Best 7 Backup Solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Online (2026)
We reviewed the leading SharePoint Online backup solutions on site, library, and item-level recovery granularity, how well each handles versioned content, and the restoration speed that determines how long SharePoint is unavailable after a loss event.
Written by
Joel Witts
Technical Review by
Craig MacAlpine
Quick Summary
SharePoint Online data is not comprehensively protected by Microsoft’s retention policies — site collections, libraries, and items permanently deleted beyond the recycle bin recovery window may be unrecoverable without third-party backup. Third-party SharePoint Online backup solutions provide granular site, library, and item-level recovery that Microsoft’s native tooling does not deliver. We reviewed the top solutions and found Backupify for Microsoft 365, CloudAlly Backup for SharePoint, and AFI Microsoft 365 Backup to be the strongest on recovery granularity and versioned content restoration.
Microsoft 365’s native retention keeps your SharePoint data for 30 days after deletion. That window closes fast once ransomware hits or a user deletes content by accident. The wrong backup solution costs you data you can’t recover, compliance audits that fail, or hours of manual restoration when you should be defending your environment.
Choosing a backup tool is straightforward enough. Choosing one that actually restores the specific file or folder you need without touching everything else is where it gets complicated. Some platforms require hours of setup before your first backup. Others generate pricing surprises when you scale across multiple sites or tenants. You need something that integrates with your M365 environment, recovers quickly when incidents happen, and doesn’t create administrative overhead that distracts your team.
We evaluated seven SharePoint Online backup solutions across different deployment models: standalone organizations, MSP environments, and enterprises managing both cloud and on-premises SharePoint. We evaluated backup frequency, recovery granularity, feature set completeness, pricing transparency, and the actual experience teams report in production environments.
This guide identifies which solutions work best for your specific scenario, whether you’re protecting a single tenant or managing dozens of client environments.
Our Recommendations
Your ideal platform depends on whether you prioritize hands-off simplicity, broad compliance coverage, or aggressive backup frequency.
- Best For Automated Simplicity: Backupify for Microsoft 365 automates tri-daily backups with virtually no ongoing management after setup.
- Best For Compliance Coverage: CloudAlly Backup for SharePoint covers SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Groups, and all mailbox types with HIPAA, GDPR, and ISO 27001 compliance built in.
- Best For Frequent Backups: AFI Microsoft 365 Backup supports up to 24 daily backups with full-text search to locate specific items and responsive support that resolves tickets without handoffs.
- Best For Enterprise Hybrid Environments: AvePoint Backup and Restore for SharePoint and Office 365 manages on-premises, cloud, and hybrid SharePoint from a single console while preserving metadata and permissions during restores.
- Best For MSP Multi-Tenant Management: Datto M365 Backup combines backup with phishing prevention across Exchange, Calendar, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams in one platform designed for MSP workflows with simplified pricing.
- Best For MSP Backup and Disaster Recovery: N-able SharePoint Backup provides battle-tested reliability and centralized dashboard management for MSPs with up to six daily backups and one-year retention.
- Best For Enterprise Flexibility and Storage Choice: Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 delivers 25 recovery paths, five-minute backup intervals, and flexible storage across on-premises and cloud providers for environments where RPO matters.
Backupify, now part of the Kaseya ecosystem and being consolidated under the Datto SaaS Protection brand, is a cloud backup solution for M365 that runs automated backups three times daily on Datto’s private cloud infrastructure. It covers SharePoint Online, Exchange, OneDrive, and Teams from a single console. We think this is a practical option for IT teams wanting reliable, low-maintenance SharePoint protection without ongoing management overhead.
Backupify for Microsoft 365 Key Features
Backupify runs automated backups every eight hours for SharePoint Online, covering primary sites, group sites, and Teams sites. On-demand backups let you capture data before major changes. Granular recovery restores individual documents or pages without touching the rest of your environment, and folder structures and site templates come back intact. The dashboard uses simple red, yellow, and green indicators to flag backup health at a glance. SOC 2 Type II compliance and AES 256-bit encryption meet enterprise security requirements. Implementation takes about 10 to 15 minutes per environment.
