Cloud backup is a vital part of any business’s data protection strategy. It allows you to store copies of your files and folders on remote servers, where they are safe from accidental deletion, hardware failure, ransomware, or natural disasters.
Cloud backup also enables you to access your data from anywhere, anytime, and on any device.
But with so many cloud backup solutions available in the market, how do you choose the best one for your small business?
To help you with this decision, we have compiled a list of the top 7 cloud backup solutions for small businesses in 2023 (in no particular order), based on their features, pricing, security, and customer reviews.
Without further ado let’s get to the details.
- IDrive
IDrive is a cloud backup service that offers reliable and secure data protection for small businesses. With IDrive, you can backup multiple devices and applications, such as PCs, Macs, servers, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace, to a single cloud account with features like remote access, ransomware protection, and S3 compatibility.
Pros:
- Supports unlimited devices, platforms, and applications
- Offers encryption, compression, and deduplication for efficient backups
- Provides 5 TB of storage, sync capabilities, and versioning for small teams or remote workers
- Has a user-friendly interface and an easy setup process
Cons:
- Restores from the cloud can be slow, depending on the network speed
- Does not offer unlimited storage or bare-metal restore options
- Has a higher price per GB than some competitors
Pricing: IDrive offers various plans for cloud backup of your PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, Android devices, and servers with different storage capacities and features. The pricing options for small businesses are:
- IDrive Team: Starts from $99.50/year for 5 computers, 5 users, and 5 TB of storage. Additional storage and users can be added for an extra cost.
- IDrive Business: Starts from $99.50/year for unlimited users, multiple computers and servers, and 250 GB of storage. Additional storage can be added for an extra cost.
Verdict: IDrive is a versatile and reliable backup solution that can meet the needs of most small businesses. It offers a good balance of features, performance, and security, and has a high customer satisfaction rating. However, it may not be the best choice for businesses that require unlimited storage, faster restores, or more advanced recovery options.
- Backblaze
Backblaze is a cloud backup service that provides unlimited, automatic, and easy data protection for small businesses. With Backblaze, you can backup your PCs, Macs, servers, and NAS devices to the cloud and restore them anytime, anywhere, with features like S3 compatibility, ransomware recovery, and USB drive delivery.
Pros:
- Offers unlimited storage, encryption, and versioning for endpoint devices
- Has a simple and affordable backup solution that costs only $7 per month per computer
- Provides data recovery via shipped hard drive or web download
- Has an extra function to protect your device by locating, locking, or erasing it remotely
Cons:
- Does not support network drives or NAS devices
- Does not offer bare-metal restore or application backup options
- Has a limited interface and customization features
Pricing: Backblaze offers two plans for cloud backup of your computers and external hard drives:
- Personal Backup: $7 per month per computer, $70 per year, or $140 for two years. Includes unlimited storage, encryption, versioning, and data recovery via shipped hard drive or web download1.
- Business Backup: $7 per month per computer, or $70 per year, or $140 for two years. Includes all the features of Personal Backup, plus centralized billing and management, group statistics and reports, and device protection.
Verdict: Backblaze is a sensible and convenient backup solution that can suit the needs of most personal and small business users. It offers a generous amount of storage, security, and recovery options, and has a high customer satisfaction rating. However, it may not be the best choice for businesses that require more advanced backup features, such as network drive support, application backup, or bare-metal restore.
- Acronis
Acronis is a cloud backup service that delivers reliable and secure data protection for small businesses. With Acronis, you can backup multiple devices and applications, such as PCs, Macs, servers, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365, to the cloud and restore them quickly and easily, with features like ransomware prevention, S3 compatibility, and remote access.
Pros:
- Offers a comprehensive backup and security suite that integrates data protection and cybersecurity
- Supports various workloads, platforms, and applications, including cloud-native and third-party public clouds
- Provides unlimited storage, encryption, compression, and deduplication for efficient backups
- Has a user-friendly interface and an easy setup process
- Includes anti-ransomware protection, malware scanning, vulnerability assessment, and threat feed
Cons:
- Restores from the cloud can be slow, depending on the network speed
- Does not offer bare-metal restore or application backup options for some workloads
- Has a higher price per license than some competitors
- Has limited customization and reporting features
Pricing: Acronis offers various plans for cloud backup and security of your workstations, servers, virtual hosts, and cloud workloads. The pricing options for small businesses are:
- Acronis Cyber Protect Standard: Starts from $85 per year for one workstation license and 5 GB of cloud storage. Additional storage and licenses can be added for an extra cost.
- Acronis Cyber Protect Advanced: Starts from $129 per year for one workstation license and 50 GB of cloud storage. Additional storage and licenses can be added for an extra cost.
- Acronis Cyber Protect Backup Advanced: Starts from $109 per year for one workstation license and 50 GB of cloud storage. Additional storage and licenses can be added for an extra cost.
