You know your business needs a backup solution – data is an invaluable asset in modern times, and you can’t afford to lose it – but what solution to choose? There’s many out there, and most claim to do the same thing for various prices. So what’s the difference? Which one is right for you? We have compared and contrasted three of the most popular backup solutions – Acronis, Carbonite, and Backblaze – to make your decision a little easier.

Acronis

Strengths

Acronis’s standout feature is their speed. They advertise being two times as fast as their closest competitor and have RTOs as low as 15 seconds. Part of what helps them maintain this is their vast global network of data centers, meaning your data will never have to travel far and you can avoid bottlenecks.

Acronis also offers a lot of versatility for clients. They can back up 21 different platforms, including mobile data on Android and iOS devices. The only major platform they do not support is Linux. Acronis can also back up from any storage device (NAS, SAN, tape, disk, etc.) or any public or private cloud.

A few other benefits from Acronis: easy to use web-based backups, allowing access from anywhere with internet connectivity, image-based backups, and a backup solution that is part of an overall disaster recovery strategy.

Security

But what about security? All the speed, versatility, and easy management in the world are useless if your data is vulnerable to attack. Although Acronis does not encrypt data by default, you can easily turn on end-to-end encryption within the platform. Acronis Active Protection will also protect your files against Ransomware, and they are HIPAA compliant. The only security feature Acronis lacks is two-factor authentication.

Support

With 24/7 telephone, chat, and email support, you will never find yourself without an answer at a critical time. According to Gartner, existing clients highly praise the Acronis implementation teams, but did report some issues with receiving proper support after implementation, even though the scores were good overall.

So what’s the downside? Acronis is online only, so users that want to backup to a physical location, as well as the cloud, will not be able to with this service. Also, Acronis is one of the more expensive of the three backup solutions we discuss, so it may not be the right solution for a business on a strict budget.

Carbonite

Founded in 2006 and named after the fictional substance used to freeze Han Solo, Carbonite has long been a trusted name in backup solutions. But does it live up to its reputation?

Key Features

Carbonite includes most features necessary for a robust business backup solution with very few limitations. Like Acronis, it can back up from any storage device (NAS, SAN, tape, disk), and supports all modern platforms except for Linux Desktop. Unlike Acronis, Carbonite does support Linux server backups. Mobile backups are available, but only on Android, and limited to phone and video backups. Finally, versioning is not available for Mac users. One feature they do have that the other two solutions do not offer is the ability to back up to a physical device.

Speed

Where Carbonite lacks is in speed. While they offer end-to-end encryption, 7-year retention policies, HIPAA compliance, and two-factor authentication, initial backup speeds are very slow. Their website advertises user transfer rates around 10Mpbs. However, once the initial backup is complete, Carbonite uses block-level replication and speeds improve.

Support

They have various RTOs and RPOs available depending on your tier plan, ranging from one-hour RTOs and five-minute RPOs to a 48 hour RTO with a 24 hour RPO. These tiering plans can provide much customization for users, but Carbonite is still considered an overall expensive solution.

Reports on Carbonite’s customer support vary. They have won several awards for customer service, but Gartner’s issued customer service survey did return poor scores for complex implementations. All call centers are located in the United States, and are available between 8:30 am and 9 pm 7 days a week. Email support is available 24/7, and customers usually receive responses within 6 hours. The only thing they do not offer is live chat support, although they do have a feature to quickly search topics for resolutions.

Backblaze

Backblaze is the leader in cost-efficient, easy-to-use backup solutions for consumers with simple business requirements and is considered a pioneer within the industry. Their prices start at $5/computer/month, so if you have a small business with a limited number of desktop users, this could be the ideal solution for you.

Limitations

However, its simplicity and cost effectiveness comes at a price for more complex businesses. The only pricing structure available is per computer, so it is not very scalable for large enterprises. You cannot back up to external drives, NAS, server backup is unavailable, and mobile backup is not featured. Your data automatically deletes after 30 days, and there are no other retention policies available. They also do not have telephone support, but their email response was usually under 2 hours, and they do have a 24/7 chat available.

Advantages

Where Backblaze excels other than cost is in its simplicity. You just have to click ‘ok’ after installation, and the program does all the work for you. And what about speed? The first backup may take a while (you can also click ‘how long will my backup take?’ and discover exactly how long), but day-to-day backups run quickly.

They also have end-to-end private encryption and support two-factor authentication, so your data will be safe.

A quick glance at what we’ve discussed:

Depending on your business requirements, any of the above three backup solutions could be the one for you. Want to learn more? Ask any questions you have in the chat!