BackupAssist vs Microsoft DPM comparison

BackupAssist and Microsoft are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. BackupAssist is ranked #59, while Microsoft is ranked #41 with an average rating of 7.8. BackupAssist holds a 0.8% mindshare in BRS, compared to Microsoft’s 0.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of BackupAssist users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 73% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

BackupAssist

Read 5 BackupAssist reviews

2,344 Views
2,274 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft DPM

Read 21 Microsoft DPM reviews

3,921 Views
3,529 Comparison Views

73% willing to recommend

BackupAssist

Microsoft DPM

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Microsoft DPM and BackupAssist are competing products in the data backup and recovery sector. Microsoft DPM holds the upper hand in enterprise-level integration, while BackupAssist shines with its flexibility and affordability for SMB environments.

Features: Microsoft DPM provides seamless backup and recovery for SQL Server, Exchange, and SharePoint, continuous data protection, and scalability. BackupAssist offers remote archiving, comprehensive backup solutions including file and system backups, and supports a broad range of environments.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft DPM could improve its user-friendliness and reduce complexity in deployment for smaller businesses. It may also enhance support for non-Windows environments. BackupAssist might benefit from enhanced enterprise-level capabilities and stronger integration with cloud-based services. It also lacks some advanced features found in enterprise-focused solutions.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft DPM's deployment is complex, requiring skilled professionals, though it benefits from extensive support resources. BackupAssist is easier to deploy with intuitive design and user-friendly installation, and its customer service is personalized and accessible for businesses of all sizes.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft DPM is more costly, focusing on long-term value through advanced features for large enterprises. BackupAssist is budget-friendly, with lower upfront costs and scalable features appealing to businesses with tighter budgets. Microsoft DPM appeals to large organizations, while BackupAssist provides value for smaller companies through affordable services.

To learn more, read our detailed BackupAssist vs. Microsoft DPM Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

BackupAssist vs. Microsoft DPM

August 2026

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Helped 908,858 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

BackupAssist

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

59th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

MSP Backup (12th)

Microsoft DPM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

41st

Average Rating

7.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of BackupAssist is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft DPM is 0.9%, down from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft DPM	0.9%
BackupAssist	0.8%
Other	98.3%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

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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Andrei Kolmogortsev

IT Administrator at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

Efficiently manages backups with long-standing reliability and ease of integration

We use Microsoft DPM for backup servers. ManageEngine is used to manage workstations and servers, and Operation Manager is used for monitoring The two-layer backup system is a particularly valuable feature in Microsoft DPM. The short layer and long layer backups are features I appreciate.…

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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

"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 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."

"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."

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

"I would definitely recommend this solution to others."

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

"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."

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

More BackupAssist pros

"One of the most effective features of Microsoft DPM is its integration with the entire Microsoft ecosystem."

"Data Protection Manager provides data protection to your business system which covers every challenge posed by VMs migration."

"Microsoft DPM's is easy to set up."

"The most valuable feature is the total integration of the System Center solution."

"I like the core backup feature. I also like the file server backup feature. I find Microsoft DPM interesting because it has fantastic integration with Microsoft products. For example, in Exchange and SharePoint, DPM is excellent when it comes to backing up data. It also does a decent job with open-source products."

"The most important feature is that it's easy to use."

"The most valuable feature is that DPM has an index so individual files can be searched."

"It is almost perfect for Microsoft products. It is not a very powerful tool, but it is okay for small sites and small businesses with Microsoft products. It is easy to use for backup and restore. It is good for backing up Microsoft servers such as Exchange and SharePoint servers."

More Microsoft DPM pros

Cons

"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."

"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."

"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."

"The user friendliness could be improved."

"There is a very poor online user community in terms of people blogging about their experiences with DPM."

"Optimization of fabric administrator cause management problem to arise in backup administrator as it leads to the backup software failure in a manner that cannot be foreseen or anticipated finding backup administrators unawares."

"Recent minor upgrade required a reboot of all of my protected 2008 servers. This I considered unacceptable as I had to reschedule an outage window to reboot 100+ servers."

"It can back up, yet it lacks features compared to Veeam."

"It needs portability for other vendors. It is good for backing up Microsoft servers, but it doesn't support third-party solutions such as Oracle Database. It depends on Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy, especially for Hyper-V, which has a lot of problems. They should enhance the Volume Shadow Copy functionality. Its reporting should also be better. Reporting is too weak in DPM."

"Setting up the solution can be complex."

"They could improve the compatibility and integration with other products and the ability to do file-to file backups of other products."

More Microsoft DPM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"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."

"I think Microsoft DPM pricing is reasonable. The additional costs are related to storage and technical support."

"Microsoft DPM is a free solution. However, we pay approximately $3,000 annually for support."

"Microsoft DPM can be considered as an expensive solution for smaller or medium enterprises, but we have been satisfied with the price structure as it is fixed and it offers a variety of useful features"

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

27%

Comms Service Provider

14%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Outsourcing Company

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft DPM?

The pricing of Microsoft solutions rates in the middle range at five out of ten.

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What needs improvement with Microsoft DPM?

Microsoft DPM could improve by adding S3 backup to S3 storage capabilities. AI integration is not necessary for backups as this is not a security solution.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft DPM?

We use Microsoft DPM for backup servers. ManageEngine is used to manage workstations and servers, and Operation Manager is used for monitoring.

See all answers

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BDRShield vs BackupAssist

Compared 6% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs BackupAssist

Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

Catalogic DPX vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 3% of the time

Veritas Backup Exec vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

BackupAssist

August 2026

Download BackupAssist product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft DPM

July 2026

Download Microsoft DPM product report

Also Known As

No data available

DPM, Data Protection Manager, MS DPM

Overview

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.

BackupAssist

Microsoft DPM is a comprehensive backup and recovery software that integrates seamlessly with Microsoft applications, providing efficient recovery capabilities and ensuring compatibility across workloads.

Microsoft's Data Protection Manager offers significant integration capabilities with Microsoft applications and Azure Active Directory for Single Sign-On, enhancing scalability through integration with System Center. It supports streamlined backup solutions for both physical and virtual Microsoft environments, with automated operations and a user-friendly interface. While DPM showcases robust file search capabilities, time-saving functionalities, and enhanced security measures, improvements are needed in third-party integrations, backup for external devices, and affordable cloud storage options. Enterprises might face challenges due to complex configurations and limited user-community support.

What are the key features of Microsoft DPM?

Seamless integration with Microsoft Apps: Provides straightforward integration for enhanced operational efficiency.
Efficient Recovery Capabilities: Enables quick data restoration to minimize downtime.
Azure Active Directory Integration: Facilitates Single Sign-On for easier access control.
Compatibility with System Center: Enhances scalability and management efficiency.
Automated Operations: Streamlines backup processes, reducing manual effort.

What benefits should users seek in reviews?

Enhanced Security: Strong file search capabilities contribute to data protection.
Time-Saving: Quick recovery processes improve operational efficiency.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies backup management for IT teams.

In industries such as consulting, local government, and data centers, Microsoft DPM plays a critical role in managing backup and recovery operations. Organizations rely on it to safeguard environments, including ERP systems and virtual machines, by supporting daily, weekly, and incremental backups, disaster recovery, and data replication across physical Windows Servers, Hyper-V Servers, SharePoint, and more.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

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

Medical Park, Centropol Energy, a.s., NCFE, D & H Distributing, Metalor, Colosseum, a.s., Sanitas S.A., Icebreaker

Buyer's Guide

BackupAssist vs. Microsoft DPM

August 2026

Free Report: BackupAssist vs. Microsoft DPM

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