Technical Review by
Craig MacAlpine
SaaS backup solutions protect data in Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and other cloud applications against deletion, ransomware, and corruption, covering the gap that SaaS providers’ shared responsibility model leaves to the customer. Most organizations discover that gap when they need to restore data that no longer exists in the vendor’s recycle bin. We reviewed the leading platforms and found Backupify, Acronis Advanced Backup, and Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup to be the strongest on application coverage and recovery reliability.
SaaS applications hold critical business data, but cloud providers don’t guarantee recovery. If a user deletes data in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, you have days, sometimes hours, before it’s gone forever. You need a backup solution that captures your cloud data independently.
The real challenge isn’t finding a SaaS backup tool. It’s finding one that provides reliable protection without constant management overhead, offers straightforward recovery when disasters happen, and scales with your organization without surprise costs. You need automated backups that capture new users without manual configuration. You need granular restore capabilities so you’re not rebuilding entire directories to recover a single file. And you need transparent pricing that doesn’t hide per-service costs.
We evaluated 11 SaaS backup solutions across cloud platforms, testing each for backup reliability, granular recovery capabilities, administrative overhead, storage flexibility, and cost transparency. We reviewed customer feedback and deployment experiences to identify where platforms deliver value and where they create friction. We spoke with IT teams managing backup operations to understand real-world priorities.
This guide gives you the technical insights and decision framework to match the right SaaS backup solution to your organization’s specific cloud environment, recovery requirements, and operational scale.
SaaS backup is third-party protection for the data living in your cloud applications, like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Salesforce. Under the shared responsibility model, the SaaS provider keeps the service running, but protecting your data against accidental deletion, ransomware, or a departing employee's purge is your job. Native retention is limited and time-bound, so once those windows close, the data is gone. A SaaS backup tool takes automated, independent copies of your cloud data and lets you restore a single email, file, or record, or an entire account, long after the provider's own recycle bin has emptied.
SaaS backup platforms connect through each application's APIs (Microsoft Graph, Google APIs, the Salesforce API, and others) to capture mailboxes, files, sites, records, and metadata on a schedule that defines the recovery point objective. Copies are deduplicated, encrypted (typically AES-256), and written to the vendor's cloud, a hyperscaler such as AWS or Azure, or customer-controlled storage for residency. The differentiators are breadth of application coverage, recovery granularity (single item, full account, or whole tenant, restored non-destructively to the original or an alternate location), and point-in-time rollback to a clean state before a ransomware event. Mature platforms add immutability, automatic discovery of new users and sites, multi-tenant consoles for MSPs, and governance tooling such as legal hold, eDiscovery, and proof-of-backup reporting. For regulated buyers, check SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, and where relevant SEC 17a-4 coverage.
Here is how the 11 platforms compare on coverage and the capabilities that matter most for SaaS backup.
| Product | Best For | SaaS Platforms | Immutable Backups | Point-in-Time Recovery | Multi-Tenant Console |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Backupify
|
Hands-off M365 and Google Workspace backup
|
M365, Google Workspace
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Acronis Advanced Backup
|
MSPs consolidating backup and security
|
M365, Google Workspace, more
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup
|
Existing Barracuda email customers
|
Microsoft 365
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
OpenText CloudAlly
|
Small to mid-sized multi-platform teams
|
M365, Salesforce, GWS, Box, Dropbox
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Cohesity DataProtect BaaS
|
Hybrid and SaaS backup together
|
Cloud, SaaS, on-prem
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Druva inSync
|
Regulated industries needing compliance
|
M365, GWS, Salesforce, Slack, endpoints
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Keepit
|
Data sovereignty and vendor-neutral storage
|
M365, Dynamics, GWS, Salesforce, Entra ID
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
NAKIVO Backup and Replication
|
SMBs wanting multi-environment value
|
Virtual, physical, cloud, M365
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Own from Salesforce (formerly OwnBackup)
|
Salesforce-centric organizations
|
Salesforce, M365, ServiceNow
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Skyvia
|
Teams needing integration plus backup
|
200+ apps incl. Salesforce, HubSpot
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365
|
Flexible self-managed or BaaS M365
|
Microsoft 365
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
We evaluated 11 SaaS backup platforms, covering cloud platform coverage and completeness, backup frequency and retention flexibility, granular recovery usability, administrative ease of deployment and management, cost transparency and scalability, ransomware protection and disaster recovery capabilities, and compliance support. We combined hands-on testing with market research and customer feedback to validate vendor claims against real-world performance. This guide was written by Alex Zawalnyski, Journalist and Content Editor at Expert Insights, with technical review by Craig MacAlpine, CEO and Founder, and is updated quarterly. Read our full methodology
Backupify handles cloud-to-cloud backup for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. It’s part of Datto’s SaaS Protection suite and runs on Datto’s private cloud infrastructure, protecting over 40,000 organizations. We think it’s one of the better options for IT teams that want automated protection without constant management overhead.
