Quick Overview
- 1#1: Acronis Cyber Protect - Delivers integrated backup, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and endpoint management tailored for SMBs.
- 2#2: Veeam Backup & Replication - Provides reliable backup and recovery for virtual, physical, cloud, and SaaS environments with instant recovery.
- 3#3: NAKIVO Backup & Replication - Offers fast, agentless backup and replication for VMware, Hyper-V, cloud, and physical servers optimized for SMBs.
- 4#4: MSP360 Managed Backup - Enables secure cloud and local backup with white-label support for MSPs serving SMB clients.
- 5#5: Hornetsecurity Altaro VM Backup - Simplifies VM backup and recovery for Hyper-V and VMware environments with offsite copies and ransomware protection.
- 6#6: Macrium Reflect - Creates reliable disk images and clones for Windows servers and workstations with incremental forever backups.
- 7#7: AOMEI Cyber Backup - Provides cost-effective backup and disaster recovery for Windows servers, VMs, and databases.
- 8#8: IDrive Business - Offers unlimited device cloud backup with server support, continuous data protection, and compliance features for SMBs.
- 9#9: Carbonite Safe - Automatically backs up files, servers, and cloud workloads with automatic ransomware detection and recovery.
- 10#10: CrashPlan - Delivers unlimited, secure cloud backup for laptops, desktops, and servers with version history for SMB teams.
Tools were rigorously evaluated based on features like backup speed, recovery capabilities, ease of management, and alignment with SMB needs, prioritizing both technical excellence and practical value for diverse workflows.
Comparison Table
This comparison table examines leading SMB backup software, featuring tools like Acronis Cyber Protect, Veeam Backup & Replication, NAKIVO Backup & Replication, MSP360 Managed Backup, Hornetsecurity Altaro VM Backup, and more. It equips readers to assess capabilities, usability, and efficiency to select the optimal solution for their business requirements.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acronis Cyber Protect Delivers integrated backup, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and endpoint management tailored for SMBs. | enterprise | 9.6/10 | 9.8/10 | 9.2/10 | 9.4/10 |
| 2 | Veeam Backup & Replication Provides reliable backup and recovery for virtual, physical, cloud, and SaaS environments with instant recovery. | enterprise | 9.2/10 | 9.8/10 | 8.7/10 | 8.5/10 |
| 3 | NAKIVO Backup & Replication Offers fast, agentless backup and replication for VMware, Hyper-V, cloud, and physical servers optimized for SMBs. | enterprise | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.3/10 |
| 4 | MSP360 Managed Backup Enables secure cloud and local backup with white-label support for MSPs serving SMB clients. | enterprise | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.1/10 | 8.5/10 |
| 5 | Hornetsecurity Altaro VM Backup Simplifies VM backup and recovery for Hyper-V and VMware environments with offsite copies and ransomware protection. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 8.5/10 | 9.0/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 6 | Macrium Reflect Creates reliable disk images and clones for Windows servers and workstations with incremental forever backups. | enterprise | 7.8/10 | 7.5/10 | 8.2/10 | 8.5/10 |
| 7 | AOMEI Cyber Backup Provides cost-effective backup and disaster recovery for Windows servers, VMs, and databases. | enterprise | 7.8/10 | 8.2/10 | 7.5/10 | 8.5/10 |
| 8 | IDrive Business Offers unlimited device cloud backup with server support, continuous data protection, and compliance features for SMBs. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.0/10 | 9.0/10 |
| 9 | Carbonite Safe Automatically backs up files, servers, and cloud workloads with automatic ransomware detection and recovery. | enterprise | 7.6/10 | 7.2/10 | 8.8/10 | 7.0/10 |
| 10 | CrashPlan Delivers unlimited, secure cloud backup for laptops, desktops, and servers with version history for SMB teams. | enterprise | 7.6/10 | 7.5/10 | 8.2/10 | 7.8/10 |
Delivers integrated backup, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and endpoint management tailored for SMBs.
