iCloud vs Time Machine

[WallySpoons]

So this may be a stupid question....

I've seen multiple posts about iCloud not being the same as a proper backup solution and I get that iCloud only stores what is on your computer at the moment. It doesn't allow you to browse back in time for previous (perhaps since deleted) versions of files. Time Machine, on the other hand, allows you to go back in time to find earlier versions of the file and restore them if needed.

My question is.... is this the only difference?

I tend to store working copies of documents as versions on my Mac (so document v1.0, document v1.1, document v2.0 etc) to keep version control and see changes easily. So these are all visible and mirrored on iCloud.

Reason for asking: I had a Time Capsule but this is being rendered useless by Apple as it uses legacy file structure and transfer protocols (I think this is the right terminology but happy to be corrected). So I'm considering buying some NAS.... but asking myself whether I really need it or just continue with my 2TB iCloud plan.

Thanks for help.

Chris.

 

[circatee]

I've heard that one should follow the 3-2-1 backup rule (snippet below). Thus, I recommend even if having iCloud, use some physical hardware, too...

The 3-2-1 backup rule is a data protection strategy that advises having 3 copies of your data, storing them on 2 different media types, and keeping 1 copy off-site. This method helps protect against hardware failure, human error, and disasters by ensuring multiple, geographically separate backups are available.

 

[gilby101]

My question is.... is this the only difference?

Time Machine won't let you delete versions (included the latest backup) without doing something like formatting the TM volume. iCloud lets you delete anything (deliberately or my accident). This seemingly small difference is important. TM is also read-only - it is hard to accidentally corrupt it.

The big question is: For which disasters (to your data) do you want to mitigate the consequences?

Software corruption of your data - iCloud will just propagate that. TM is a long term protected copy.
Ransomeware - iCloud will propagate that. TM will give you protection.
Malware in general (consequences are indeterminate) - TM is better protection than iCloud sync, and off-site backup better again.
Hardware failure - iCloud will only be a partial recovery of particular documents (assuming the hardware failure has not corrupted the files); TM allows full recovery of your system from most consequences of hardware failures.
Friends or family members that might delete files (deliberately or by accident) - you need TM at least.
Fire and theft - that requires an off site (or secure in the cloud) backup.

Do yourself a favour:
1) Get a large USB disk (HDD or low-end SSD) and use that for Time Machine. That covers most issues up to most hardware failures and malware consequences.
2) Develop a strategy for off-site or cloud backup to cover more serious (but hopefully less likely) disasters.

 

[adrianlondon]

Very basically ... iCloud is a synchronisation service, Time Machine is a backup service. This the only difference that matters, but it's a big one.

If you delete a file, or make an edit you didn't mean and save a file, or it gets corrupted, iCloud will sync those changes. You can't roll back.

Plus, rarely but not never, iCloud's servers die for a few hours whereas TM backups are local or on a NAS you control.

 

[Fishrrman]

Questions:

HOW LONG has it been since you needed to go "back to" an older saved version of a file than the one that is currently "in the cloud"?

Does this happen often for you?
Or... perhaps, very seldom or even not at all?

Speaking only for myself, in my experience in 38 years of using Mac it has been "almost never".

So, I keep a good backup of what's on my Mac "at the moment", and don't worry much about "the past".

Having said that...
I don't trust time machine. I've never used it, ever. Never will.
I've just seen too many posts from folks in this forum who trusted it... and... in a "moment of need"... they couldn't "get to" their tm backup. The backup somehow became inaccessible.

I create cloned backups with CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
I've never had one of these "fail" on me.
The files are "right there", in POFF (plain ol' finder format).
Just mount the backup on the desktop, and it looks and behaves like any other drive.

CCC has a "safety net" feature which kind of mimics tm -- that is, it doesn't delete older versions of changed files, but stores them away in the "safety net" folders.

The "cloned" files are still there, but there are "extra folders" with the older versions saved within.

I've never stored files in iCloud, either.
Simply stated, I don't really trust "the cloud".
Not Apple's, nor anyone else's...

 

[WallySpoons]

Thanks everyone for helpful responses.

The answer to @Fishrrman about frequency is almost never, but not never. I don't share your distrust of cloud services but take the point that they are not infallible.

So I've taken the advice here, got a large external HDD and will back up to that intermittently and keep it somewhere safe. That seems a proportionate response to the risk of me losing data.

Thanks again for the time taken to respond. Much appreciated.

Chris.