Users consistently praise the reliability and ease of use. The product works quietly in the background with rare support calls needed. That said, some users report that M365 SSO integration has been missing despite years on the product roadmap, and the folder hierarchy display makes navigating restores harder than it should be.
We think Backupify works best for teams wanting low-maintenance backup coverage that just runs. If you need hands-off protection with solid recovery options, this is a good fit. If you require granular scheduling control or polished admin tools, you may find the interface frustrating. The three daily backups and simple status dashboards suit teams that prioritize reliability over interface polish.
Best for MSPs consolidating backup and security under one platform
Acronis Advanced Backup is part of the Cyber Protect Cloud platform, built primarily for MSPs managing multiple client environments. It bundles backup with security capabilities like vulnerability assessments and antimalware under one agent. We think the consolidation play is real here: instead of juggling separate backup and security tools, MSPs get continuous data protection, incremental backups, and threat detection in one console.
The multi-tenant dashboard gets consistent praise for handling dozens of clients without performance issues. Teams report measurable reductions in downtime costs after deployment. According to customer feedback, new feature setup requires significant time investment to configure properly, and some users mention that support response times lag behind expectations for business-critical issues.
We think Acronis Advanced Backup is well worth considering if you’re an MSP looking to consolidate backup and security under one platform. The single-agent model cuts operational overhead significantly, and the storage flexibility matters for clients with mixed compliance requirements. Initial configuration requires planning, but the payoff in reduced tool sprawl is real.
Best for organizations already running Barracuda email security
Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup protects Microsoft 365 data across Teams, Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Entra ID, Planner, and OneNote. It lives entirely in the cloud with no software or hardware to manage. We think it’s a natural fit for organizations already running Barracuda’s email security stack, where the bundle pricing makes strong economic sense.
Users appreciate the bundled value for organizations already using Barracuda email tools. Compliance reporting runs automatically, which saves time during audits. Some users report that the restore interface lacks intuitive navigation for single-file recovery tasks, and the UI can feel dated with slow performance and unclear folder hierarchies.
We think Barracuda works best if you already use their email protection tools. The bundle pricing and Entra ID inclusion make it a cost-effective choice for that scenario. If backup is your primary need and you want polished restore workflows, evaluate standalone alternatives first. The automatic site discovery and hands-off operation are genuine strengths for teams that don’t want to manage backup day-to-day.
Best for SMBs wanting straightforward multi-platform cloud-to-cloud backup
OpenText CloudAlly backs up Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Google Workspace, Box, and Dropbox from a single platform. CloudAlly has been pioneering SaaS backup since 2011 and now serves over 30,000 customers. The per-user pricing positions this squarely for SMBs wanting straightforward cloud-to-cloud protection without complexity.
Users praise the set-and-forget reliability. The activity console makes tracking backup status straightforward. That said, according to customer feedback, SharePoint storage tier pricing runs higher than competitors, and there’s no easy way to review costs or optimize which data gets backed up frequently. Some users also report slow backup performance despite fast local connections.
We think CloudAlly is a strong fit for small to mid-sized teams wanting multi-platform backup without complexity. The automatic user detection and transparent per-user pricing help with budgeting and scaling. If you need granular cost controls at scale, larger enterprises may find the billing opaque as data volumes grow.
