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Every MSP backup vendor claims broad coverage, fast recovery, and ransomware protection. The pitch decks all sound similar. What separates them shows up later when you’re onboarding client number forty, when a storage bill jumps unexpectedly, or when a technician has ninety minutes to get a client’s file server back online.
This guide skips the marketing language and compares eight platforms MSPs commonly shortlist for cloud backup: what each one actually does well, where it creates extra work, and which kind of provider it fits. The comparison draws on vendor documentation and user feedback from sources including G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius. Pricing, features, and limitations shift over time, so confirm current specifics directly with each vendor before signing anything.
The Criteria That Actually Separate These Platforms
Before the comparison, it helps to know which differences matter and which are noise.
Who owns the storage?
Some vendors bundle storage into a flat subscription. Others let you bring your own cloud account – AWS, Azure, Wasabi, Backblaze B2 – and pay that provider directly. Bundled storage is easier to buy; bring-your-own-cloud (BYOC) gives you more control over where data lives and how storage costs scale, but it also shifts real responsibility onto the MSP – provider selection, billing, storage tiers, lifecycle policies, and potential retrieval or egress costs all become things you manage instead of the vendor.
How deep recovery goes
Restoring a single spreadsheet and rebuilding a crashed physical server are different problems. File-level recovery solves the first. Image-based, bare-metal, and virtualization-based recovery solve the second. Image-based and bare-metal rebuild the machine from scratch, while virtualization-based or instant-recovery options can bring a workload back online faster by running it directly from backup storage while a full restore completes in the background. Match this to your actual recovery time objectives, not to whichever number sounds most impressive in a sales call.
What stops a live attacker, not just an accident
Encryption protects data in transit and at rest, but encryption alone isn’t enough if an attacker gains privileged access to the backup environment. Closing that gap takes controls built to prevent or contain destructive changes – immutability (including Object Lock on compatible object storage), isolated or delayed-deletion copies, tight access controls, and backup credentials kept separate from production admin accounts.
How much the console fights you at scale
A platform that’s pleasant to run for five clients can become a liability at fifty if reporting doesn’t roll up cleanly, if policies have to be reapplied endpoint by endpoint, or if RMM/PSA integration is missing. Management overhead should shrink per client as you grow – not the other way around.
Where compliance obligations actually land
For regulated clients, the platform needs real data-residency controls, audit-ready reporting, and security measures that support compliance with laws and regulations such as HIPAA or GDPR – encryption is one piece of that, not the whole answer. The MSP still needs to be able to show how client data is protected, where it resides, and who can access it.
What the bill looks like in month thirteen
Sign-up pricing rarely matches steady-state cost. Egress fees, API and retrieval charges, minimum storage-duration charges, minimum commitments, and storage-tier creep are where the real number hides. Model licensing, storage growth, retrieval and egress, retention requirements, and operational overhead over a full year – not the homepage price.
Quick Comparison
The columns below follow the same criteria just covered – including the one that usually gets left out of vendor comparisons: what you actually give up by choosing each platform.
| Platform | Best Fit | Storage | Recovery | Main Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP360 Managed Backup | Mixed physical and virtual environments | BYOC, managed cloud, local or hybrid | File, image, bare-metal, VM | Instant Restore is beta; narrower recovery than dedicated BCDR |
| Comet Backup | MSPs wanting infrastructure control | Third-party cloud, on-prem or Comet | File, image, bare-metal, VM | Self-hosting adds operational work |
| Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud | MSPs combining backup and security | Acronis, partner, local or public cloud | File, image, DR | More configuration and training |
| Cove Data Protection | Low-maintenance managed backup | N-able cloud, optional local copy | File, bare-metal, virtual, cloud | No storage choice |
| Datto SIRIS | Business-critical systems | Datto appliance/cloud | Local and cloud virtualization | Datto Cloud lock-in; relatively heavy for simple workloads |
| Axcient x360Recover | Flexible BCDR deployments | Appliance, Axcient/private cloud, hybrid | Local and cloud virtualization | Multiple deployment models add complexity |
| IDrive 360 | Smaller, cost-conscious MSPs | IDrive cloud, optional local backup | File, system, VM, machine | Lighter MSP tooling; no cloud-storage choice |
| NinjaOne Backup | Existing NinjaOne customers | NinjaOne cloud, local or hybrid | File, image, bare-metal | Only available as a NinjaOne add-on |
Storage-Agnostic Platforms: MSP360 and Comet
These two give MSPs the option to manage their own storage rather than requiring all backup data to reside in the vendor’s cloud.
