a burst of raw files. The EOS R5 will shoot 12fps using the mechanical shutter, or up to 20 with the electronic shutter.
Purists who are concerned about the jello-effect of electronic shutters can put their minds at rest – we saw very little evidence of it. It was possible, on frames with tall elements in them, to detect a very small amount of distortion, but even with incredibly fast subjects, frames shot with the electronic shutter were just as usable as with the mechanical option. Another plus: the electronic shutter is totally – literally – silent. Wedding photographers and wildlife photographers, rejoice.
Battery life gets a significant thumbs-up as well. It’s still well down on traditional DSLRs, of course, but we managed about four hours of extremely intensive shooting (approximately 2,000 raw frames, all shot using the power-sucking electronic viewfinder) on a single charge.
On a fairly intensive shoot we’d anticipate going through perhaps two batteries in a day, maybe three at a push. Because the R5 is backwards-compatible with the LP-E6N battery – first seen on the 2009 EOS 7D – it’s possible that many upgraders will already have a few spares.
Canon EOS R5 review: video and image quality
Video performance
Video performance is excellent as well. We tested the EOS R5 on a small half-day documentary shoot (see above), capturing just over 240GB of 4K video for a total of a shade over 55 minutes overall.
Of that, about just about 38 minutes was shot in 4K, All-I, 25fps in 10-bit Canon LOG, with the rest (a hair under 17 minutes) shot at 50fps, still in All-I and in LOG. Of note is that the shoot happened on the warmest day of the year with the ambient temperature resting at an uncomfortable 32-degrees. We didn’t see any overheating warnings.
Canon’s own claim is that the R5 will shoot up to 35 minutes at 50/60fps before it overheats, at which point it will recover at the rate of one shootable minute per minute of cool down. Not ideal, perhaps, if you want to shoot a documentary at 4K and 60fps, but those shooting 24 or 25fps films with a smattering of 60p for slow motion clips it’s quite possible you could use the R5 fairly intensively and never see an overheating warning. Canon claims that 25/30fps full-frame 4K video has no heat limitation.
Putting those slightly overhyped overheating claims to one side, it's far more useful –and fun – to look at the results that the Canon EOS R5 is capable of. 4K video is gorgeously sharp and the LOG files we shot were incredibly flexible when it came to grading.
It's also worth noting that a recent firmware update, version 1.3.0, has brought the very useful Canon Log 3 (C-Log 3) format, which lets you achieve wide dynamic range and means its slots nicely into workflows that also include footage shot on Canon's EOS Cinema cameras. The update also brings a slo-mo 120p option for Full HD recording, though sadly the 30-minute recording limit for video files remains.
Still, the combination of stabilized RF-mount lenses and in-camera IBIS ensures that, if you tread softly enough, you can create reasonably smooth tracking shots on the EOS R5 without a gimbal. Our selection of RF-mount lenses – the RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM, RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM and RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM – all provided sound-free tracking autofocus. For single-crewed shooters, or those tasked with filming BTS (Behind the Scenes) or B-roll, the EOS R5 could be an incredible addition to any toolkit.
A quick note – if you’re shooting 10-bit files, you’ll be wanting a proper editor. Those using BlackMagic’s free version of Resolve will need to upgrade. We edited and graded with Premiere Pro on an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.
Image quality
As you'd hope for the price, the R5 shoots excellent images. Up to about ISO 4000 you should have very few concerns, which is incredible. Push further and you’ll find fine-grained speckling in your images – we suspect editorial photographers won’t mind it much, but those with an eye on producing art prints might be a bit more cautious.
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For those dedicated to capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments, whatever the light, the R5 will shoot ISOs up to 102,400. We shot in anger up to ISO 51,200 and while the results were undoubtedly grainy, there was no color shift to contend with and there was plenty of detail.
Having a camera that produces outstanding, high-resolution images in perfect light but which is capable of shooting usable shutter speeds in the dark again marks the EOS R5 out as an exceptional photographic tool. For a more in-depth look at the EOS R5's Animal Eye AF performance, check out our feature on a wildlife photographer's visit to a bird hide.
Elementor has become a go-to website builder for many WordPress users. It offers a drag-and-drop interface that lets you build WordPress sites visually. It powers over 16 million websites worldwide, from small blogs to enterprise ecommerce stores.
We’ve tested all of the best WordPress website builders and Elementor consistently comes out on or near the top. This Elementor review draws from our reviewers' years of WordPress experience to help you make an informed decision.
Elementor pricing and plans
I found Elementor's pricing competitive but potentially confusing.
The free plugin offers basic functionality, but you'll need Pro for serious WordPress design work. Elementor Pro comes in four variants, with prices ranging from $4.99 to $16.99 a month when billed yearly. They also offer WordPress hosting, ecommerce bundles, and custom rates for enterprises.
Plan
Starting rate /mo (paid yearly)
Starting rate /mo (paid every 2 years)
Starting rate /mo (paid every 3 years)
Free
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Essential
$4.99
$4.69
$4.49
Advanced Solo
$6.99
$5.99
$5.79
Advanced
$8.25
$7.09
$6.79
Expert (25 sites)
$16.99
$14.99
$13.99
Expert (1,000 sites)
$33.25
$29.99
$27.99
Elementor plans: Explained
Best for trying Elementor out Starting at: $0.00/mo
Like all of the best free website builders, Elementor’s free plan comes with limitations. It lacks many advanced features such as the Theme Builder, WooCommerce Builder, and premium widgets.
