Actifio vs BackupAssist comparison

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Actifio

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

Actifio and BackupAssist compete in the data protection category, with Actifio having the upper hand in features and scalability, while BackupAssist is preferred for pricing and support.

Features: Actifio offers advanced data management features, scalability, and robust backup capabilities. BackupAssist is known for simplicity, ease of use, and integration with Windows environments. Actifio's comprehensive feature set appeals to large organizations, while BackupAssist provides straightforward, effective solutions designed for SMBs.

Room for Improvement: Actifio users suggest enhancements in user documentation, integration with certain platforms, and overall user experience. BackupAssist users seek better reporting capabilities, advanced features, and enhanced enterprise functionality.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Actifio deployment is complex, suited for large-scale environments, with support praised for its expertise. BackupAssist offers an easier deployment process with quick setup, ideal for smaller setups. Customer service for both is positively reviewed, but Actifio's expertise in handling larger networks stands out.

Pricing and ROI: Actifio has a higher setup cost but offers significant ROI for enterprises due to its comprehensive features. BackupAssist is cost-effective, with lower setup costs and satisfactory ROI for SMBs. Pricing favors BackupAssist for SMBs, while Actifio provides better ROI for large-scale operations.

To learn more, read our detailed Actifio vs. BackupAssist Report (Updated: June 2026).

Actifio vs. BackupAssist

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Helped 902,988 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Actifio

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

51st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Test Data Management (8th)

BackupAssist

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

63rd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

MSP Backup (12th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Actifio is 0.6%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of BackupAssist is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Actifio	0.6%
BackupAssist	0.8%
Other	98.6%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

Jeff Poulton

Tech Lead / Informix DBA at a wholesaler/distributor with 5,001-10,000 employees

Has reduced storage requirements for development environments but presents challenges during upgrades and support interactions

The most concerning issue is IBM support. The issue I have with IBM support is that sometimes they don't seem to know their product very well at times. I don't know where the support is coming from, whether it's from IBM or from Google through IBM. I'm not sure who physically does the support. Their knowledge isn't great. Plus, the way we use it is not the focus of Google nowadays. Google, as I understand it, bought the product as an add-on to Google Cloud or whatever as a backup and that's not how we use it. I do see some problems with Actifio, specifically keeping current with operating systems. It can be tricky to upgrade Actifio. It can be a challenge. When we've had to do it, we've had to work with their support people, and some of them are just people reading a sheet of instructions. When those instructions are obviously wrong at times because you can tell if you have half a knowledge of what you're doing, it takes ages for them to go off and find someone to explain what's going wrong. So it can be very laborious.

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RichardMukarakate

Director at Gemini Systems

Provides ransomware protection, does good reporting, and is close to perfect for our use case

The main challenge that I have had with it was no line of support, but I've anyway taken away the Linux machine that I was using. So, I don't need that anymore. I'm migrating my Exchange to the cloud. So, I probably will stop using the exchange backup side of it sometime next year, but the rest of the virtual machines that I have on-premises are very well covered by it. To be able to back up my online Exchange, I know there is a backup in the cloud, but I prefer to have something physical with something on my premises as well. It stopped doing my backups after I did the last update on it.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"What really stands out in Actifio is that it can provide us full copies of the database without having full copies of the database."

"Very user-friendly and the QSA is very good."

"The ease of use is most valuable."

"Actifio was very stable. Whenever they identified bugs, they would promptly provide us with patches."

"Actifio has the right vision of data management, ease of use, and embrace of the cloud."

"This product is the best that there is today, as it has replication and it has built–in BCP/DR."

"Some of the most valuable features are that you can use the backup for a test environment, with the rapid recovery done using just a few clicks."

"This product has unique capabilities that lead the product category in test data management, cloning and recovery."

More Actifio pros

"I would definitely recommend this solution to others."

"Now that we are using the solution, we get notified online when our backups are done."

"We managed to have good backups which were easy to recover, and easy backup of MS Exchange and SQL databases."

"I get my reports. It is generally very reliable. Unless there is a major change, it doesn't stop backing up. I've got my server room set up with everything connected to the same power, and I never have power issues or failures of backups because a sub-site has gone off."

"I have found that the backups are usually very successful."

"We can configure the notifications themselves so that the right people get the notifications. This is very helpful. It allows key stakeholders to know if backups have happened and to remind each other to check the backups if something is not right."

"What you want is software that can be relied upon at the moment when a server goes down, you can backup simply and reliably, BackupAssist fulfilled this criterion."

"The most valuable features of BackupAssist are ease of use, configure is simple, and more importantly, ease of recovery. If you needed to do a complete system recovery or another recovery it is straightforward."

More BackupAssist pros

Cons

"Lacks the option to price backup costs within the solution itself."

"The solution doesn't support AIX software or in the cloud, and we have a lot of servers running on AIX and Oracle."

"Areas that need improvement would be the support for recovery in the physical environment."

"When we've had to upgrade Actifio, we've had to work with their support people, and some of them are just people reading a sheet of instructions."

"There are quite a few ways the product can be improved, actually."

"While the product does support various databases, the company needs to make more of an effort to support N-minus-one compatibility."

"The initial setup is complex."

"There is a lot to improve on and a lot of new features that are needed."

More Actifio cons

"In the future I would like to see more support for Linux."

"One issue I had with this program, was that I couldn't get it to back up my Linux virtual machines."

"Has a few problems working with snapshots time-outs and failed backups."

"It stopped doing my backups after I did the last update on it."

"Many solutions become stagnant over time. However, BackupAssist has been consistent in updates but they must continue to innovate and improve to avoid stagnation."

"The solution needs a dashboard or some form of central control from which you can manage all backups."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Actifio is cheaper than other tools."