What Customers Say
Customers consistently praise reliability, with the product working quietly in the background without generating support tickets. Something to be aware of is that there’s no M365 SSO integration. The folder hierarchy display makes finding specific files harder than expected during restores. Backup scheduling is limited to three times daily with no time customization.
Our Take
We think Backupify fits IT teams that want SharePoint backup running in the background without ongoing management. The 10-to-15-minute setup and simple health indicators are real time-savers. Organizations needing granular scheduling or modern SSO should evaluate whether the trade-offs fit their operations.
Strengths
- Automated tri-daily backups require minimal ongoing management after setup
- Granular recovery restores individual items without affecting current SharePoint data
- Unified console covers SharePoint, Exchange, OneDrive, and Teams
- SOC 2 Type II compliance with AES 256-bit encryption
Cautions
- No M365 SSO integration
- Backup scheduling limited to three times daily with no time customization
OpenText CloudAlly Backup is one of the fastest M365 backup solutions to deploy, with backups running within minutes of initial setup. We scored the solution 9/10 in our hands-on review and were particularly impressed by the restore speed and self-service recovery capabilities for SharePoint and broader M365 data.
CloudAlly Backup for SharePoint Key Features
CloudAlly backs up SharePoint site collections, OneDrive artifacts, shared mailboxes, resource mailboxes, and public folders with metadata captured alongside the data. Active Directory integration automatically discovers and backs up new users without manual enrollment. The platform provides unlimited storage by default at $3 per user per month with self-service recovery that lets end users restore their own content. Backup data sits on AWS infrastructure, independent of Microsoft Azure. ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance certifications are included with global data center options for data residency control.
What We Found In Our Review
In our testing, CloudAlly restored a 3.8GB Exchange mailbox in under one hour with no corruption, outperforming several higher-priced alternatives. The end-user self-service recovery experience is arguably the strongest we’ve tested. The platform indexes email body content and attachments for search, giving it the strongest search capabilities of any product we reviewed. Backup data is stored on AWS, which avoids the Azure single point of failure risk. With that said, there’s no ransomware or malware scanning at all, and backup frequency is limited to once per day by default. A three-times-daily option is available as a paid add-on at $6 per user per year.
Our Take
We think CloudAlly fits organizations needing fast, reliable SharePoint backup with compliance certifications and broad M365 coverage without managing multiple tools. The unlimited storage, strong search, and self-service recovery are real strengths at $3 per user per month. MSPs should model the billing structure carefully before committing across client portfolios.
Strengths
- Fastest deployment we tested with backups running in minutes
- Unlimited storage at $3 per user per month
- Strongest search with email body and attachment indexing
- End-user self-service recovery without IT involvement
Cautions
- No ransomware or malware scanning
- Backup frequency limited to once per day by default
AFI Microsoft 365 Backup
Afi Microsoft 365 Backup covers SharePoint alongside Exchange, OneDrive, Teams (including 1:1 chats), Entra ID, Copilot, and Power Platform from a single console. We scored the solution 5/10 in our hands-on review; the technical capabilities are strong, but concerns about the vendor’s corporate governance and small team size prevent a higher recommendation.
AFI Microsoft 365 Backup Key Features
Afi runs up to three daily backups for SharePoint with keyword search that’s strong across all backed-up data. Copilot and Power Platform backup support are rare differentiators that put Afi ahead of most alternatives in terms of coverage. Fully customizable retention controls work at the per-resource level with unlimited retention by default. Point-in-time recovery with perpetual versioning restores individual items or rolls back to earlier dates. BYOK encryption and AES-256 encryption protect data at rest and in transit. Heuristic-based ransomware detection labels clean recovery points automatically.
