Azure Backup vs BackupAssist comparison

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Azure Backup

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

BackupAssist and Azure Backup are two prominent solutions in the data backup market. Azure Backup is perceived to have the upper hand due to its richer feature set and seamless integration with Microsoft services, despite higher costs.

Features: BackupAssist's local backup and disaster recovery capabilities receive positive feedback. It is easy to deploy and manage, especially in small to medium-sized environments. Azure Backup is praised for seamless integration with other Microsoft services and environments. Its extensive cloud backup features make it highly versatile. Azure Backup can scale well for larger enterprises.

Room for Improvement: BackupAssist has limitations in cloud backup features and lacks advanced functionalities. Users suggest enhancements in these areas. Azure Backup needs better offline backup options and improved technical support. Enhancing offline options and support responsiveness would benefit Azure Backup.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: BackupAssist is easy to deploy and manage, receiving positive customer service feedback. Azure Backup, while scalable, is more complex to deploy and has mixed reviews regarding customer service responsiveness. BackupAssist's simpler deployment is favored, while Azure's scalability is valued.

Pricing and ROI: BackupAssist is noted for lower setup costs and faster ROI for smaller businesses. Azure Backup, though more expensive initially, offers better long-term value for larger enterprises due to its comprehensive features. BackupAssist has pricing advantages for cost-sensitive users, whereas Azure Backup is seen as a worthy investment for larger-scale operations.

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

Azure Backup vs. BackupAssist

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Helped 902,894 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

Azure Backup

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

19th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

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 Azure Backup is 1.2%, down from 3.1% 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 (%)
Azure Backup	1.2%
BackupAssist	0.8%
Other	98.0%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

Sanjay Sahu

Project Manager at Capgemini

Has supported secure data storage with incremental backups and centralized monitoring

Azure Backup supports all the features that we need, so additional features are not an immediate need for me. The documentation for Azure Backup seems okay for me; it is good overall, but it should be more descriptive for each item. It should elaborate more on how backup and restore are fulfilled in different scenarios. One of the reviews indicates that Azure Backup needs improvements for specific backup options beyond just full VM snapshots. I believe it should be improved actually. Regarding specific backup options, I say there should be improvements compared to how they provided them in older days.

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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

"Azure Backup is good because it is entirely cloud-based, which means that you can be 99.9% sure that your backup is safe."

"With a couple of buttons, we can configure a VM for a backup and use the wall service, the storage wall service, pretty seamlessly."

"We use the normal features for Azure Backup, specifically to make backups of the VMs."

"It is easy to schedule backups."

"It is a stable solution...It is a highly scalable solution."

"Azure Backup is easy to manage from a single dashboard."

"Azure Backup has increased the productivity of our connection, and on top of that, it has helped to reduce the operating cost of our organization."

"The scalability has been good."

More Azure Backup pros

"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."

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

"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."

"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."

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

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

"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."

"I find BackupAssist very convenient to work on and I really like its user interface."

More BackupAssist pros

Cons

"In terms of tech support, I'm disappointed with support."

"Ransomware protection is missing in Azure Backup."

"We faced some issues synchronizing the information in Azure when the storage was changed."

"I would like to see more automation, integration, and security. The price could be better."

"It would be beneficial to receive alert messages if something isn't configured correctly, for instance, if service principal names are missing, a message could prompt you to set them up."

"The product must improve on a database level."

"Technical support can be slow to respond at times."

"In Avamar, the file-based restores are very quick and fast, whereas, in Azure Backup, VM restore is super easy, but if I have to do a file or a folder restore, I have to mount the entire VM image. I have to wait for some time for it to be mounted, and then I have to go inside and then check the file and copy it somewhere. It's a bit of a manual process, whereas in Avamar, you can directly select a file and folder, and it'll recover with whatever permissions you want."

More Azure Backup cons

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is pretty good, maybe $30 for a machine, I can't complain."

"The price should be cheaper, but it's affordable if you use the yearly subscription."

"Azure Backup is a moderately priced solution."

"It is a very cheap cloud solution."

"Licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis."

"We are paying about $100,000 USD per year, just for a couple of servers."

"Customers prefer Azure Backup because it has a pay-as-you-go model, and they won't have to pay an upfront amount at the initial level."

"There is a cost per terabyte for using this solution."

More Azure Backup pricing and cost advice

"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."

"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."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Construction Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software 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	26
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	24

No data available

Questions from the Community

How does Azure Backup differ from Veeam Backup & Replication?

Veeam has a version for Azure but there are organizations, like ours, that are considering moving to an Azure environment and wonder if Azure Backup is better than Veeam Backup and Replication (Vee...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Backup?

The pricing of Azure Backup is fine; it is a low-cost solution.

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What needs improvement with Azure Backup?

Azure Backup can be improved by providing an option and a utility so we can restore quickly instead of any manual intervention. Restoration times require manual backup and manual interventions, and...

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Product Reports

Azure Backup

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Overview

Azure Backup provides efficient data protection with features like fast recovery and encryption. It integrates seamlessly with Azure services, offering scalable, secure storage solutions. Users benefit from straightforward configurations and flexible retention, although improvements in hybrid integration are needed.

Azure Backup stands out with its comprehensive data protection capabilities, including features such as incremental backups and geo-replication. It ensures consistent security and performance through its scalability and redundancy. Users find the platform cost-effective and appreciate its seamless integration with Azure services. While Azure Backup excels in many areas, such as ease of use and robust monitoring, challenges persist in hybrid environment integration and application-level backups.

What key features does Azure Backup offer?

Ease of use: Features straightforward configuration and incremental backups.
Fast recovery: Supports rapid data restoration with geo-replication.
Advanced protection: Provides encryption and flexible retention options for data security.
Seamless integration: Works well with Azure services for a unified experience.
User-friendly management: Offers robust monitoring and reporting tools.

What advantages should users expect from Azure Backup?

Cost-effectiveness: Provides affordable data protection solutions.
Scalability: Ensures consistent performance with cloud scalability.
Security: Enhances data security with advanced encryption features.
Efficiency: Simplifies backup processes with efficient scheduling.

Azure Backup is widely used in sectors requiring robust data protection, such as financial services, healthcare, and government. It is ideal for organizations looking to back up virtual machines, manage disaster recovery, or support cloud migrations. Its adaptability allows businesses to safeguard SAP workloads and SQL databases efficiently.

Microsoft

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

Russell Reynolds Associates, Somerset County Council, Kardem, PCL Construction

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

Azure Backup vs. BackupAssist