We recently evaluated cloud storage providers for long-term backups. Cost, technical features, and egress flexibility were key considerations. Ultimately, we opted for iDrive e2 S3, an Rclone sponsor, over other options like Mega. Our primary need is secure archiving, not file sharing or link generation. While Mega provides a user-friendly interface for sharing, we already utilize pCloud effectively for that purpose. Supporting the Rclone project through their sponsor was another factor in our decision.
Mega offers a dedicated command-line interface (CLI) capable of preserving original file timestamps during uploads. However, this introduces an additional tool for a task Rclone already excels at. Currently, Rclone doesn’t retain original timestamps when uploading to Mega, as discussed in various online forums. Mega’s beta S4 storage might address this limitation, but relying on a beta system for critical backups isn’t viable for us. Therefore, exploring the Mega Links Forum for potential solutions wasn’t necessary in our case.
Our testing involved both encrypted and unencrypted backup scripts. We found the simplest workflow using Rclone with its integrated encryption feature (crypt) on iDrive. After configuring buckets and Rclone to utilize both encrypted and unencrypted destinations, the process functioned seamlessly.
iDrive’s performance in our region proved impressive. However, we observed regional variations in upload/download speeds. If speed is a concern, testing buckets in different regions is recommended. Counterintuitively, some geographically distant regions consistently delivered faster transfer rates. This reinforced our decision to prioritize iDrive e2 over options discussed in Mega links forum communities.