What We Found In Our Review
We were impressed by the coverage and granular policy controls. Afi supports Copilot and Power Platform backup, which puts it ahead of most alternatives. Deleted user data remains fully archived and restorable into another mailbox. The keyword search capability is strong, on par with the best options we tested. With that said, there’s no bulk recovery for multiple users; each must be restored one at a time, which is a critical gap for ransomware recovery scenarios. Storage is capped at 50GB pooled per licensed user, and backups stop after 30 days if that limit is exceeded. The vendor has approximately 20 employees and limited disclosed funding.
Our Take
We think Afi is technically capable for SharePoint protection but difficult to recommend with full confidence given the vendor’s small size and unclear corporate governance. Technically proficient teams wanting granular policy controls and broad coverage will find a lot to like. Organizations that prioritize vendor stability should weigh that factor carefully before committing.
Strengths
- Broadest coverage with Copilot and Power Platform backup support
- Strong keyword search across all backed-up data
- Granular per-resource retention with BYOK encryption
- Heuristic-based ransomware detection included
Cautions
- No bulk recovery for multiple users simultaneously
- Small vendor with limited disclosed funding
AvePoint Backup and Restore for SharePoint and Office 365
AvePoint Cloud Backup is an enterprise-grade platform with the broadest M365 coverage we’ve tested, including SharePoint, Exchange, OneDrive, Teams (including 1:1 chats), Dynamics, Azure, PowerBI, Power Platform, and Entra ID. We scored the solution 9/10 in our hands-on review and were impressed by the depth of governance capabilities and restore speed for large SharePoint environments.
AvePoint Backup and Restore for SharePoint and Office 365 Key Features
AvePoint restores individual documents up to entire SharePoint farms while preserving metadata, permissions, and version history intact. Cloud Backup Express delivers up to 144 backup snapshots per day with restore speeds of up to 2TB per hour for SharePoint and OneDrive. Behavior-based ransomware detection monitors mass encryption, bulk deletion, and suspicious admin activity, with color-coded restore snapshots showing green (safe), yellow (unusual activity), and red (ransomware-affected) status. BYOK encryption, bring-your-own-storage, and 21 data residency locations support strict compliance requirements. Self-service recovery lets end users, help desks, or admins restore content to any location including file shares.
What We Found In Our Review
Put simply, AvePoint offers a depth that very few M365 backup services we’ve reviewed come close to matching. The System Auditor retains three years of admin actions, and the automated weekly offboarding detection for departed employees is a practical governance feature. Granular RBAC with customizable security policies by group is strong. The Job Monitor provides searchable, filterable, exportable logs for full visibility. With that said, there’s no keyword search of email body content or attachments, and a full mailbox restore took over two hours for a 5GB mailbox in our testing. Deployment took about one hour and the container configuration has a significant learning curve.
Our Take
We think AvePoint fits enterprises with complex SharePoint environments spanning on-premises and cloud that need granular restore with self-service capabilities. The 144 daily backup snapshots, 2TB per hour restore speed, and metadata preservation during restores are real differentiators. The 500-user minimum and $4 per user per month pricing mean smaller teams should weigh the setup investment against simpler alternatives.
Strengths
- Up to 144 daily backup snapshots with 2TB per hour restore speed
- Restores preserve metadata, permissions, and version history
- Behavior-based ransomware detection with color-coded restore points
- BYOK encryption and 21 data residency locations
Cautions
- 500-user minimum with no option for smaller teams
- No keyword search of email body content or attachments
Datto M365 Backup
Datto M365 Backup (also known as Datto SaaS Protection), part of the Kaseya ecosystem, is built specifically for MSPs managing M365 environments at scale. It combines backup with phishing prevention, covering Exchange, Calendar, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams under one platform. We think this is a solid option for MSPs prioritizing simplicity and straightforward pricing over feature depth.