Best for enterprises managing hybrid and SaaS backup together
Cohesity DataProtect BaaS (now also marketed as Cloud Protection Service) handles backup and recovery across cloud, SaaS, and on-premises environments from a unified console. The platform is built around zero trust principles with AI-powered capabilities. We think it’s a strong option for organizations that need to manage hybrid data protection from a single pane of glass.
Users appreciate the unified hybrid protection without juggling multiple tools. The single console reduces operational complexity, and setup runs smoothly with hands-on support assistance. Some users mention that initial deployment requires careful planning and configuration expertise, and based on customer feedback, disabled accounts continue being backed up until manually removed, which can inflate costs.
We think Cohesity DataProtect BaaS is well worth considering for enterprises managing hybrid and SaaS backup together. The unified console meaningfully reduces operational complexity once deployed. Teams lacking extensive backup implementation experience may need vendor guidance during initial deployment, but the long-term operational simplicity justifies the upfront investment.
Best for regulated industries where compliance documentation matters
Druva inSync backs up Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Slack, and endpoints from a single SaaS platform. The compliance focus sets it apart from most backup tools. Built-in monitoring for GDPR and HIPAA, plus legal hold management and eDiscovery tools, make this a strong fit for regulated industries needing audit-ready protection. We think it’s one of the better options for organizations where compliance documentation matters as much as backup reliability.
Users describe this as set-and-forget protection that runs in the background without constant attention. Recovery works smoothly with granular restore options, and long-term customers report stable, predictable operation. Some customer reviews note that file access gets briefly blocked during active backup phases, typically 15-20 minutes, and storage limits at lower tiers may not suit data-heavy organizations.
We think Druva inSync fits organizations in healthcare, finance, or legal where compliance documentation matters as much as backup reliability. The eDiscovery and legal hold capabilities are real differentiators. If eDiscovery is a regular need for your organization, budget for the Elite tier upfront. Pricing starts at $2.50 per user monthly, which is competitive for the compliance depth on offer.
Best for organizations with data sovereignty concerns
Keepit is a Danish backup solution covering Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Entra ID. The platform stores backup copies across two separate mirrored data centers on independent cloud infrastructure, which means your backups aren’t dependent on the same cloud provider as your production data. We think the vendor-neutral approach and strong compliance positioning make this a solid option for organizations with data sovereignty concerns.
Users praise the straightforward setup, user-friendly interface, and reliable background operation. The platform requires minimal training to get started. Support quality gets positive mentions, and unlimited storage on higher tiers removes capacity concerns entirely. Some customer reviews note that the periodic backup model may not achieve daily cycles for large data volumes, and license seat availability lacks clear visibility in the interface.
We think Keepit is well worth considering if data sovereignty and vendor-neutral storage matter to your organization. The independent infrastructure is a meaningful advantage over backup tools that rely on AWS or Azure. The multi-tenant capabilities make it a strong fit for MSPs. Clear tiered pricing and the ISO 27001 certification depth add confidence for regulated environments.
Best for SMBs needing multi-environment backup at a competitive price
NAKIVO delivers backup and recovery for virtual, physical, cloud, and Microsoft 365 environments from a single interface. The company has grown to 24,000 customers across 174 countries since 2012. Pricing starts at $0.80 per user per month for M365 backup, with a free edition covering 5 users. We think the value proposition is strong for SMBs who want reliable protection without enterprise pricing.
Users consistently praise the responsive support team. Live phone and Google Meet sessions with actual engineers help teams through setup and complex scenarios. Documentation is extensive, making initial configuration straightforward. That said, some customer reviews note that the console interface feels dated compared to cloud-native competitors, and advanced features are locked behind higher-tier editions.
We think NAKIVO is a solid choice for SMBs that need multi-environment backup at a competitive price point. The $0.80/user/month M365 pricing undercuts most competitors in this space, and the free edition is useful for small teams evaluating the platform. The Screenshot Verification feature is a real differentiator for organizations that need provable backup validity. If a modern cloud-native interface is a priority, you may find the console frustrating.