MSP360 Managed Backup is centrally managed through a web console, with backup agents deployed on protected endpoints and servers, and covers Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints, Windows Server, SQL Server, VMware, Hyper-V, Proxmox, and both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Because it’s storage-agnostic, an MSP can point backups at their own AWS or Wasabi account, run them through MSP360’s own managed storage for a single consolidated bill, or mix both across different clients.
Recovery options include file, full image, bare-metal, and VM restores, with the option to spin a VM up directly in EC2 or Azure. Object Lock provides immutability on compatible storage, and a built-in Restore Verification feature automatically boots a test VM from image-based backups and confirms the system starts, rather than relying only on job-completion status.
The trade-off is upfront setup: BYOC means a separate storage account with its own access controls to configure. An Instant Restore feature, which boots a VM directly from backup storage, is currently in beta and supports Hyper-V and Proxmox VMs.
Fits: MSPs managing a mix of physical and virtual environments who want the freedom to choose (or change) their storage provider independently of the backup platform.
Comet Backup takes flexibility further by letting technically capable providers self-host the management console, including through Docker or another OCI-compatible container runtime, or let Comet host it. Storage can be AWS, Azure, Wasabi, or local hardware, and the platform adds native MySQL/MariaDB and MongoDB backup alongside standard file and image jobs, with monthly billing and no long-term contract.
The cost of that flexibility is operational: self-hosting means the MSP owns uptime, patching, and troubleshooting. SaaS coverage currently stops at Microsoft 365 – no Google Workspace yet – and Comet’s simulated restore reassembles backup data rather than actually booting the recovered system, so business-critical workloads may need supplemental recovery testing.
Fits: Providers with the in-house infrastructure skills to run the entire backup stack – and who want full control over it.
Security-Bundled: Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud
Acronis folds backup together with anti-malware, EDR, and endpoint management in a single agent. Its behavioral detection engine can catch ransomware mid-encryption, kill the process, and roll back affected files, potentially reducing the need for a separate restore.
Backups can also be stored in an immutable configuration on compatible storage, closing the separate risk of an attacker deleting the backup itself rather than just encrypting production data. Modular protection packs mean a client that doesn’t need EDR isn’t paying for it, and coverage extends across physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS workloads including Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. RMM/PSA connections run through Acronis’s own marketplace.
The breadth comes at a cost in complexity – more to configure, and more for a technician to learn before protection packs are even selected. Some G2 reviewers report difficulty configuring access permissions, while others describe slow support responses for urgent issues.
Fits: MSPs looking to retire a separate AV/EDR product rather than run two agents side by side.
Fully Managed and Low-Maintenance: Cove Data Protection
Cove, N-able’s backup platform, skips the appliance entirely – backups go straight to N-able’s cloud, with an optional local copy for faster restores. Reviews on G2, TrustRadius, and PeerSpot include positive feedback about deployment and day-to-day management.
Its TrueDelta architecture keeps incremental backups small, shortening backup windows and allowing more retention points. Recovery scales from single files to bare-metal and virtual restores, with automated recovery testing and standby-image recovery to VMware/ESXi, Hyper-V, and Azure.
There’s no BYOC option – Cove’s cloud is the only destination, with storage folded into the subscription. Large restores can be bandwidth-bound and slow, and some reviewers report higher costs as storage requirements increase. Google Workspace support is still a limited tech preview covering Gmail and Personal Drive.
Fits: MSPs that want backup running fast and staying invisible afterward, and don’t need control over the storage provider.
Turnkey BCDR: Datto SIRIS and Axcient x360Recover
Both go beyond conventional backup into full business continuity – virtualizing a failed system, locally or in the cloud, rather than just restoring files to it.
Datto SIRIS combines a local SIRIS deployment – a Datto appliance, virtual appliance, or software image on the MSP’s hardware – with an immutable, geographically distributed Datto Cloud that blocks unauthorized changes or deletion, with a delayed-deletion safeguard against accidental or malicious wipes. Screenshot Verification boots scheduled or selected recovery points to verify it’s actually bootable, rather than treating a completed backup job as sufficient, and Ransomware Detection scans for suspicious file-change patterns to flag likely infections early.
Datto RMM and Autotask PSA integrate natively as part of the same Kaseya portfolio, and everything – hardware, cloud retention, testing, DR – comes from one vendor through a multi-tenant portal. The constraint is that replication only goes to the Datto Cloud; third-party storage, including your own S3 buckets, isn’t an option. Some user reviews raise concerns about support responsiveness, and SIRIS is arguably overkill for clients that only need occasional file recovery.