Datto M365 Backup Key Features
Datto M365 Backup runs three daily backups with flexible recovery options for different incident types. The platform pairs backup with threat detection, protecting against both cyber threats and everyday accidental deletions. It works out of the box with minimal configuration, which matters when onboarding multiple client tenants. A multi-tenant console manages all client environments from one dashboard. 24/7 support investigates issues directly. Recent updates added Exchange online archive mailbox backup support.
What Customers Say
MSPs consistently highlight the simplicity. The platform handles backup effectively without unnecessary complexity. Pricing stays straightforward, which helps MSPs manage margins across client accounts. Something to be aware of is that occasional backup failures occur without clear explanations of root cause. Troubleshooting often requires Datto support rather than self-service resolution.
Our Take
We think Datto M365 Backup fits MSPs prioritizing simplicity and speed over feature depth across multiple client environments. The straightforward pricing and quick deployment let you standardize without customization overhead. MSPs needing detailed self-service troubleshooting should be aware of the support dependency.
Strengths
- Built for MSPs with simplified pricing and multi-tenant management
- Quick setup works out of the box with minimal configuration
- Combines backup with phishing prevention for layered M365 protection
- 24/7 support responds quickly and investigates issues directly
Cautions
- Users report occasional backup failures without clear root cause explanation
- No backup support for one-to-one Teams chat messages
N-able SharePoint Backup
N-able Cove Data Protection manages SharePoint backups alongside server and workstation files from a centralized MSP dashboard. It extends SharePoint protection beyond Microsoft’s native 30-day recovery window with up to six daily backups and one-year retention. We think this is a solid option for MSPs already using N-able’s platform who want integrated SharePoint backup with proven reliability.
N-able SharePoint Backup Key Features
N-able Cove Data Protection runs up to six daily backups for SharePoint with retention extending to a full year. The centralized console provides at-a-glance status views and one-click drilldowns for monitoring backup health across client environments. Restores handle folders, subdirectories, and permissions quickly when incidents occur. The cloud-native architecture prevents endpoint deletion of backups, which matters during ransomware incidents. Automated reporting helps demonstrate compliance during audits.
What Customers Say
MSPs praise real-world reliability, with teams reporting successful recovery during major crises with minimal downtime. Support responds quickly when issues arise. Something to be aware of is that the platform leans toward an all-or-nothing approach for device backups, which limits granularity for environments needing specific folder or file-type protection. Disaster recovery requires your own hardware rather than instant cloud VM spin-up.
Our Take
We think N-able Cove Data Protection fits MSPs already using the broader N-able platform who want SharePoint backup integrated with existing tools. The reliability track record and dashboard performance are real strengths. MSPs needing granular backup selection or instant cloud DR should evaluate alternatives.
Strengths
- Up to six daily backups with one-year retention for SharePoint
- Centralized dashboard with at-a-glance status and one-click drilldowns
- Proven reliability during real-world crisis recovery scenarios
- Automated reporting supports compliance audit requirements
Cautions
- Customers note all-or-nothing backup approach limits granularity for some devices
- Disaster recovery requires your own hardware with no instant cloud VM option
Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365
Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 is a market leader in the M365 backup space, delivering managed backup and recovery for Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams with flexible deployment options. We scored the solution 8.5/10 in our hands-on review and were impressed by the granular RBAC implementation and bulk restore capabilities across SharePoint and broader M365 workloads.
Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 Key Features
Veeam provides the strongest RBAC implementation we’ve tested, with very granular custom roles that let you assign separate admins per workload. Bulk restore takes just three clicks for multiple mailboxes. Backup intervals can run as frequently as every five minutes in self-hosted mode, providing tight recovery point objectives. Storage flexibility spans on-premises, AWS S3, Azure Blob, and IBM Cloud. Granular restore recovers specific folders or file versions without touching the rest of the environment. Immutable backups protect data from ransomware and accidental corruption. 256-bit encryption, MFA, and role-based access control cover enterprise security requirements.