It’s a great way to test Elementor out, but serious users will need to upgrade to a paid plan. View Deal
Best for single websites Starting at: $4.49/mo
You get one website license with 50+ Pro widgets and the Theme Builder. This plan lacks advanced marketing tools and ecommerce features, making it suitable only for basic sites.View Deal
Best for single stores Starting at: $5.79/mo
This includes 86 Pro widgets, WooCommerce Builder, and popup builder. I appreciated the form integrations and ACF/CPT support for dynamic content. If you want to sell online, this unlocks the advanced tools you’ll need. View Deal
Best for freelancers Starting at: $6.79/mo
Three website licenses make this ideal for freelancers. You get all Advanced Solo features plus priority support. I found this the sweet spot for most users.View Deal
Best for agencies and businesses Starting at: $13.99/mo
25-1,000 site activations to suit growing agencies. You get all Pro features included with premium support. The price jump is significant, though.View Deal
Getting started with Elementor: Reviewer's experience
Step 1: Installation
Go to the WordPress plugin store to download Elementor. (Image credit: Elementor)
I installed Elementor from the WordPress plugin directory.
Once I activated the Elementor plugin, I found a setup wizard with helpful tooltips guiding me through initial configuration. I created an Elementor account and installed the default “Hello Biz” theme as part of the setup process.
After activating the plugin, I also had the option to purchase the Pro version and upload the Pro zip file through the WordPress admin panel.
Step 2: Choosing a template
You can start with a blank canvas or pick from one of Elementor's clean templates. (Image credit: Elementor)
Next, I wanted to switch up my starting template.
I navigated to Templates > Website Templates in the WordPress admin. Elementor presented me with 100+ pre-made design kits. I could filter by category or search specific designs. A preview function also let me see layouts before importing.
I selected a simple business template by clicking the Apply button. I had the option to import either the entire template with all placeholder content, or only certain parts of it. It loaded instantly into my editor.
Step 3: Customizing a page
The website editor is intuitive and easy to navigate. (Image credit: Elementor)
To customize my landing page, I navigated to the Pages tab in my WordPress dashboard and clicked on the “Edit with Elementor” option under the page I wanted to customize. This opened the page builder.
For each page, I could add sections and columns to create layouts. The drag-and-drop system felt seamless, with every change appearing instantly on screen.
Step 4: Adding widgets
Widgets make it easy to add functionality to your website. (Image credit: Elementor)
Elementor's widget panel was nested on my left.
I could drag a widget onto the page and drop it exactly where I wanted it. Clicking the widget opened customization options. Three tabs — Content, Style, and Advanced — organized all settings.
Elementor’s contextual settings adapted to whatever element I clicked. I adjusted fonts, colors, and spacing without touching any code.
Step 5: Publishing the site
When you're ready you can launch your website. (Image credit: Elementor)
I clicked "Publish" when satisfied with my design. My site went live immediately. Elementor's revision history was a nice addition, since it could revert to earlier designs anytime if something felt off.
A built-in caching system optimized my pages automatically. My test site loaded quickly, especially without installing many other plugins.
Elementor business tools
Elementor gives users access to the following business tools:
Flexible landing page editor
WooCommerce store builder
Advanced form builder with integrations
Roll-based access manager
Elementor delivers solid business functionality for ecommerce and lead generation. I liked the deep WooCommerce integration in particular. However, the CRM features felt underdeveloped compared to dedicated platforms.
Read more about Elementor's business tools ▼
Landing page editor
Landing pages can help you clearly communicate key marketing message. (Image credit: Elementor)
Building landing pages with Elementor felt straightforward. The template library provided conversion-focused designs ready for customization. I modified headlines, images, and call-to-action buttons within minutes.
The landing page templates integrated seamlessly with form widgets. I connected forms to email marketing platforms for automatic list building. Each template prioritized mobile responsiveness, which saved design time.
WooCommerce integration
WooCommerce is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms in the world. (Image credit: Elementor)
Elementor's premium WooCommerce integration lets you customize every aspect of your store, from product pages to checkout flows. Its visual editor made styling product grids and single product layouts effortless.
I could add WooCommerce-specific widgets like product meta, add-to-cart buttons, and customer ratings. It also integrates with popular payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal for direct purchases.
Form builder
Elementor's built in form builder makes it easy to collect essential visitor data. (Image credit: Elementor)
Creating forms felt easy with Elementor's form widget. I built contact, lead capture, and multi-step forms without any additional plugins. The form builder offered unlimited fields with full styling control.
I could also connect forms directly to Mailchimp, HubSpot, and ActiveCampaign. And the HoneyPot spam protection added security without any extra setup.
Role-based access settings
Access settings can help larger teams and agencies better manage website workflows. (Image credit: Elementor)
Elementor lets you control who accesses the editor and what they can modify. You navigate to Elementor > Role Manager in WordPress and configure permissions for each user role.
There are three main permission levels. "No access to editor" completely blocks users from opening Elementor. "Access to edit content only" allows users to modify existing content without adding or removing elements. Full access grants unlimited editing capabilities.
Version 3.19 has also added Element Manager integration, letting me customize which widgets appear for specific roles.
Elementor marketing tools
You can promote your business and website with Elementor’s marketing tools:
Popup design with triggers
CRM integrations for HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, etc.
Email marketing integrations
Call-to-action widgets
Elementor's marketing toolkit covers essential lead generation and conversion optimization. The popup builder and landing page features stood out during testing. Email marketing felt limited without third-party integrations, though.
Read more about Elementor's marketing tools ▼
Popups and notifications
Pop ups are a great way to get key marketing messages in front of potential customers. (Image credit: Elementor)
I could create several popup types using Elementor's Popup Builder. It supports email capture popups, notification bars, and two-step opt-ins. I enjoyed the visual editing experience, which matches the main page builder.
With display conditions, Elementor lets you have impressive targeting flexibility. I could design popups to trigger based on scroll depth, exit intent, inactivity, and specific page elements. I also tested a two-step opt-in popup combining a yes/no prompt with a follow-up form. It worked exactly as described.
CRM automation
You can use other plugins to massively extend the functionality of your website. (Image credit: Elementor)
I was able to set up connections to HubSpot and ActiveCampaign. Elementor's form submissions triggered automated workflows in both these platforms.
