IBM Storage Protect vs NetApp Cloud Backup comparison

IBM and NetApp are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. IBM is ranked #13 with an average rating of 7.3, while NetApp is ranked #30 with an average rating of 9.0. IBM holds a 2.1% mindshare in BRS, compared to NetApp’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of NetApp users who would recommend it.

IBM Storage Protect

Read 3 IBM Storage Protect reviews

4,461 Views
3,747 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

NetApp Cloud Backup

Read 4 NetApp Cloud Backup reviews

923 Views
600 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Storage Protect

NetApp Cloud Backup

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2025

NetApp Cloud Backup and IBM Storage Protect compete in data protection and management. IBM Storage Protect is superior due to its comprehensive features and value perception despite its cost.

Features: NetApp Cloud Backup offers seamless cloud integration, strong data recovery, and competitive pricing. IBM Storage Protect provides robust security features, extensive system compatibility, and advanced data protection capabilities, appealing to enterprises.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both offer straightforward deployment. NetApp Cloud Backup is intuitive, while IBM Storage Protect has a broad support network, extensive documentation, and responsive service suited for complex environments.

Pricing and ROI: NetApp Cloud Backup boasts competitive pricing and strong ROI for small to medium businesses. IBM Storage Protect may have a higher initial cost, but its comprehensive features offer significant long-term ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Storage Protect vs. NetApp Cloud Backup Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Storage Protect vs. NetApp Cloud Backup

September 2025

Download the complete report

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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

IBM Storage Protect

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

13th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NetApp Cloud Backup

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

30th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Deduplication Software (10th), Disk Based Backup Systems (4th), Cloud Backup (30th), Cloud Storage Gateways (5th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of IBM Storage Protect is 2.1%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetApp Cloud Backup is 0.5%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM Storage Protect	2.1%
NetApp Cloud Backup	0.5%
Other	97.4%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

Syed Habib

Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd

Manageable and comprehensive and integrates robust backup features for core banking

It's adequate for my core banking, however, I am looking for another solution for all systems. It is not compatible with other operating systems like Windows or Linux, and lacks a consolidated dashboard from Browser Spectrum. This is why I am searching for another solution. The product also lacks any centralized graphical user interface (GUI), such as Jarek Pod, and I am limited to using a console-based text user interface, which my local partner handles completely.

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Abbasi Poonawala

Chief Enterprise Architect at Alinma Bank

Simplifies our backups with an agentless backup manager, but needs better integration with in-house applications

