AVG LiveKive Review

AVG has long been known for its anti virus and internet security software. With the launch of AVG LiveKive they have now added online backup to their list of free and paid services. The service currently offers three levels. A 5gb free service, a 25gb package and an unlimited package. There is also a 30 day free trial offer that is different than the 5gb free offering.

Installation
Once you create an account on the AVG LiveKive website you can download the desktop client. It is currently only available for Windows and Mac computers so Linux users need to look elsewhere. After you download the desktop client installer a simple double click starts the installation. When the software is installed you login with the account credentials and assign a name for the device you installed the application on. Next you can decide on your encryption passphrase. You can choose to let AVG automatically create one or you can set your own passphrase. After your encryption passphrase has been set your setup is complete.

With the installation of the application complete it will launch the main window where you can backup, restore, sync and share your files. It was obvious when this window opened that AVG LiveKive is a rebranded version of SpiderOak.

Backing Up
With the main application window open you can simply select the category of files that you want to backup or you can select the advanced mode and choose the folders and files you want to backup. After selecting your files and starting your backup you can view the status of the backup on the Status tab. Depending on how you like to organize your files it can be a good idea to use the categories of files to select files plus double checking the files that are selected using the advanced feature.

Restoring
Restoring your files starts with selecting the Restore tab on the main window. Simply select the device you want to restore files from and select the folder or files you want to restore and click the download button. You can then choose if you want to restore the files to their original location or to the download folder. You can also login through the AVG LiveKive website and restore files and folder through the web interface.

Other Features
Sharing and Sync – AVG LiveKive also offers the abiltiy to share and sync your files between other devices you have the desktop application installed on. These features appear to be the same as what SpiderOak offers.

Mobile Access – AVG LiveKive offers mobile access to your files with iPhone, iPad and Android apps. This is not surprising since SpiderOak also offers mobile apps for those devices.

Overall
AVG LiveKive is a solid application just like SpiderOak. SpiderOak is available for Linux as well so not sure why AVG LiveKive is for only Windows and Mac. AVG LiveKive offers three packages: 5gb free, 25gb for $49.99/year and an Unlimited package for $79.99/year. The unlimited package sounds like a great deal, but it is subject to their Fair Usage Policy which states:

In the event you chose an unlimited storage option for the AVG Paid Services, your usage of the Services if in excess of 500GB may at AVG’s sole discretion be subject to additional usage fees

Not sure how AVG can call the unlimited package unlimited if they are going to charge you for use over 500gb. If you are needing unlimited package over 500gb you should look at Backblaze, CrashPlan or Carbonite. While Carbonite does throttle your upload speed they do not charge more for the extra data. Backblaze and CrashPlan does not state any data caps or throttling.