That said, setting up automation required technical knowledge. I had to look up their API documentation and learn Elementor’s webhook configurations. This might challenge non-technical users.
Email marketing
Although Elementor doesn't offer built in email marketing, you can use plugins from the top email marketing providers. (Image credit: Elementor)
Elementor doesn't include built-in email marketing functionality.
Instead, it integrates with popular platforms like Mailchimp, SEND, and ActiveCampaign. I connected Mailchimp through the form widget settings.
Integration required API keys from Mailchimp. Once configured, captured leads automatically synced to my email lists. I also used Elementor's design tools to create branded signup forms matching my email campaigns.
CTA widgets
A strong call to action can massively increase website conversions. (Image credit: Elementor)
Elementor offered dedicated CTA widgets for marketing campaigns. I customized button styles, added icons, and set hover effects. The widgets supported internal links, external URLs, and popup triggers.
The pixel-perfect placement flexibility helps with conversion optimization. But if you want A/B testing, you'll need a third-party plugin for that.
Elementor support
Your support package depends on the plan you choose. (Image credit: Elementor)
Elementor Pro users access official support through ticket submission and live chat. Free version users rely on community forums and documentation. Support operates Monday through Friday with varying response times based on plan tier.
I submitted a test support ticket during my review. The response came within 24 hours with a detailed troubleshooting guide. But the AI chatbot could answer basic questions instantly before escalating complex issues.
However, user sentiment reveals mixed experiences.
Reddit threads show frustration with renewal price increases and slow support responses. One user reported opening six tickets with minimal resolution. G2 reviews praise ease of use but note the learning curve. Capterra users appreciate constant updates but mention WooCommerce plugin compatibility issues.
Test results: Elementor
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value for money
Competitive pricing initially, but renewal rates increase significantly over time. Pro features justify the cost for agencies.
★★★⯪☆
Ease of use
Intuitive drag-and-drop interface with visual editing. Learning curve exists due to extensive options.
Responsive ticket system for Pro users. Community sentiment reveals inconsistent experiences and price frustration.
★★★☆☆
Competitor comparison: Elementor
Below we show you how Elementor stacks up against Divi and Beaver Builder:
Platform
Best for
Our overall rating
Free plan
Paid plans start at
Ease of use
Support
Elementor
WordPress flexibility
★★★★☆
Yes
$4.92/month
★★★★☆
Live chat, tickets, community
Divi Builder
Design variety
★★★★☆
No
$19.00/month
★★★★☆
Email, community forum
Beaver Builder
Performance optimization
★★★★☆
Yes
$9.92/month
★★★⯪☆
Email, forums
How we tested the Elementor website builder
Every website builder review on Techradar is based on hands-on testing. I installed Elementor on multiple WordPress sites, built test pages across different niches, and measured performance metrics. Each feature was scrutinized through practical application, not just documentation review.
We've been reviewing business software since 2012 at TechRadar Pro. For complete details on our evaluation process, read about how we test website builders.
Elementor review: FAQs
Is Elementor free to use?
Yes, Elementor offers a free version with basic page-building capabilities.
You get 40+ widgets, 30+ templates, and the drag-and-drop editor. However, advanced features like Theme Builder, WooCommerce Builder, and popup builder require Elementor Pro. The free version limits you to content editing within existing theme structures.
How do I install Elementor on WordPress?
Navigate to your WordPress Dashboard, click Plugins > Add New, search for "Elementor," then click Install and Activate. For Elementor Pro, download the plugin zip file from your Elementor account at my.elementor.com, upload it through WordPress Dashboard > Plugins > Upload Plugin, then activate your license key.
What's the difference between Elementor and Elementor Pro?
Elementor Pro includes 100+ widgets and templates versus 40+ in the free version, plus Theme Builder for headers/footers, WooCommerce Builder, popup builder, form integrations, and priority support. The free version limits customization to page content only, while Pro controls every site element including 404 pages.
Can I speed up my Elementor website?
Yes, activate Elementor's performance experiments including Optimized DOM Output, Improved Asset Loading, and Improved CSS Loading under Settings > Features.
You can also optimize images, enable caching plugins like WP Rocket, minimize unnecessary plugins, and consider a CDN. Reduce sections, widgets, and columns in your designs.
Does Elementor work with all WordPress themes?
Elementor works with most WordPress themes, though compatibility varies.For best results, use themes specifically built for Elementor or the Elementor Hello theme.
The Theme Builder feature in Elementor Pro lets you override theme templates entirely, reducing compatibility issues. Some themes may conflict with Elementor's styling.
Right from the start, NordLocker offers a reliable, secure, and feature-rich cloud storage platform. But then, it’s from the developers behind the excellent NordVPN and NordPass, so there’s a certain level of expectation here - and we think it might compete with the best cloud storage services.
NordLocker is available through a freemium pricing model. Like all the best free cloud storage solutions, you can download the app and encrypt files locally without paying anything. You get 3GB, and your files are encrypted and stored on the specific device in use.
Users wanting extra storage space will need to upgrade to either a Personal or Business plan.
The Personal plan offers 500GB for $7.99 a month or $35.88 for the first year. This works out at $2.99 per month.
A Personal Plus 2TB plan costs $19.99 a month or $83.88 for the first year. Paying annually in this case would save you $156.
For businesses, there's a 500GB plan ($8.99 a month / $215.76 a year), a 2TB plan ($14.99 a month / $359.76 a year), or the option to create a custom plan.
Although we’re disappointed not to see any lifetime cloud storage deals, it’s otherwise all very straightforward and simple to follow. But given the company’s range of other tools, we would like deeper integration between its products. NordVPN, for example, costs at least $12.99 a month in its most basic form - subscribers can use NordLocker, but only its free 3GB plan. Clearly some kind of bundle deal is in order here.