One area that can be improved is around how we define the different KPIs. In particular, the business KPIs. I have my own in-house application for the business KPIs, so for example, with our policies around retention, which is a period of seven years, I have to read these parameters from other applications and I need them to integrate well. NetApp Cloud Backup Manager should help to get this integrated seamlessly with other applications, meaning that it will populate the data around the different parameters. These parameters could be things like the retention period, the backup schedule, or anything. It might be an ITSM ticket, where it's a workflow that is triggered somewhere, and the ITSM ticket has been created for a particular environment like my development environment, an INT environment, or a UAT environment. This kind of process needs to integrate well with my own application, and there are some challenges. For example, if it allows for consuming of RESTful APIs, that's how we will usually integrate, but there are certain challenges when it comes to integrating with our own application around KPIs, whether it's business KPIs or technical KPIs. What I want is to populate that data from my own applications. So we have have the headroom in the KPI, and we have the throughput, the volumes, the transactions per second, etc., which are all defined. And these are the global parameters. They affect all the lines of business. It's a central application that is consumed by most of the lines of business and it's all around the KPIs. Earlier, it used to be based on Quest Foglight, which is an application that was taken up and customized. It was made in-house as a core service, and used as a core building block. But our use of Quest Foglight has become a bit outdated. There is no more support available, and it's been there as a kind of legacy application for more than ten years now in the organization. And now it get down to the question: Is this an investment or will we need to divest ourselves of it? So there has to be an option to remediate it out. In that case, one possibility is to integrate the existing application and it gets completely decommissioned. Here it would help if there were some better ways of defining or handling the KPIs in the Cloud Manager, so that most of the parameters are not defined directly by me. Those will be the global parameters that are defined across all the lines of business. There are some integration challenges when it comes to this, and I've spoken to the support team who say they have the REST APIs, but the integration still isn't going as smooth as it could be. Most of the time, when things aren't working out, we need dedicated engineers to be put in for the entire integration. And then it becomes more of a challenge on top of everything. So if the Cloud Manager isn't being fed all the kinds of parameters from the backup strategy around the ITSM and incident tickets, or backup schedules, or anything related to the backup policies, then it takes a while. Ideally, I would want it to be read directly from our in-house applications. And this is more to do with our kind of product processes; that is, it's not our own choice to decide. The risk management team has mandated this as part of the compliance, that we have to strictly enforce the KPIs, the headroom, and the rest of the global parameters which are defined for the different lines of business. So if my retention period changes from seven years to, let's say, 10 years or 15 years, then those rules have to be strictly enforced. Ultimately, we would like better support for ITSM. The ITSM tools like ServiceNow or BMC Remedy are already adding multiple new features, so they have to be upgraded over a period of time, and that means NetApp has to provision for that and factor it in. Some of the AI-based capabilities are there now, and those things have to be incorporated somehow. One last thing is that NetApp could provide better flash storage. Since they're already on block storage and are doing well in that segment, it makes sense that they will have to step up when it comes to flash array storage and so on. I have been evaluating NetApp's flash array storage solutions versus some others like Toshiba's flash array and Fujitsu's storage array, which are quite cost-effective.

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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

"by backing up only the changed data, we average around 75TB per night. If we had to do full backups, even occasionally, we would not be able to complete the backup within 12 hours, or we would have to make a large investment to fit a full backup within the 12 hour window."

"The most valuable features of the product are data deduplication and disaster recovery."

"It scales well for the amount of clients that we use with it."

"The main thing is to keep the data safe and in files, keep it on tape ready for a request from a bank, and it is working perfectly with all our hardware."

"I have found that the most valuable feature is useful documentation and troubleshooting."

"The scalability of IBM Spectrum Protect is good."

"Nothing beats this solution for file backup."

"The customization and the ability to backup across all platforms are the most valuable features."

More IBM Storage Protect pros

"NetApp Cloud Backup performance is good and they have beneficial technology."

"Scalability is very good."

"One feature that works well for us is that the Cloud Manager is a completely agentless solution. There's a similar dashboard on both the versions for on-premises and the cloud, and with reference to the Cloud Manager, it's a little faster because there's nothing to be installed as such. Being agentless, it doesn't require any agent to be deployed on the targets where the backups are triggered."

"I rate the scalability a ten out of ten...It has a great impact on our business because we have the infrastructure deployed globally on four continents around the world."

Cons

"There could be various client systems and process integration included in the product."

"I would like to see a way to have "always on" implemented."

"The user interface (UI) for the admin is still not good. It is way too complicated to manage the product, as we still need to use command line. IBM launched the Operations Center (OC), but there are still functions lacking, especially since we cannot manage all our scheduled tasks by using the GUI."

"The administration interface should implement more functionalities that exist only in the command line and needs improvement in how some reports are created."

"One point for improvement for IBM Spectrum Protect is security, as IBM has not been investing as much as in the past."

"They need to reduce the complexity and make the learning curve easier."

"It should have the ability to break down the data that's being backed up. It should have better reporting."

"This solution does not have good support for virtualization and a hyper-converged environment."

More IBM Storage Protect cons

"NetApp Cloud Backup could improve by being easier to use. Veeam solution is easier to use."

"NetApp has a nasty way of dealing with the license for the product's on-premises virtual NetApp appliance that you need in your whole architecture, and it is not directly linked to NetApp Cloud Backup."

"One area that can be improved is around how we define the different KPIs. In particular, the business KPIs. I have my own in-house application for the business KPIs, so for example, with our policies around retention, which is a period of seven years, I have to read these parameters from other applications and I need them to integrate well."

