Humyo Premium review

Humyo is well known for its free 10GB online storage service; however, Premium users get 100GB and Humyo’s SmartDrive synchronisation software, which instantly transforms Humyo into an automatic online backup facility.

SmartDrive can automatically copy the contents of designated directories to Humyo’s online storage server whenever changes are made. It doesn’t keep old versions of files, so it won’t come to the rescue if a virus infects your PC or you delete or alter files accidentally.

After installing Humyo’s software, you can access your online storage through a virtual drive, as if it were a local drive. Files can be copied to it in the usual manner and the data is uploaded to Humyo’s servers in the background while you work. A local copy is kept on your hard disk so you can still get at your files without internet access, and any changes you make are uploaded automatically when you go online.

Aside from the 100GB capacity limit, there are no restrictions as to the type or location of files that can be synchronised. It’s also easy to synchronise multiple PCs via the online storage, seamlessly sharing My Documents and Favorites folders, for example.

Humyo’s web interface can create links to folders or files for others to download, which is a great way to share files that are too large to email. Even more impressive is the media browser that lets you (and selected others) view and stream media files from web browsers and even mobile phones. Videos are converted to a suitable format for streaming.

At £47 per year, Humyo Premium isn’t cheap, but its sophisticated media streaming and file sharing help to justify the cost. However, both Livedrive and SugarSync have well developed streaming and file browsing capabilities, and Livedrive provides unlimited space. Both also have greater backup functionality, including the ability to retain deleted files and multiple versions.

If you’re on a serious budget, you could always use Humyo’s advert-funded free service, which is limited to 5GB of media files and 5GB of other files and doesn’t include encryption or customer support. However, this option also lacks the Windows client software, which makes it unsuitable for use as a serious backup service. MozyHome and iDrive are both available in free versions with less space but a full backup capability.