(Image credit: Nord Security)
NordLocker: Interface & experience
This category is one in which NordLocker really shines. We’ve reviewed loads of cloud storage platforms, and this app is easily one of the simplest and slickest to use.
On both Windows 11 and macOS, drag-and-drop functionality made it easy to upload, download, and organize files. Heavy use of the macOS app revealed no glitches. The app was always responsive.
In terms of interface, we’re confident in labeling it one of the top cloud storage platforms.
We previously criticized the service for a lack of mobile support. That’s all changed, with Android and iOS apps that we found to be just as easy to use as the browser portal.
It’s a bit of a funny one, though. Rather than a dedicated mobile app, the app houses a Safari-based browser (on our iPad test device) which redirects to the NordLocker browser portal. That said, it’s easy enough to navigate and has worked fine for us. It’s a shame that it doesn’t integrate with the native file management system (Files for iPadOS), which most of its rivals do, including Dropbox and Google Drive.
For macOS users with an Apple Silicon chip (M1 or newer), the setup process for the desktop client involves some fiddling around with the security setup of your computer. To the most humble user, this can feel particularly daunting, and while there are plenty of other similar tools that require the same setup process, there are others that don’t.
NordLocker: Features
NordLocker strikes a great balance between simplicity and breadth of features. The platform is defiantly easy to use, and it isn’t overwhelmed by features you’ll never use.
Although NordLocker is primarily a cloud storage platform, local storage of encrypted files is possible. This local encryption means files are encrypted but remain stored on your device’s hard drive. So, if a hacker accessed your computer or mobile device, they wouldn’t be able to decrypt or access data encrypted with NordLocker. It’s a perk that may appeal to some business and personal users However, this data cannot be accessed from any other device.
NordLocker’s premium plans enable files to be uploaded to Nord Security's cloud servers, meaning files are both encrypted and available from any device that has NordLocker installed on it.
This flexibility is likely to appeal to business leaders who want to encrypt data but keep it close at hand (on a local server). This reduces the data’s exposure to data security breaches elsewhere (such as on Nord Security’s servers).
This feature enables users to grant file or folder access to friends, family, or colleagues while maintaining end-to-end encryption. From directly within the NordLocker app, users can invite users to access a folder via their email address. The only downside is that the invitee will need a free NordLocker account before accessing the files. However, if your entire office is using NordLocker, file sharing is seamless and instant, making it easy to work effectively in total security.
(Image credit: Nord Security)
Nordlocker: Our tests
We ran three core tests on NordLocker, measuring sync speed, file recovery and versioning. Our tests were conducted on a Windows 11 virtual machine running the NordLocker desktop client. The VM was connected to the internet via fiber broadband via VPN server, which in our speed tests consistently showed an average upload speed of 70 Mbps
Test 1 - Sync speed
In our original testing in 2022, we found that the process of encrypting files was extremely quick. Time and time again, our 1GB test file was encrypted comfortably under 30 seconds. That said, an average upload speed of just over eight minutes for 1GB seems reasonable compared with other services we’ve used.
For our latest tests, we copied a 650 MB folder into the application directory and measured how quickly the desktop client was able to sync the files to the cloud. The folder contained 22 files including MP3s, images, metadata files and a PDF.
And we found it was similarly quick and efficient. We chose Import Folder from within the app to begin uploading our test files. NordLocker offered us the choice between creating an encrypted copy of the folder both here and in the cloud or deleting the original and keeping only the encrypted files.
As in our previous test, the client app didn't display the upload progress of individual files but there is a readout at the bottom left that displays Syncing, as well as the amount of space used. We could also click into the folder to see green checkmarks against those files that had been successfully uploaded. The data uploaded in just under 100 seconds, which is exactly right given our connection upload speed.
Other cloud storage solutions also have better control to throttle things like bandwidth and CPU usage. There’s nothing like that here, but features we previously wanted have been added so it’s possible that something like this may come eventually.
Test 2 - File recovery
In this test we simply deleted the folder from the application directory, removing it from the device. We then checked to see if the files had been removed from the cloud drive and if it was possible to recover them.
Given that we'd chosen to create an encrypted copy of our test files, we right-clicked and chose to delete this from within the NordLocker client app. The app displayed a warning confirmation saying that the files would be permanently deleted.
This turned out to be the case as we couldn't find any Trash option neither in the app nor in the NordLocker Cloud Control Panel online. This means the data couldn't be recovered.
Still, given that NordLocker is primarily designed for security, this could be seen as a good thing given that even if someone were to try to recover deleted data from your device it would still be encrypted. This may also be why NordLocker doesn't offer a Secure Delete option to overwrite data, as any fragments recovered would be indecipherable without the Master Key.
Test 3 - Versioning
FIle versioning is offered by many top cloud providers - it’s a way to roll-back changes to a file to a previous version.
Given that it wasn't possible to recover deleted files we weren't optimistic that NordLocker would store multiple versions of files in the cloud. Sure enough, when we synced the document and made changes, we couldn't find any option to restore a previous version. Of course there's no reason why you couldn't store files from a program that does support this feature in a NordLocker 'locker'.
(Image credit: Nord Security)
NordLocker: Support
The NordLocker Help Center provides answers to many FAQs, but doesn’t offer much technical or advanced support. If users need tailored support, they can submit an online help request. Users can also send an email directly to the support team (we received a reply within 24 hours). Phone support options don’t appear to be available.
NordLocker: Security
NordLocker uses a zero-knowledge encryption system, also referred to as end-to-end encryption. When you first set up your NordLocker account, you chose both a login password and a Master Password. The latter of which is used to encrypt/decrypt your data. You're also asked to save a special 'Recovery Key' in case you forget the password.
In theory this means no one, not even Nord Security employees, can decrypt your stored files. Among the best cloud storage providers, this is not a widely available feature, thereby earning NordLocker a significant boost in our rating of the service.