"Integration and reporting could be improved."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"License-wise regarding IBM, it's licensed per terabyte. And that is after compression and deduplication."

"Licensing IBM Spectrum Protect can be somewhat confusing for new users due to the options available, such as licensing on a capacity or per server basis."

"Its licensing is complex, and its price is not really reasonable. It is on the expensive side. IBM, in general, is slightly expensive, but with IBM Spectrum for the virtual environment, they are looking into the aspect of helping customers with the cost and providing a cost-effective solution."

"The solution has a capacity based licensing, front and back-end license."

"We have capacity licensing. We use the front end. The capacity licensing is pretty okay on the licensing price. I used to use the old PVU-based licensing in the early environment, but now we use capacity-based licensing."

"It is very scalable, but the downside is that it costs money."

"That's no longer my department, but I have some past experience with licensing. It is not cheap. I would rate it a three out of five in terms of licensing. In terms of additional costs, there is management overhead. It is a complex solution and a lot of work goes into managing clients. It has gotten better over the years, but compared to its competitor, it is still heavy on management overhead."

"Some of the new advanced features are definitely more into cost savings, e.g., dedupe compression, so doing more with less."

More IBM Storage Protect pricing and cost advice

"Cost could be lower."

"Our usage depends on the number of licenses we have. On the cloud, it's a pay-to-use kind of model which suits our needs well. Once we have the Cloud Manager installed, the licensing process is okay, regardless of whether we're running backups in the cloud or on-premises. Sometimes, we have to restrict the number of users as per the contractual agreement and in this case we simply cut down on the licensing."

"NetApp Cloud Backup has a subscription-based model and it is paid annually."

"If one is not cost-effective and ten is a highly cost-effective product, I rate the tool as a three. The tool is not so cheap."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	53
Midsize Enterprise	25
Large Enterprise	94

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Storage Protect?

The best point about IBM Storage Protect is that it can use IBM tape environments, which we still use and will continue to use in the future.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Storage Protect?

IBM Storage Protect is generally an expensive tool. However, with good contracts with IBM or its partners, the cost might not be so high. New customers can expect very high prices.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Storage Protect?

One point for improvement for IBM Spectrum Protect is security, as IBM has not been investing as much as in the past. There is a need for additional layers of security to fill the gaps, which is wh...

See all answers

What's the 3-2-1 data protection that NetApp Cloud Backup offers?

Hi, the 3-2-1 data protection from this product is related to a backup strategy with the same name. I'm assuming you don't know about it so I'll tell you in a few words. In its essence, this backup...

See all answers

Is NetApp Cloud Backup secure for backup?

I've just started using NetApp Cloud Backup but my initial reason behind choosing it in the first place is that they advertise their high-security approach. So basically, they give you ransomware p...

See all answers

Is NetApp Cloud Backup expensive in your opinion?

It depends on how much exactly you count as expensive. For me, NetApp Cloud Backup isn't too expensive. I say that based on the services it provides and on the way it provides them. I think it's im...

See all answers

Comparisons

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vs IBM Storage Protect

Compared 14% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs IBM Storage Protect

Compared 12% of the time

Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) vs IBM Storage Protect

Compared 11% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs IBM Storage Protect

Compared 10% of the time

HPE StoreOnce vs IBM Storage Protect

Compared 8% of the time

More IBM Storage Protect Competitors

Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) vs NetApp Cloud Backup

Compared 14% of the time

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs NetApp Cloud Backup

Compared 14% of the time

NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP vs NetApp Cloud Backup

Compared 12% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs NetApp Cloud Backup

Compared 12% of the time

Druva inSync vs NetApp Cloud Backup

Compared 11% of the time

More NetApp Cloud Backup Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Storage Protect

October 2025

Download IBM Storage Protect product report

Buyer's Guide

Cloud Backup

September 2025

Download NetApp Cloud Backup product report

Also Known As

IBM Spectrum Discover

No data available

Overview

IBM Storage Protect offers data protection and management to secure critical business information efficiently. It's designed to be a scalable and flexible solution for data backup, recovery, and archive needs in complex IT environments.