Axcient x360Recover covers similar BCDR ground with more deployment choice – direct-to-cloud, an Axcient appliance, a self-hosted vault, or hybrid, matched per client instead of one architecture for everyone.
Chain-Free backup avoids dependency on traditional incremental chains and the reseeding or corruption problems they can create; AirGap delays deletion to guard against accidental or malicious wipes; and AutoVerify regularly virtualizes recovery points to prove they work. Multiple deployment models mean training technicians across all of them, and Hyper-V should use an agent inside each guest VM for full verification – a single host-level agent technically works but isn’t Axcient’s recommended setup.
Fits both: MSPs protecting business-critical systems with tight downtime tolerances, where SIRIS suits providers wanting one fully integrated vendor and x360Recover suits those wanting deployment flexibility per client.
Budget-Friendly: IDrive 360
IDrive 360 covers Windows, macOS, and Linux machines, databases, system state, and Hyper-V/VMware environments, with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace available as add-ons. Its multi-client management and white-labeling capabilities are more limited than those of platforms built primarily around MSP operations.
Its pricing is positioned toward the lower-cost end of the market, though several competitors on this list use custom or quote-based pricing that isn’t directly comparable per terabyte. Deployment can be handled through Group Policy, Intune, Jamf Pro, or NinjaOne, and very large datasets can be transferred via physical media through iDrive 360 Express instead of relying on upload speed.
There’s no BYOC for cloud storage – cloud backups sit on IDrive’s infrastructure, although local backup is available for some workloads, so the MSP can’t independently choose or negotiate with the underlying storage provider. Some user reviews report higher renewal pricing after first-year promotional rates, and some G2 reviewers also criticize aspects of the interface.
Fits: Smaller MSPs prioritizing broad coverage and low cost over deep multi-tenant tooling.
RMM-Bundled: NinjaOne Backup
For MSPs already standardized on NinjaOne for device management and patching, Device Backup is managed in the same console, while SaaS Backup is integrated into NinjaOne but still opens a separate partner portal for certain functions. It covers full device image backup with granular and bare-metal recovery, plus SaaS protection for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Entra ID. Storage can live in NinjaOne’s cloud, on local hardware, or hybrid, with immutable, geographically replicated cloud copies.
Backup isn’t sold as a standalone service, but rather as an RMM add-on. SaaS data stays on NinjaOne’s infrastructure even when endpoints use local-only storage, meaning less provider choice than a BYOC platform offers.
Fits: Teams already committed to NinjaOne’s platform who want backup consolidated into it.
Frequently Asked Questions
BYOC or bundled storage – which is better for an MSP? Neither is universally better. BYOC gives you a direct relationship with the storage provider, more control over region and retention, and room to negotiate cost as data scales – in exchange for one more account to secure and manage. Bundled storage removes that overhead but locks you into whatever pricing and terms the vendor sets going forward.
Does backup alone stop ransomware? Not by itself. An attacker who gains sufficiently privileged access to the backup environment may be able to delete or modify backups as well as production data. Closing that gap takes immutability (including Object Lock on compatible object storage), isolated or delayed-deletion copies, and backup credentials kept separate from production admin accounts – encryption helps, but it isn’t the control that stops a privileged attacker from destroying the backup itself.
What’s the real difference between backup and BCDR? Cloud backup gives you an off-site copy to restore from. BCDR adds local or cloud virtualization and orchestrated failover on top, so systems keep running through a larger outage rather than waiting on a full restore. That extra resilience comes at a real cost premium.
How often should client backups actually be tested? Critical systems warrant frequent automated verification where the platform supports it, backed by periodic full recovery drills. Lower-priority workloads may justify a less aggressive schedule. The constant across every platform: a completed backup job is not proof of a working restore.
Conclusion
None of these platforms is trying to win the same competition. Datto and Axcient target environments where downtime tolerance is very low. Acronis folds backup and security into a single agent instead of two. Cove minimizes what you have to manage day-to-day, NinjaOne makes sense if you’re already standardized on that platform, and IDrive 360 keeps the entry price low for smaller operations.
MSP360 and Comet, meanwhile, stand out for giving MSPs the option to control the underlying storage rather than requiring a vendor-owned cloud.
The right choice isn’t the one with the longest feature list – it’s the one whose trade-offs around storage, recovery depth, and management overhead match how your team actually operates.
(Photo by Max Ilienerwise on Unsplash)