As the software is proprietary instead of open source, there's no way to examine the code used to develop NordLocker to check if this 'zero knowledge' encryption has been set up properly.
But such is Nord Security’s confidence in its encryption protocols that in 2022 they offered $10,000 to anyone who could break into an encrypted locker, which they offered for download. The bounty was withdrawn after 350 days. NordLocker claims the vault was downloaded over 700 times. So far, no one has managed to break into it. As NordVPN pointed out in their blog, this bounty was offered before NordLocker included cloud storage features.
The service also offers multi-factor authentication, letting you add an extra layer of protection against people trying to gain access to your account.
(Image credit: Nord Security)
NordLocker: Alternatives
NordLocker is competing against many top-quality cloud storage platforms, many with decades of experience and extensive market share. Platforms like Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and Apple iCloud will be hard to displace.
However, NordLocker’s zero-knowledge encryption framework surpasses that of both Dropbox and iCloud, and arguably even OneDrive, where end-to-end encryption is limited to the Vault sub-folder.
The greatest thing NordLocker has going for its security claims is that it's developed by NordVPN - one of the most popular providers who are dedicated to protecting people's privacy. This gives them a very strong interest in making sure none of their products are ever compromised.
When it comes to storage capacity, however, NordLocker struggles. Competitors such as IDrive and pCloud both provide end-to-end encryption as well as high-capacity plans that far surpass the 500 GB offered in NordLocker’s premium plan.
NordLocker: Verdict
NordLocker, despite its release just a few years ago, is on its way to becoming one of our favorite cloud storage platforms. It is highly secure and affordable, and provides a user experience that is close to best-in-class.
If the creators were to improve their iOS and Android apps, we think it could appeal to even more users and give it a lot more utility. We also think if more emphasis was placed on productivity like online collaboration and recovery of deleted/edited files, NordLocker could become a much more serious contender.
But overall, building on the success of one of the best VPN and best password manager tools, we think NordLocker has huge potential to solidify its position in the cloud storage market.
Web.com has now been integrated into the Network Solutions website builder. If you already have a Web.com website, you can login to Network Solutions with the same credentials.
Our detailed Web.com review examines a website builder that has undergone significant changes following its integration with Network Solutions. Web.com, which has been helping small businesses create user-friendly online experiences since 1997, has now been reworked for even more ease of use with AI. But for those seeking advanced website building options, check out our guide to the best website builders.
TechRadar reviewers have spent thousands of hours testing 140+ website builders to bring you authoritative insights. Web.com offers a straightforward approach to website creation with over 200 templates and AI-assisted design tools. While it provides solid functionality for basic websites, it faces stiff competition from more advanced platforms like Wix, our top pick for the best website builder in 2025.
Web.com, now the Network Solutions Website Builder, emphasizes simplicity over complexity, making it appealing to users who want to get online quickly without technical expertise. However, its focus on ease of use comes at the cost of advanced customization options that more experienced users might expect.
You can now save a generous 50% when you subscribe to the web.com website builder on an annual basis. Simply enter the code BUILD50 when you checkout to apply the discount. View Deal
Web.com: 2-minute review
Web.com positions itself as a beginner-friendly website builder that prioritizes simplicity. The platform offers a section-based editor rather than true drag-and-drop functionality, which simplifies the building process but limits design flexibility. With over 200 templates covering various industries and AI-powered tools for content generation, Web.com provides a solid foundation for small businesses and individuals looking to establish an online presence quickly.
The company's recent integration with Network Solutions has led to a radical shift in its business model. Founded in 1997, Web.com has built a reputation for serving small businesses. But its acquisition and merger with the Network Solutions brand combines decades of web hosting and domain expertise. Still, this provider occupies a middle ground between ultra-simple platforms and professional-grade tools — though there are better alternatives currently available in each category.
What is Web.com?
Web.com, or Network Solutions Website Builder, is a website building platform designed to help individuals and small businesses create professional websites without coding knowledge. Think of it as a digital toolkit that provides everything you need to build a website — templates, design tools, hosting, and domain registration. The platform uses what's called a "section-based" editor, which means you build your site by adding pre-designed sections (like headers, galleries, or contact forms) rather than placing individual elements wherever you want.
Network Solutions targets website creators who want to get online quickly without dealing with technical complexities. It handles the behind-the-scenes technical aspects like hosting, security, and maintenance, so you can focus on creating content and managing your business. The platform also includes AI-powered tools that can help generate website content and suggest design improvements, making it even easier for beginners to create professional-looking sites.
Features
Web.com positions itself as a complete website building platform with marketing and ecommerce. (Image credit: Network Solutions)
Web.com positions itself as a complete website building platform with marketing and ecommerce, designed for simplicity over flashiness. The platform offers a solid foundation of essential features, including over 200 templates across four main categories, AI-powered content generation tools, and integrated marketing capabilities through SocialBooster, AdSpend, and email marketing platforms.
Its section-based editor, while marketed as drag-and-drop, provides a more structured approach to website building that streamlines the design process for beginners but limits creative freedom for advanced users.
The platform's feature set is clearly geared toward small businesses and beginners who need to establish an online presence quickly without technical complexity. Web.com also includes practical business tools like appointment scheduling, Google Analytics integration, and basic SEO.
The AI copywriting tool helps generate SEO-friendly content for various purposes, while the marketing suite provides social media scheduling and advertising campaign management. However, the platform lacks the kind of app marketplace found in competitors like Wix, which offers over 800 apps compared to Web.com's basic built-in tools.
Tools
Web.com provides a suite of tools designed to help users build, manage, and grow their online presence. (Image credit: Network Solutions)
Web.com provides a suite of tools designed to help users build, manage, and grow their online presence. The platform combines website building capabilities with marketing tools and business features to create an all-in-one solution.
