Cloud Backup vs Cloud Storage

Cloud storage keeps a folder identical across your devices. Cloud backup keeps a historical copy of your machine. Both put data on someone else's servers; only one of them helps after a mistake.

Sync propagates mistakes

If a file is deleted, overwritten or encrypted on your laptop, a sync service faithfully applies that change everywhere. That is the intended behaviour — it just isn't protection.

Backup keeps the past

Backup software captures your whole machine, including files you never put in a synced folder, and keeps versions from before the change. Recovery means choosing a point in time, not hunting for a copy.

Most people need both

Use sync for the files you actively move between devices. Use backup for everything else — which is usually the majority of what's on your disks.