What We Found In Our Review
We were impressed with the RBAC and bulk restore capabilities, which are the strongest we’ve tested in the M365 backup category. Veeam provides every customer, from 25 users to 250,000, with a named sales engineer during onboarding, which is good to see. At $2.63 per user per month for the cloud version, the pricing is competitive. With that said, the cloud version only runs backups once per day. All backup data in the cloud version is stored in Microsoft Azure, which creates a single point of failure risk. Keyword search is limited to email subjects only, and in our testing, search was very slow, taking over 30 minutes for a single mailbox.
Our Take
We think Veeam fits enterprises prioritizing recovery flexibility, strong access controls, and storage choice for SharePoint protection. The RBAC and bulk restore capabilities justify the investment. Organizations with simpler requirements that don’t need this depth will find lighter alternatives sufficient.
Strengths
- Strongest RBAC with granular custom roles per workload
- Bulk restore in three clicks for multiple mailboxes
- Flexible storage across on-premises, AWS S3, Azure Blob, and IBM Cloud
- Named sales engineer for every customer during onboarding
Cautions
- Cloud version stores all backup data in Microsoft Azure
- Cloud version backups limited to once per day with no frequency options
What To Look For: SharePoint Online Backup Checklist
When evaluating SharePoint Online backup solutions, consider these essential questions:
- Backup Frequency and RPO: How many backups per day does the platform run? Does that match your data change rate? Can you schedule on demand backups before major changes? If data changes constantly, five-minute or hourly intervals matter. If changes are predictable, three daily backups may suffice.
- Granularity of Recovery: Can you restore individual files, folders, or entire site collections? Does restoration preserve permissions and metadata? Can you restore to different locations without overwriting current data? The ability to recover just what you need prevents downtime and data loss.
- M365 Service Coverage: Does the platform protect SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Exchange? Are all mailbox types covered, including shared and resource mailboxes? Do archive mailboxes and Teams chat histories get backed up? Coverage gaps create compliance risks.
- Storage Flexibility: Can you choose storage locations, or is backup stored on the vendor’s infrastructure? Do you need on-premises storage for compliance, or does cloud work? Some solutions support multiple cloud providers; others lock you in.
- Deployment Model and Complexity: How long does setup take? Does the solution work out of the box for your environment, or does configuration require significant IT investment? If you manage multiple tenants, does the platform support multi-tenant administration from one console?
- Compliance and Reporting: Does the platform generate audit-ready reports for your compliance framework? Can administrators track what gets backed up and recovered? Are retention policies enforced automatically? Compliance teams need clear visibility.
- Support Quality and Pricing Transparency: What’s the SLA for recovery support during incidents? Does pricing scale predictably as your environment grows? Have customers reported surprise cost increases mid-contract? Support matters when you need recovery fast.
How We Compared The Best Backup Solutions For Microsoft SharePoint Online
Expert Insights is an independent editorial team that researches, tests, and reviews cybersecurity and IT solutions. No vendor can pay to influence our review of their products. We evaluated seven SharePoint Online backup solutions across various deployment scenarios: standalone environments and MSP multi-tenant deployments, plus hybrid on-premises and cloud configurations.
We assessed backup frequency, recovery options, feature coverage across M365 services, interface usability, deployment complexity, and real-world recovery performance. Each platform was tested in controlled environments simulating enterprise conditions, including recovery workflows under pressure and configuration changes during incidents.
Beyond hands on testing, we conducted market research and reviewed customer feedback to validate vendor claims about recovery speed, reliability, and pricing transparency. We spoke with support teams to understand response times and technical depth. Our editorial and commercial teams operate independently. No vendor payment influences our recommendations.
This guide is updated quarterly. For complete details on our evaluation methodology, visit our How We Test & Review Products.
The Bottom Line
No single backup solution handles every scenario equally well. Your choice depends on backup frequency requirements, team capacity for configuration, and whether you manage multiple tenants.
If you need simple, low-maintenance protection with minimal ongoing administration, Backupify for Microsoft 365 delivers three daily automated backups with granular recovery.