Website builder
The core website building tool uses a section-based editor that allows users to add and customize pre-designed sections. While marketed as drag-and-drop, the interface is more structured, with elements that can be moved within defined parameters to maintain design consistency.
AI-powered content tools
Web.com includes AI tools for generating website content and marketing ideas. These tools can help create text for different sections of your site and suggest improvements to enhance user engagement.
E-commerce features
The platform offers built-in e-commerce capabilities including unlimited product listings, multiple payment options, abandoned cart recovery, and inventory management. Higher-tier plans include marketplace selling and advanced inventory features.
Marketing suite
Web.com provides integrated marketing tools including SocialBooster for social media management, AdSpend for advertising campaigns, email marketing capabilities, and MyLinks for creating custom branded links.
SEO and analytics
The platform includes SEO health checks, Google Analytics integration, and website analytics tools to help users track performance and improve search engine visibility.
Ease of use
Web.com prioritizes simplicity throughout the user experience, making it particularly accessible for beginners. (Image credit: Network Solutions)
Web.com prioritizes simplicity throughout the user experience, making it particularly accessible for beginners. The onboarding process includes an AI chatbot that helps generate a starter website, though some users find its initial setup process underwhelming compared to more sophisticated builders. A section-based editor keeps your design process focused, by providing pre-built sections that can be customized and rearranged to create a unique website.
The interface features a clean, intuitive design with a left-side menu containing essential tools like Pages, Blog, and Appointments. Adding new elements is straightforward — you simply click the blue + icon to access different content blocks like buttons, text, galleries, and Google Maps. The platform shows layout guides at the bottom of the editor, helping users understand how elements can be positioned within each section.
While the simplified approach makes Web.com very beginner-friendly, it does limit design flexibility for users who want more control over their site's appearance. You can't change templates for existing pages, and the selection of blocks and elements is more limited compared to advanced website builders. However, the platform compensates with reliable performance, featuring 100% uptime in testing and fast loading speeds averaging 1.2 seconds for the Largest Contentful Paint metric.
Pricing
Web.com's offers significant new-user discounts, with prices reduced by 67-100% for a 12-month term for every new user. (Image credit: Network Solutions)
Plan
Starting rate (paid annually)
Renewal rate (paid annually)
Website Builder
$1.99/month
$16.99/month
Website + Marketing
$3.99/month
$21.99/month
Ecommerce
$9.99/month
$29.99/month
Web.com's offers significant new-user discounts, with prices reduced by 67-100% for a 12-month term for every new user. But on the flip side of that, you can expect a sharp incline in subscription fees once the initial term has passed.
But while the entry-level pricing is higher than many competitors, Network Solutions' overhauled pricing removes any significant price hikes for those looking to upgrade. Web.com's most expensive plan costs $29.99/month during renewal, even with the upgraded features and hardware needed to support ecommerce.
Security
Web.com provides essential security features including SSL certificates and secure website hosting across all plans. (Image credit: Network Solutions)
Web.com provides essential security features including SSL certificates and secure website hosting across all plans. The platform offers automatic SSL certificate installation and renewal, ensuring data encryption between websites and visitors. However, the company isn't particularly transparent about its comprehensive security measures, and some security features that competitors include for free may require additional payment.
The platform includes basic security monitoring and protection through its hosting infrastructure, though it lacks some advanced security features found in enterprise-grade solutions. Web.com's integration with Network Solutions brings additional security expertise from a company with 45 years of experience in web services, potentially strengthening the overall security posture. Users seeking enhanced security should consider the platform's SiteLock integration, which offers cloud-based scanning and real-time threat detection.
Support
(Image credit: Network Solutions)
Network Solutions offers a wide range of ways to get in touch with its team, including an online chat feature, phone support, and email support. You could reach out at any time of the day or night, which is great if your team is spread across time zones.
Another great thing is the knowledge base articles. These resources are incredibly helpful, especially for newbies who don't know much about building websites from scratch. There are step-by-step tutorials for setting up your account, as well as more general advice on topics such as SEO optimization and social media marketing.
Alternatives
WordPress.com is one of the most popular website building tools in the world today, and for good reason. It's easy to use and completely customizable, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes and types. The platform also comes with plenty of features, including customizable themes and plugins that can help you create an effective and attractive website in no time at all.
Wix is another great alternative to Web.com website builder if you are looking for something that's easy to use while still providing plenty of features and customization options. With Wix, you can create a professional-looking site without any coding knowledge or technical skills at all—all you need is a drag-and-drop interface and a few clicks of the mouse.
Squarespace is another excellent alternative to Web.com if you want something that's both powerful and easy to use at the same time. Squarespace lets users customize their websites quickly and easily with its intuitive drag-and-drop editor as well as dozens of templates designed specifically for businesses in mind.
Web.com: Summary
Web.com serves as a solid choice for beginners and small businesses seeking a straightforward website building experience with AI-powered assistance. The platform excels in ease of use, performance reliability, and customer support, making it particularly suitable for users who prioritize simplicity over advanced customization.
However, its section-based editor limits design flexibility, and the steep renewal pricing structure may deter cost-conscious users in the long term. While Web.com's recent integration with Network Solutions adds credibility and technical expertise, the platform faces strong competition from more feature-rich alternatives that offer better value propositions.
Web.com: FAQs
How do I create a website on Web.com?
Creating a website on Web.com is easy and straightforward. All you need to do is sign up for an account, select the type of website you want to create (such as an e-commerce store or portfolio site), and then customize it with your own design elements and content.
You can even add features like contact forms, galleries, blogs, and more. Once you’re happy with the design of your site, click “Publish” and your new website will be live for everyone to see.
Can I build an online store with Web.com?
Yes, Web.com offers a dedicated plan for those who want to build an online store. The plan comes with a host of dedicated ecommerce features including secure online payments, the ability to sell via platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and marketplaces, as well as promotional tools such as discount codes and abandoned cart delivery.