Provides reliable backup and recovery for virtual, physical, cloud, and SaaS environments with instant recovery.
Offers fast, agentless backup and replication for VMware, Hyper-V, cloud, and physical servers optimized for SMBs.
Enables secure cloud and local backup with white-label support for MSPs serving SMB clients.
Simplifies VM backup and recovery for Hyper-V and VMware environments with offsite copies and ransomware protection.
Creates reliable disk images and clones for Windows servers and workstations with incremental forever backups.
Provides cost-effective backup and disaster recovery for Windows servers, VMs, and databases.
Offers unlimited device cloud backup with server support, continuous data protection, and compliance features for SMBs.
Automatically backs up files, servers, and cloud workloads with automatic ransomware detection and recovery.
Delivers unlimited, secure cloud backup for laptops, desktops, and servers with version history for SMB teams.
Acronis Cyber Protect
enterpriseDelivers integrated backup, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and endpoint management tailored for SMBs.
Integrated AI-driven cybersecurity and ransomware protection seamlessly combined with backup capabilities
Acronis Cyber Protect is a comprehensive cyber protection platform tailored for SMBs, integrating reliable backup and disaster recovery with advanced cybersecurity features like anti-ransomware and endpoint protection. It supports full image backups, bare-metal recovery, and continuous data protection across Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile devices to local, NAS, or cloud storage. The solution's centralized cloud console enables easy management of multiple endpoints, ensuring quick recovery and threat mitigation for business continuity.
Pros
- All-in-one backup, recovery, and cybersecurity in a single agent
- AI-powered anti-ransomware and malware protection with blockchain notarization
- Fast incremental backups and scalable cloud management for SMBs
Cons
- Higher cost for full cyber protection features
- Steeper learning curve for advanced configurations
- Resource-intensive on lower-end hardware during scans
Best For
SMBs needing integrated data backup with robust cybersecurity and centralized management.
Pricing
Starts at $59/year per device for backup; Cyber Protect plans from $99/year per device (billed annually, with volume discounts).
Veeam Backup & Replication
enterpriseProvides reliable backup and recovery for virtual, physical, cloud, and SaaS environments with instant recovery.
Instant VM Recovery, allowing VMs to boot directly from backups in minutes
Veeam Backup & Replication is a comprehensive data protection platform that delivers backup, replication, and disaster recovery for virtual, physical, cloud, and SaaS environments. It excels in VMware and Hyper-V virtualization with features like instant VM recovery and automated verification via SureBackup. For SMBs, it provides scalable protection with minimal downtime, supporting Windows, Linux, NAS, and more.
Pros
- Enterprise-grade features like instant VM recovery and SureBackup verification
- Broad support for VMs, physical servers, cloud (AWS, Azure), and NAS
- Free Community Edition for up to 10 workloads
Cons
- Licensing can be complex and costly for larger SMB deployments
- Steeper learning curve for advanced configurations
- Higher resource requirements on backup servers
Best For
SMBs with virtualized infrastructures needing robust, reliable backups and fast recovery.
Pricing
Free Community Edition for ≤10 instances; subscription/perpetual licenses start at ~$250/year per VM or $400/socket.
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
enterpriseOffers fast, agentless backup and replication for VMware, Hyper-V, cloud, and physical servers optimized for SMBs.
Backup from Storage Snapshots for ultra-fast, application-consistent backups directly from array snapshots
NAKIVO Backup & Replication is a robust backup and replication solution tailored for SMBs, providing agentless protection for VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, physical servers, and cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. It excels in fast incremental backups, site recovery orchestration, and data recovery with features like instant VM recovery and ransomware-resilient immutable backups. The platform also supports SaaS app backups and multi-tenancy for MSPs, making it versatile for hybrid IT setups.