If backup frequency and storage flexibility matter most, Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 provides 25 recovery paths and five-minute backup intervals.
If you’re an MSP managing multiple client environments, Datto M365 Backup combines simplicity with multi-tenant design. Three daily backups and straightforward pricing help standardize across clients.
If your organization has complex hybrid SharePoint environments spanning on-premises and cloud, AvePoint Backup and Restore handles the complexity with granular restore and self-service recovery. Initial setup time is justified by enterprise environments managing large-scale governance.
Evaluate your specific RPO and RTO requirements alongside team capacity before deciding. The right backup solution stays operational while you focus on security strategy.
FAQs
Everything You Need to Know About Backup For Microsoft SharePoint Online (FAQs)
We recommend that organizations looking to backup SharePoint online should work with a dedicated third-party backup provider. There are several M365 backup solutions available that cover SharePoint data alongside other Microsoft 365 services, such as Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Exchange Online, and OneDrive.
Backup solutions for Microsoft 365 typically integrate to the M365 via API. This provides access to your entire Microsoft 365 data set which can then be securely backed up using continuous or scheduled cloud-to-cloud backups. Essentially, this means a snapshot of your M365 environment is regularly taken and securely stored in a third-party cloud service. Most services automate regular backups up to several times a day to ensure up-to-date versions of files are created. As new employees join, they will be automatically identified, and their data will be added to the backup.
Backup solutions for M365 typically provide a management console where admins can manage all data backups and users, with audits and logs to enforce secure access and compliance policies.
In the case of a data loss incident, you can quickly restore SharePoint data from the backups taken to your live Microsoft environment. This is achieved via granular data search and recovery features so you can restore specific users, files, mailboxes, sites and more, without wiping data already in the live environment.
When comparing a backup solution for Microsoft SharePoint Online, consider the following features:
- Comprehensive Coverage: Comprehensive backup for all SharePoint data, as well as other M365 apps such as Teams, Exchange Online, Calendar etc
- Automated Backups: Automated or on-demand backups for users and groups at regular intervals
- Data Encryption: Ensure backed up data is encrypted and stored in a trusted data storage platform
- Fast Restoration: Data should be quick to recover without wiping any live sites or documents
- Granular Recovery: Granular search and recovery options within the admin console
- Backup Policies: Ability to manage backup policies for different users, groups, and sites
- Compliance: Clear compliance with regulatory standards with reporting and auditing
Most backup and recovery solutions for SharePoint offer a fairly similar feature-set, but the granular use cases are where differences start to emerge. All of the services on this list offer a modern user interface with secure backups. Most also are compliant with all major data protection regulations such as GDPR.
However, organizations with granular industry specific compliance regulations such as HIPAA compliance may require varying retention periods for different data types and a substantial or unlimited storage capacity. We also recommend security features such as encryption, role-based access, and MFA for added to the backup solution itself.
Written By
Joel is the Director of Content and a co-founder at Expert Insights; a rapidly growing media company focussed on covering cybersecurity solutions.
He’s an experienced journalist and editor with 8 years’ experience covering the cybersecurity space. He’s reviewed hundreds of cybersecurity solutions, interviewed hundreds of industry experts and produced dozens of industry reports read by thousands of CISOs and security professionals in topics like IAM, MFA, zero trust, email security, DevSecOps and more.
He also hosts the Expert Insights Podcast and co-writes the weekly newsletter, Decrypted. Joel is driven to share his team’s expertise with cybersecurity leaders to help them create more secure business foundations.
Technical Review
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and Founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA Cloud, an email security provider that rebranded as VIPRE Email Security following its acquisition by Ziff Davis, formerly J2Global (NASDAQ: ZD) in 2013.
Craig is a passionate security innovator with over 20 years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with cutting-edge information security and cybersecurity solutions.
Using his extensive experience in the email security industry, he founded Expert Insights with the singular goal of helping IT professionals and CISOs to cut through the noise and find the right cybersecurity solutions they need to protect their organizations.