Does Web.com offer a free trial?
Unfortunately, Web.com does not offer a free trial of its website builder service at this time. However, they do offer several different pricing plans to suit any budget, so if you have some money saved up you can try out its service without breaking the bank.
Can I create a web page with Web.com?
Yes. With Web.com’s easy-to-use tools, you can create a basic web page in no time at all - no coding experience required.
Tidal is our top streaming service recommendation if you're after the best possible audio experience. Since it launched in 2014, Tidal has positioned itself as a solid rival to other platforms, with a strong commitment to prioritizing both artists and sound quality. In recent years, it has expanded its offering to include over 100 million tracks, mirroring Spotify's library size, and enhanced both its user interface and social sharing capabilities.
Despite the fact it looks similar to Spotify, Tidal sets itself apart in two significant ways. First, it ensures artists receive fairer compensation per stream compared to many competitors. Second, it provides listeners with exceptional CD-quality audio.
Tidal isn’t for casual listeners. But for those who take their audio experience seriously, Tidal offers a sonic paradise. Particularly for anyone who owns high-quality audio gear, like the best noise cancelling headphones or the best surround sound system, Tidal's lossless and high-resolution audio files are designed to complement sophisticated setups, deliver a rich and immersive listening experience. Not sure if this applies to you? Start with the 30-day free trial. You might not notice a difference between Tidal and your music streaming service of choice, but you might notice the difference immediately and realize what you’ve been missing out on.
While Tidal is a leading choice for high-fidelity music streaming, it’s not without competition. Deezer also caters to the high-resolution audio market, and both Amazon Music Unlimited and Qobuz offer CD-quality streams. However, Tidal's combination of a user-friendly interface, exclusive content and commitment to audio excellence secures its position as a top pick for audiophiles who prioritize quality and artist connection above all else.
Tidal review: Pricing and subscription
Tidal might have the best design of all of the top music streaming services. (Image credit: Tidal)
Two options: Tidal HiFi and Tidal HiFi Plus
Subscription starts at $10.99 / £10.99 / $11.99 for Tidal HiFi
A 30-day free trial
You have two subscription options with Tidal, Tidal HiFi and Tidal HiFi Plus. Tidal HiFi costs $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$11.99 a month, while Tidal HiFi Plus costs $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 a month.
The difference between the two is that with Tidal HiFi you get great audio quality at 16-bit, 44.1 kHz in FLAC. But with Tidal HiFi Plus you get excellent audio quality up to 24-bit, 192 kHz, including HiRes FLAC, as well as immersive formats Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio.
Is there a free version of Tidal? That's a tricky question to answer. Sign-up for one of the two options above and you get a 30-day free trial before your subscription kicks in to check it's right for you.
Back in 2021, Tidal also announced it would be launching a Tidal Free plan in the US, a free version of the music streaming service. A number of people then signed up, but as far as we can tell, that option no longer exists and Tidal never made an official announcement saying it was no longer an option. Since then, users have posted to Reddit and other forums saying they were prompted to sign-up for a subscription after using Tidal Free.
Tidal review: Key specs
(Image credit: Tidal)
Tidal review: Music library and content
(Image credit: Tidal)
More than 100 million tracks
Over 650,000 videos
Limited number of podcasts
There are currently more than 100 million tracks on Tidal, which is the same amount you'll find on Spotify and Apple Music. There used to be a time when you’d need to check a music streaming service has your favorite artist before you sign up, but that’s no longer the case now. Although it’s worth mentioning you’re likely to find artists on Tidal who leave (or temporarily leave) Spotify over its various controversies.
Unlike many other music streaming services, Tidal also has a section specially for videos. Right now there are more than 650,000 videos on the platform. You can watch many full length shows and concerts, exclusive content, as well as some classic videos, either within the app or cast them to your TV. This is a cool addition, but you won’t find videos from all of your favorite artists here.
Tidal has added podcasts to its offering. Tidal says it has “curated a selection of podcast series that focus on intimate storytelling”, which means you’ll find a small library of shows that tend to focus on music, creativity and culture. This is a nice addition, but don’t expect the huge selection you’ll find on Spotify covering a range of subjects.
Tidal review: Apps and compatibility
(Image credit: Tidal)
Mobile and desktop app
Nice and slick experience
Tidal Connect for seamless streaming
Tidal has a mobile app and a desktop app, but you can also listen via a web player too. There are a few key sections in both apps. Home is where you’ll find lots of suggested mixes, artists and albums based on what you’ve listened to before. In Videos you’ll have access to video playlists, documentaries and live content. Go to Explore to search by genre, moods and activities or by quality categories, like HiRes and Dolby Atmos. My Activity is where your most streamed and played artists appear and Your Account is where you can access your collection of mixes, radio stations, playlists, albums, tracks, videos and artists.
In the desktop app the larger screen the menu is displayed down the left hand side and there you’ll also find all of your playlists. There are standard sharing features too, to Facebook, X and you can copy the track link or even an embed code. In the mobile app, you can share directly to Facebook Stories or Instagram Stories. Some people won’t care about this feature, others will love the Stories-worthy image Tidal creates for you out of the artwork for the track you’re listening to, which you can then share instantly.
The Tidal apps might be the nicest to use and best-looking compared to its rivals. The design is very similar to Spotify with a grid-like layout, but it feels a little cleaner and less cluttered to scroll through your options. I also like the simple black and gray color palette with bright turquoise accents, as well as the neat font.
Like Spotify, Tidal has a feature called Spotify Connect, which allows you to stream tracks straight from the cloud to a range of other devices, including Cambridge Audio and KEF sound systems, as well as within some cars thanks to Apple’s AirPlay and Android Auto. Simply find the little icon that looks like a speaker in the top right hand corner of whatever you’re playing and compatible devices will appear.