Pros
- Agentless backups for VMs reducing overhead and complexity
- Forever-Forward Incremental technology for lightning-fast backups and recovery
- Built-in ransomware protection with air-gapped and immutable repositories
Cons
- Pricing can be steep for very small SMBs with few workloads
- Advanced features like DR orchestration require additional licensing
- Limited endpoint backup capabilities compared to dedicated physical server tools
Best For
SMBs and MSPs with virtualized environments seeking efficient, scalable backup and disaster recovery without agents.
Pricing
Subscription starts at $199 per VM/workload per year; perpetual licenses from $449 per VM with annual maintenance.
MSP360 Managed Backup
enterpriseEnables secure cloud and local backup with white-label support for MSPs serving SMB clients.
Universal cloud storage compatibility without vendor lock-in
MSP360 Managed Backup is a robust backup and disaster recovery solution tailored for MSPs serving SMB clients, offering automated backups for servers, workstations, VMs, and cloud workloads to local, NAS, or any S3-compatible storage. It provides disk imaging, file-level backups, application-aware processing, and advanced features like ransomware detection and immutable backups. The multi-tenant console enables centralized management of multiple clients with granular reporting and RMM integrations.
Pros
- Storage-agnostic support for AWS, Azure, Backblaze, and any S3-compatible cloud
- Multi-tenant MSP console for efficient client management
- Strong security with encryption, MFA, and ransomware protection
Cons
- Initial setup requires technical expertise
- Pricing scales with devices and features, potentially costly for solo SMBs
- Reporting dashboard could be more intuitive
Best For
MSPs handling backups for multiple SMB clients needing scalable, vendor-neutral protection.
Pricing
Starts at $1.99/device/month (Nano plan) up to $4.99/device/month (Enterprise), billed annually with volume discounts.
Hornetsecurity Altaro VM Backup
enterpriseSimplifies VM backup and recovery for Hyper-V and VMware environments with offsite copies and ransomware protection.
WAN-optimized offsite copies for efficient replication to remote or cloud locations
Hornetsecurity Altaro VM Backup is a dedicated virtual machine backup solution optimized for SMBs, supporting both Hyper-V and VMware vSphere environments with agentless backups. It provides features like deduplication, compression, incremental backups, offsite replication, and integration with Hornetsecurity's cloud storage options. Ideal for protecting virtual workloads, it includes ransomware detection and quick recovery options like live mounting of backups.
Pros
- Agentless backups reduce resource overhead on VMs
- Strong deduplication and compression for efficient storage
- Intuitive single-pane console with fast setup
Cons
- Primarily focused on VMs, limited physical server support
- Per-VM licensing can become costly at scale
- Fewer advanced enterprise features compared to top competitors
Best For
SMBs with Hyper-V or VMware virtual environments seeking straightforward, reliable VM backup without complex configurations.
Pricing
Subscription-based starting at ~$349 per VM/year for Standard edition; Premium adds replication and cloud for higher tiers.
Macrium Reflect
enterpriseCreates reliable disk images and clones for Windows servers and workstations with incremental forever backups.
ViBoot technology for instantly booting backups as virtual machines
Macrium Reflect is a robust disk imaging and backup solution that creates full, incremental, and differential backups of Windows systems, enabling bare-metal restores and disk cloning. It excels in creating bootable rescue media for disaster recovery and supports scheduling, compression, and encryption for SMB environments. While primarily focused on Windows servers and workstations, it offers a free edition alongside paid versions with advanced features like single-file restores and offsite replication.
Pros
- Reliable disk imaging and cloning with fast backup speeds
- Free edition includes core backup and recovery features
- Strong bare-metal restore capabilities with bootable media
Cons
- Limited to Windows environments, no native Linux or Mac support
- User interface feels dated compared to modern competitors
- Advanced SMB features like deduplication require higher-tier licenses
Best For
SMB IT admins focused on cost-effective backups for Windows servers and workstations.
Pricing
Free edition available; Workstation $69.95 perpetual; Server editions start at $389 one-time per server.
AOMEI Cyber Backup
enterpriseProvides cost-effective backup and disaster recovery for Windows servers, VMs, and databases.