"Pricing is on a case by case basis."

"Support is very good. They send out a VM link and help you fix any issues."

"There's a yearly licensing cost. The costs might be around $2000 USD annually."

"The cost of the solution is reasonable and there are add-on options that can be purchased. I have used other solutions that are a lot more expensive that are not as good. The ability to get support is very simple and very reasonable from a cost standpoint."

"The product pricing here in Zimbabwe is good, I cannot complain."

"It's on a yearly basis, but I'm not the one who does the licensing on that. I don't have any figures, but it's on a yearly basis, and I believe it's reasonable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

23%

Construction Company

13%

Retailer

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

27%

Financial Services Firm

16%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	1
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	5

No data available

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Actifio?

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What is your primary use case for Actifio?

The main use case for me with Actifio is to provide databases to our development teams. We utilize snapshots or images to manage multiple copies of our production database efficiently without using...

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What advice do you have for others considering Actifio?

I do not work with the point-in-time recovery feature in Actifio. Our database has that capability. We don't use Actifio as a backup per se. In terms of Actifio's impact on reducing downtime for pr...

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Product Reports

Actifio

Download Actifio product report

Download BackupAssist product report

Overview

Actifio offers a streamlined approach to data management, spotlighting its ease of use and seamless cloud integration. By eliminating the need for additional OS licenses, Actifio reduces costs while ensuring efficient time-saving backups and rapid recovery solutions.

Actifio integrates well with cloud storage, providing features like the Golden Copy for incremental backups with fast restores. It supports workflows and cloud processes effectively and is known for its excellent backup health monitoring and test environment management without full database copies. Recent user feedback indicates areas for improvements in workflow scheduling and recovery speed, alongside enhanced support for systems like AIX and Oracle.

What features make Actifio stand out?

Ease of use: Intuitive interface streamlining data management.
Cloud integration: Seamless compatibility with cloud storage solutions.
Golden Copy: Efficient incremental backups with swift restores.
Cost-efficient: No need for additional OS licenses.
Backup support: Effective for VMware and Hyper-V environments.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Time-saving: Reduces setup from hours to minutes.
Space optimization: Significant reduction in disk usage.
Support quality: Dedicated team aiding in smooth operations.
Reporting power: Offers detailed insights and analytics.

In industries focusing on data backups and test environment management, Actifio is a go-to choice due to its ability to manage non-production databases efficiently, allowing organizations to handle multiple database copies effectively without increasing disk usage. Its capability to back up virtual environments like VMware and Hyper-V ensures that organizations can rely on instant backup and recovery, particularly beneficial in test data management contexts.

Google

BackupAssist is a versatile backup software offering tape and drive backups, customizable alerts, Exchange and SQL backups with options for network and cloud data storage, including AWS and Wasabi, ensuring data safety and ease of recovery.

BackupAssist provides reliable backup solutions for businesses with its intuitive interface and straightforward recovery process. It supports a range of storage media and offers cloud storage solutions. While consistently updated, it faces compatibility issues with Linux virtual machines and iSCSI connectivity. There's room for improvement in its marketing and a centralized dashboard is needed. Its Exchange backup processes require attention, and it lacks a dedicated support line, impacting user experience. Deployment covers a variety of servers including file and active directory, demonstrating flexibility in server management and backup processes.

What are the important features of BackupAssist?

Versatile Backup Options: Supports tape, drive, and cloud storage solutions including AWS and Wasabi.
Customizable Alerts: Keeps stakeholders informed with adjustable notifications.
Exchange and SQL Support: Provides dedicated support for critical applications.
Ransomware Protection: Incorporates ransomware checks to enhance security.
User-Friendly: Features an easy-to-navigate interface simplifying backup management.

What benefits should users expect in reviews?

Easy Recovery: Ensures straightforward data restoration processes.
Comprehensive Support: Knowledgebase resources aid in troubleshooting and feature evolution.
Reliable Updates: Regular updates promise continuous improvement.
Flexible Cloud Integration: Options for AWS and Wasabi cater to diverse requirements.
Stability During Power Outages: Maintains data integrity when power issues occur.

In industries, BackupAssist is implemented extensively for server backups, particularly in managing Hyper-V hosts to iSCSI devices, covering vast data volumes and supporting numerous virtual machines. It plays a crucial role in backing up essentials like Exchange, databases, payroll systems, and active directory across multiple sectors by providing on-premise and offsite data retention solutions.

Sample Customers

IBM, Waste Industries, Nasdaq, Verizon, Sharp, Rosetta Stone, Dakine, JBS Australia, Texas Wesleyan University, Cintra, People's Choice Credit Union, Lotto NZ, Electric Insurance, Tyler Technologies, Intility, Corporate One Federal Credit Union, Bryant University, pc/nametag, Isagenix, Sungard Availability Services, Databank, Electrocraft, Lifescript, Westfleisch, Interstate National Corporation, RestorePoint, Net3, Access Community Health Network, Newmarket International, Rezolve Group Inc., Piri Reis University, MC Assembly, Grass-Merkur, dbMotion, Christian Broadcasting Network, Bezeq, Abilene Christian University, CNW Group, Softcat, Migliori, City of South Portland, NaviSite, News-Press & Gazette, Comtec, Equity Insurance, Admirals Bank, Assistra, Dassault, Henry Davis York Lawyers, SAI Global, Audax Group, DSM, Triad Retail Media, Euronet Worldwide, Palm Beach County School District, iGate, Emerald Queen Casino

Monash University, NASA, NYU, Pfizer, RAF Association, Rockwell Colins, University of Arizona, US Department of State, Volvo

Actifio vs. BackupAssist