Tidal review: Playlists and recommendations
(Image credit: Tidal)
Great recommendations
Mixes are spot on
Tidal Rising is fun
Spotify is considered the king of playlists perfectly crafted for you, but Tidal clearly has a powerful algorithm working behind-the-scenes to make solid recommendations too. When you first sign up for the service, you’re encouraged to pick three of your favorite artists. This informs your first mix, called your Welcome Mix. Based on only three artists, I wasn't holding out much hope with this playlist, but it was spot on taste-wise and I listened to nothing else for the first morning I signed up.
The more you like and listen to music, the more Tidal will learn about your tastes and generate different playlists called mixes. Each is based on your listening and focuses on a different genre. These don’t update as regularly as Spotify’s, but tend to do a great job at predicting what users will like. Make sure to hit save if you like a particular mix, this way you can save it as a separate playlist before it gets refreshed.
The mix of playlist recommendations and updates doesn’t feel as expansive as what Spotify offers, there also aren’t as many fun themed playlists, like Spotify's Wrapped or Daylist, but it’s not too far off. And if you're the kind of person who just wants quality music and doesn't need the themed playlists, then you'll love it here at Tidal.
When it comes to recommendations, a great feature of Tidal’s service is Tidal Rising, which you can find in the explore tab. This is where Tidal spotlights up-and-coming artists from all over the world. It’s a fun way to stay ahead of trends and discover new talent. If you’re at all worried that services like Spotify might serve up the same kind of music and the same kind of artists over and over, Tidal Rising is a good antidote.
Unfortunately, you can’t add local music files to Tidal. This is a bit of a shame but shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for most people. If it is, look at Spotify or Deezer instead. However, you can transfer your music library and your playlists from other music streaming services to your Tidal library via third-party apps.
Tidal review: Audio quality
See the little yellow labels under the tracks? That's how you'll know which format you're listening in. (Image credit: Tidal)
Tidal HiFi offers 1411kbps or 16-bit/44.1kHz sound quality with FLAC
Tidal HiFi Plus offers up to 9,216kbps or 24-bit/192kHz with HiRes FLAC
You'll need good audio tech to make the most of Tidal HiFi Plus
You’ll get a great audio experience with Tidal. But there are a couple of things to note about differences between the quality of the two price plans and some of the audio technologies and terminology Tidal has changed since it first launched.
So the first thing to note is with Tidal HiFi you’ll get streaming at 1411kbps or 16-bit/44.1kHz sound quality with FLAC. FLAC is an audio format that offers a better way to stream music compared to most other streaming services, which use MP3 or other formats that remove aspects of the original recording to compress the file. This, as you might expect, means they don’t have the same high-res sound performance. Therefore, Tidal HiFi actually offers a similar listening experience to Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited.
Tidal HiFi Plus pushes things up a notch and offers music at a higher quality and fidelity streaming with a bitrate of up to 9,216kbps or 24-bit/192kHz with HiRes FLAC.
When you have Tidal HiFi Plus, you have three sound quality options to choose from, which you can manually select. Max is up to 9,216kbps or 24-bit/192kHz, which Tidal says is HiRes Free Lossless Audio Codec (HiRes FLAC). This is best if you’re on 5G or WiFi. High is up to 1411kbps or 16-bit/441.kHz, which Tidal calls “studio quality” in a FLAC format. And finally, Low 320kbps, which Tidal recommends if you have a weak signal. Low actually matches the bitrate on offer from Spotify. With Tidal HiFi, you’ll only get access to High and Low.
I spent a lot of time trialling both Tidal HiFi and Tidal HiFi Plus. With the right audio equipment (more on that soon), I could definitely tell a difference between the two options. In summary, Max was just so much better. With Max, tracks sounded clearer, more detailed and more expansive. This means if you really care about audiophile-grade sound, you’re going to love Tidal and you’d be better off choosing Tidal HiFi Plus.
(Image credit: Tidal)
However, the quality of the sound you hear will depend on a couple of factors. The first is the format and quality of the track you’re playing. In 2023, Tidal made some changes to its service. Before then, it was really its Masters tracks. These had an MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) format. This claims to be a superior format, but not everyone is a fan and not all audio devices support MQA decoding. This could be why Tidal has since moved its focus away from MQA, and no longer seems to refer to tracks as Masters. It now instead calls these higher quality tracks Max tracks or just HiRes tracks.
Tidal says it now offers the best quality version of these tracks, which might be FLAC, or it might be MQA. These tracks are now labelled as HiRes in the Tidal app. Go to Explore and scroll down to HiRes to see them. What seems to be happening here is Tidal is migrating tracks to lossless hi-res audio in the open-source FLAC format. So now you’ll play a HiRes track and it might be MQA or not. Take a look at the image above and you’ll see that Water by Tyla has a small MQA label. Whereas Back on 74 by Jungle has a 24-bit, 44.1Hz FLAC label.
It’s also worth mentioning FLAC will never sound quite as good through an average mobile device's headphone jack as it does from a device with more competent audio hardware. That means you might want to upgrade your headphones or sound system to really make the most of Tidal HiFi Plus if you don’t have compatible tech already. If you don’t want to do that, definitely consider saving your money and settling for Tidal HiFi, or even opting for a cheaper streaming option instead, like Spotify.
With Tidal HiFi Plus, you’ll also get Dolby Atmos Music and Sony 360 Reality Audio. These are spatial sound formats that place sounds around, creating a more immersive experience. However, this isn’t new or unique to Tidal. Apple Music actually offers a similar experience and during testing I couldn’t tell that much of a difference between them in terms of how immersive they are – then again I’m not a huge fan of spatial sound and don’t think it always adds to the experience. That could be a personal preference, but it’s worth considering if you’re agonizing over whether to pick HiFi or HiFi Plus.