Best for Salesforce-centric organizations
Own from Salesforce (formerly OwnBackup) delivers SaaS data protection for Salesforce, Microsoft 365, and ServiceNow with automated backups, granular recovery, and sandbox seeding. OwnBackup was acquired by Salesforce for $1.9 billion in 2024 and now operates under the Salesforce umbrella. The M365 plan stores daily backups for 10 years. We think the Salesforce acquisition strengthens the platform’s position as the go-to backup solution for Salesforce-centric organizations.
Users consistently praise the onboarding experience. Instead of generic documentation, teams get paired with specialists who tailor guidance to their environment. Several reviewers have called out specific support engineers by name for exceptional help. Based on customer feedback, initial setup complexity challenges teams without dedicated Salesforce admins, and large dataset restores take longer than expected under heavy volumes. The minimum $500 monthly contract prices out smaller teams.
We think Own from Salesforce is well worth considering if Salesforce data protection is mission-critical for your organization. The Salesforce acquisition adds long-term platform stability and deeper integration potential. The sandbox seeding and compliance tooling justify the enterprise pricing for organizations in regulated industries. If budget constraints dominate your decision, evaluate alternatives first.
Best for teams needing data integration alongside backup
Skyvia combines cloud data integration, backup, and management in a single no-code platform built by Devart. The solution connects over 200 applications including Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics 365, Google Workspace, QuickBooks, and Shopify. We think it’s best suited for teams that need data integration alongside backup rather than dedicated backup as the primary use case.
Users praise the stability and responsive support. The no-code approach works well for teams with limited technical resources, and setup takes hours rather than days. Pricing stays predictable as organizations scale, with plans starting at $7 monthly for 20GB. Some customer reviews note that the interface density creates a learning curve for new users, and error logs lack the detail needed for efficient troubleshooting.
We think Skyvia fits teams that need data integration and backup in one platform rather than a dedicated backup solution. If your primary need is moving and syncing data across cloud applications with backup as a secondary benefit, this delivers well. If dedicated SaaS backup with deep recovery features is the priority, purpose-built tools like Backupify or Keepit will serve you better.
Best for organizations wanting deployment flexibility for M365 backup
Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 protects Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams data with flexible management options. The platform serves 13 million users globally and is now on version 8. You can run it hands-on or opt for fully managed BaaS, and a free Community Edition covers up to 10 users. We think it’s one of the strongest M365 backup options on the market, particularly for organizations that want deployment flexibility.
Users praise the clean dashboard and straightforward documentation. Security features get consistently positive feedback, and pricing aligns with industry standards. That said, according to some customer reviews, large mailbox and SharePoint restores run slower than expected, and licensing mechanics lack clarity around user deletion and seat counts during true-up cycles.
We were impressed with Veeam’s granular recovery depth and deployment flexibility. The choice between self-managed and fully managed BaaS suits organizations at different maturity levels. The free Community Edition is a strong entry point for small teams evaluating the platform. If large-scale restore speed is critical for your recovery SLAs, test with your actual data volumes before committing.
SaaS backup is usually priced per user per month, and several vendors publish transparent rates while enterprise platforms remain quote-based. The figures below reflect published starting prices where vendors disclose them; expect final pricing to vary with platforms covered, user count, retention, and storage tier.
| Product | Starting Price | Billing | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Backupify
|
Contact for quote
|
Per user, via Datto/Kaseya
|
|
|
Acronis Advanced Backup
|
Contact for quote
|
Per workload, subscription
|
|
|
Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup
|
Contact for quote
|
Per user, subscription
|
|
|
OpenText CloudAlly
|
Contact for quote
|
Per user, subscription
|
|
|
Cohesity DataProtect BaaS
|
Contact for quote
|
Subscription
|
|
|
Druva inSync
|
From $2.50/user/month
|
Per user, subscription
|
|
|
Keepit
|
Contact for quote
|
Per seat, tiered
|
|
|
NAKIVO Backup and Replication
|
From $0.80/user/month (free 5-user edition)
|
Per user / per workload
|
|
|
Own from Salesforce (formerly OwnBackup)
|
$500/month minimum
|
Subscription
|
|
|
Skyvia
|
Free tier; from $7/month for 20 GB
|
Storage-based
|
|
|
Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365
|
Free Community Edition (up to 10 users); paid contact for quote
|
Per user / BaaS
|
|
Once you've shortlisted a SaaS backup platform, these are the steps we recommend to make sure your cloud data is protected and recoverable.