Verdict: Acronis is a robust and reliable backup solution that can meet the needs of most small businesses. It offers a unique combination of data protection and cybersecurity and has a high customer satisfaction rating. However, it may not be the best choice for businesses that require more advanced backup features, such as bare-metal restore or application backup for some workloads, or more granular control and visibility over their backups.
- Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is a cloud backup service that offers flexible and scalable data protection for small businesses. With Azure, you can backup multiple devices and applications, such as PCs, Macs, servers, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace, to the cloud and restore them easily, with features like ransomware prevention, S3 compatibility, and private endpoints.
Pros:
- Offers a native and easy-to-configure backup service for Azure VMs, on-premises servers, SQL servers, and SAP HANA servers
- Supports various workloads, platforms, and applications, including cloud-native and third-party public clouds
- Provides encryption, compression, and deduplication for efficient backups
- Has a flexible pricing model that charges only for the amount of data backed up and the storage tier used
Cons:
- Restores from the cloud can be slow, depending on the network speed
- Does not offer unlimited storage or bare-metal restore options for some workloads
- Has a limited interface and customization features
- Requires additional components and licenses for some backup scenarios
Pricing: Microsoft Azure Backup offers various pricing options for different types of backup, storage, and regions. The pricing is based on the amount of data backed up on the instance and the storage tier used. There are three price categories for the data backed up on the instance
- Instance under 50 GB – $5 per month
- Instance between 51-500 GB – $10 per month
- Instance over 500 GB – $10 per month for each 500 GB increment
Verdict: Microsoft Azure Backup is a robust and reliable backup solution that can meet the needs of most small businesses. It offers a simple and secure way to protect your data and applications in the Microsoft cloud and has a high customer satisfaction rating. However, it may not be the best choice for businesses that require more advanced backup features, such as unlimited storage, bare-metal restore, or more granular control and visibility over their backups.
- Backup Everything
Backup Everything is a cloud backup service that provides affordable and easy data protection for small businesses. With Backup Everything, you can backup multiple devices and applications, such as PCs, Macs, servers, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, MySQL, MS SQL, and Dropbox, to safe and secure storage locations from the UK, EU, USA, Canada, Australia and Asia.
Pros:
- Offers secure cloud and free local backup for various workloads, platforms, and applications, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox, and more
- Supports unlimited licenses to backup servers, endpoints, databases, VMs, Synology, and QNAP to the cloud and/or locally for free
- Provides data recovery via web download or shipped hard drive
- Has a flexible pricing model that charges only for the amount of data backed up and the storage tier used
- Includes ransomware protection, disaster recovery, and device protection features
Cons:
- Restores from the cloud can be slow, depending on the network speed
- Does not offer unlimited storage or bare-metal restore options for some workloads
- Has a limited interface and customization features
- Requires additional components and licenses for some backup scenarios
Pricing: Backup Everything.co.uk offers various pricing options for different types of backup, storage, and regions. The pricing is based on the amount of data backed up on the instance and the storage tier used. There are four price categories for the data backed up on the instance:
- 50 GB – £5 per month
- 100 GB – £10 per month
- 250 GB – £25 per month
- 500 GB – £50 per month
Verdict: Backup Everything.co.uk is a sensible and convenient backup solution that can suit the needs of most personal and small business users. It offers a generous amount of storage, security, and recovery options, and has a high customer satisfaction rating. However, it may not be the best choice for businesses that require more advanced backup features, such as unlimited storage, bare-metal restore, or more granular control and visibility over their backups.
Conclusion
Cloud backup is a crucial service for any small business that wants to protect its data and ensure business continuity. However, not all cloud backup solutions are created equal, and choosing the best one for your business can be challenging. In this blog post, we have reviewed the top 5 cloud backup solutions for small businesses in 2024, based on their features, pricing, security, and customer reviews. These are:
- IDrive Team: A versatile backup solution that supports multiple devices, platforms, and applications, and offers 5 TB of storage, encryption, and sync capabilities for small teams or remote workers1.
- Backblaze for Business: A simple and affordable backup solution that provides unlimited storage, encryption, and versioning for endpoint devices2.
- Acronis Cyber Protect: A comprehensive backup and security suite that integrates data protection and cybersecurity, and supports various workloads, platforms, and applications, including cloud-native and third-party public clouds3.
- Microsoft Azure Backup: A native and easy-to-configure backup service for Azure VMs, on-premises servers, SQL servers and SAP HANA servers, that offers encryption, compression, and deduplication for efficient backups4.
- Backup Everything: A secure cloud and free local backup solution for various workloads, platforms, and applications, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox, and more, that offers ransomware protection, disaster recovery, and device protection features5.
We hope this conclusion gives you a summary of the best cloud backup solutions for small businesses in 2024. In the previous sections, we have discussed each solution in more detail and compared their pros and cons. We hope this blog post helps you make an informed decision and choose the best backup solution for your business. Thank you for reading!