IBM Storage Protect delivers comprehensive data protection by integrating backup, recovery, and archiving functionalities. It supports a range of workloads and infrastructures, from on-premises to cloud environments, facilitating efficient data management. Its platform provides seamless scalability to meet evolving business needs, underpinned by reliable security measures. Organizations leverage its capabilities to ensure business continuity and minimize data loss risks, making it vital in a data-driven world.

What are the key features of IBM Storage Protect?

Advanced Data Protection: Offers robust encryption and data integrity for secure backup processes.
Scalability: Grows with your data demands, supporting large data volumes without compromising performance.
Cloud Integration: Seamlessly integrates with cloud platforms, enhancing backup strategies with hybrid options.
Automated Operations: Simplifies management tasks with automation, reducing manual intervention and errors.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating IBM Storage Protect?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces storage costs by optimizing backup processes and data retention strategies.
Data Safety: Ensures data accessibility and integrity during recovery efforts, building trust in data protection strategies.
Operational Efficiency: Boosts productivity through streamlined and automated backup management workflows.
Compliance Readiness: Helps maintain compliance with data protection regulations by providing thorough reporting and audit trails.

Industries like finance and healthcare implement IBM Storage Protect to safeguard sensitive information against threats. In financial services, it's crucial for maintaining client data confidentiality, while healthcare institutions use it to protect patient records, ensuring both accessibility and compliance with regulations.

IBM

NetApp Cloud Backup is a fully integrated service for cloud backup and restoration. It was created to comply fully with NetApp's native data management software ONTAP, used for hybrid cloud experience. NetApp Cloud Backup is used to create backup and restoration for the protection and archiving of data, databases, and virtual machines related to the Cloud and On-Premises data in ONTAP. The way NetApp Cloud Backup works is by automatically creating block-level incremental backups. This ensures that the created backups are very fast and easy to restore. It is suitable for data protection regarding on-premises software as well as in the public cloud. NetApp Cloud Backup provides users with the ability to protect their cloud data at affordable prices and with a user-friendly interface so they don't need a lot of technical knowledge to be able to secure their cloud storage.

The copies created by NetApp Cloud Backup can be stored in the user's personal object storage in the cloud as well as on premises with StorageGRID - NetApp's storage platform. The backup copies can be restored to the original source or to a different source in Cloud Volumes ONTAP. NetApp Cloud Backup provides backups to AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

NetApp Cloud Backup Features

The features NetApp Cloud Backup provides include:

Data recovery: NetApp Cloud Backup provides restoration of individual files as well as full volume recovery, based on the user's needs. The data can be retrieved from a specific point in time, giving clients even more assurance that their cloud-stored data can and will be saved.
Indexed catalog: Another feature that NetApp Cloud Backup offers is a search catalog, providing multiple search criteria and the ability to locate a file across all backups.
Various archival tiers: This feature provides the ability for multi-cloud support, including top services like Google Cloud Storage Archive, Glacier Deep Archive, Amazon S3 Glacier, and Azure Archive Storage.
Encryption: End-to-end encryption allows users to feel more secure about their data.
Cloud technology features: Additional features regarding cloud technology include the options for movement from CAPEX to OPEX and mixing BYOL and PAYGO.

NetApp Cloud Backup Benefits

In addition to enhanced security and protection from malicious attacks, the advantages of using NetApp Cloud Backup include:

Aligns with the 3-2-1 backup strategy
Various levels of protection of data, including encryption and full customer control
Protection against ransomware, using different security methods
A wide variety of supported workloads, including databases, VMs, applications, NAS, and K8s

Reviews from Real Users

Abbasi P., a User at a financial services firm, likes that NetApp Cloud Backup is a completely agentless solution.

A Service Manager at a tech services company values its stability, scalability, and good technical support.

NetApp

Sample Customers

CEMEX

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

IBM Storage Protect vs. NetApp Cloud Backup

September 2025

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