Check M365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Slack, and others, plus edge cases like archive mailboxes and shared drives, or you will have silent gaps.
Once-daily backups leave up to 24 hours of exposure, and retention must meet your longest compliance or legal-hold requirement.
Recovering a single email or file without rebuilding an entire mailbox is what you will actually do most often, so verify the workflow is intuitive.
Automatic enrollment prevents the coverage gaps that appear when admins forget to add new accounts manually.
Hidden per-service or storage-tier costs make budgeting unpredictable, so confirm what the base price includes before signing.
Rolling back to a clean state before an attack, with backups an attacker cannot delete, is your core ransomware defense.
Audit-ready reports and support for HIPAA, GDPR, or SOC 2 turn a backup into demonstrable compliance evidence.
If backups live on the same provider as production, a single outage or tenant compromise can take down both.
A multi-tenant console with client isolation and consolidated billing keeps management efficient across many customers.
When a backup fails or a restore stalls, the speed and quality of vendor support directly affects your recovery time.
Your ideal SaaS backup solution depends on which cloud platforms you use, your organizational size, and how much you need to consolidate backup and recovery functions.
For teams wanting hands-off M365 and Google Workspace protection, Backupify delivers simple setup with reliable three daily backups. Minimal ongoing management with clear status dashboards works well for organizations prioritizing reliability over interface polish.
For small to mid-sized teams needing multi-platform backup, OpenText CloudAlly covers Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Google Workspace, Box, and Dropbox. Transparent per-user pricing and automatic user detection simplify budgeting and scaling.
For MSPs managing multiple client environments, Acronis Advanced Backup bundles backup with antimalware and vulnerability scanning.
For organizations already using Barracuda email security, Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup integrates smoothly with bundle pricing. Hands-off operation with automatic site discovery handles M365 protection without constant attention.
For enterprises managing hybrid and SaaS backup together, Cohesity DataProtect BaaS delivers unified console management across cloud, SaaS, and on-premises environments.
Read the individual reviews above to dig into cloud platform coverage, recovery capabilities, administrative ease, and the trade-offs that matter for your specific backup needs.
Backup and recovery is the practice of making regular copies of all of your data, and storing it securely for later. If your network is attacked and you lose access to your data, you can restore from one of these records. Unless you are backing up in real time, you can only restore to the nearest backup – this could be a few days, to a few weeks ago, depending on how your organization operates.
The 3-2-1 rule describes the best practice for storing backups of your data. The strategy suggests that you should have three separate copies of your data, stored in two different formats, with one copy being held offsite. This strategy balances the need for security and reliability, whilst remaining practical and reasonable.
There are three main ways to backup your data:
Full Backups offer a complete backup of every piece of data on your entire network. This is a very comprehensive process and results in a total separate copy of your data. It is, however, a time consuming and storage intensive process.
Incremental Backups result in a complete backup, so this is still a comprehensive option. The difference, here, is that anything that hasn’t changed since the last backup will not be recorded. That way, you will have a very recent version of a file that is frequently changed, but a file that has not been edited might be from a few backups ago. This results in a patchwork, but comprehensive, account of your entire network. These backups are much faster to carry out, and significantly reduce the amount of data needed.
Differential Backups are like an incremental backup, except that rather than using the previous “patchwork” backup as a baseline, it will use the last full backup. If, for example, you carry out a full backup on the 1stof the month, then a differential backup on the 5th, a backup on the 10th will capture everything from the 1st, not the 5th. The benefit of this type of backup is that it is faster to restore than incremental backups.
With differential backups, you can restore your entire network from two backups (the original, and the subsequent one). With incremental backups, however, you may have to pull data from many different backups to regain a complete copy of your data.
Further reading on backup and recovery from Expert Insights — buyers' guides, comparison articles, and platform-specific shortlists.
Alex is an experienced journalist and content editor. He researches, writes, factchecks and edits articles relating to B2B cyber security and technology solutions, working alongside software experts.
Alex was awarded a First Class MA (Hons) in English and Scottish Literature by the University of Edinburgh.
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.