Best Practices for Mac Backups, Cloud Storage Choices, and Folder Selection

General Topics
1

I am currently using Arq and Carbon Copy Cloner for backups of my MacBook, and I am interested in Kopia Backup. I would appreciate your recommendation.

  1. What is your recommendation for backing up my MacBook (currently 1.5 TB of data)? Which folders should I include or exclude from the backup? For example, should the Library folder be included, and should the Applications folder be included?
  2. I currently have 1 TB of iCloud storage and use Backblaze B2 with Arq for backups. For a secondary backup in addition to Arq, would you recommend Google Drive, Amazon, or another provider? I have noticed that they offer different storage models, some significantly cheaper than others, and I find it difficult to decide which option to choose.
  3. Kopia backups are client-side encrypted, so I assume privacy is not a concern even if I choose a backup server located abroad. Is that correct?
  4. Is it possible to transfer backups to another cloud provider later (for example, by using a tool to copy data from one storage provider to another) and then continue backups with the new provider?
  5. Has anyone used Arq previously and switched to Kopia? What has been your experience comparing the two applications?

I would appreciate your feedback, as well as any tips for a future Kopia user.

Thank you!

2

Dear all, anyone able to help me as a Kopia newbie with my above questions?

Further question: which storage option should I use for Hetzner storage box? SFTP? Webdav? Others?

Thank you so much in advance.