Immutable backups with ransomware auto-detection and one-click rollback
AOMEI Cyber Backup is a centralized backup management solution designed for SMBs, supporting backups of Windows PCs, servers, Hyper-V/VMware VMs, NAS devices, databases, and file shares. It emphasizes cybersecurity with features like immutable backups, ransomware detection and rollback, and air-gapped protection to safeguard against cyber threats. The software offers flexible scheduling, real-time sync, and universal restore for quick recovery, making it suitable for businesses needing reliable data protection without enterprise-level complexity.
Pros
- Affordable pricing with strong value for SMB-scale deployments
- Robust cybersecurity features including immutable backups and ransomware protection
- Broad compatibility across Windows servers, VMs, NAS, and databases
Cons
- Limited support for non-Windows environments like Linux
- Web console interface can feel clunky for advanced configurations
- Customer support lacks 24/7 phone options for free/basic tiers
Best For
SMBs seeking cost-effective, cybersecurity-focused backup for hybrid Windows environments with moderate scale.
Pricing
Free edition for basic use; paid plans start at $299/year for 10 nodes (Standard), up to $999/year for unlimited (Enterprise), with per-node licensing available.
IDrive Business
enterpriseOffers unlimited device cloud backup with server support, continuous data protection, and compliance features for SMBs.
Unlimited endpoint backups per licensed user with pooled storage allocation
IDrive Business is a cloud-based backup solution designed for small and medium-sized businesses, offering automated backups for endpoints, servers, NAS devices, databases, and SaaS apps like Microsoft 365. It provides continuous data protection, file versioning up to 250 versions, ransomware detection, and centralized admin controls for multi-user management. The service emphasizes scalability and compliance features like HIPAA and SOC 2 support, making it suitable for distributed teams needing reliable offsite backups.
Pros
- Highly affordable per-user pricing with pooled storage
- Broad platform support including servers, NAS, Linux, and Microsoft 365
- Strong security with ransomware protection and granular recovery options
Cons
- Restore speeds can be slower than competitors during large data recovery
- Customer support response times vary and may require escalation
- No native on-premises backup appliance option
Best For
SMBs with distributed endpoints and servers seeking cost-effective, scalable cloud backup without complex setup.
Pricing
Starts at $12.50/user/year (billed annually) for Team plan with 10TB pooled storage; scales to $87.50/user/year for Advanced with 50TB and more features.
Carbonite Safe
enterpriseAutomatically backs up files, servers, and cloud workloads with automatic ransomware detection and recovery.
Ransomware Rollback with automatic detection and point-in-time recovery
Carbonite Safe is a cloud-based backup solution tailored for small and medium-sized businesses, offering automatic, continuous backups for endpoints, servers, and Microsoft 365 data. It emphasizes ransomware protection with detection and rollback capabilities, HIPAA compliance, and straightforward recovery options. While reliable for basic needs, it lacks advanced features like image-based backups found in enterprise tools.
Pros
- Simple, automated backups with minimal setup required
- Strong ransomware detection and one-click recovery
- Unlimited cloud storage on select plans for cost predictability
Cons
- Higher pricing scales poorly for businesses with many devices
- Slower full restore times compared to local or hybrid solutions
- Limited support for physical servers and certain Linux distributions
Best For
Small businesses with limited IT staff seeking hassle-free cloud backup for workstations and basic servers.
Pricing
Starts at $6/device/month (billed annually) for Core plan; higher tiers up to $20+/device/month for servers and advanced features.
CrashPlan
enterpriseDelivers unlimited, secure cloud backup for laptops, desktops, and servers with version history for SMB teams.
Unlimited cloud backup storage per licensed device
CrashPlan is a cloud-based backup solution tailored for small businesses, providing unlimited automated backups for endpoints like desktops, laptops, and servers across Windows, Mac, and Linux. It emphasizes continuous data protection with file versioning up to seven years, private encryption keys managed by the user, and straightforward restoration via web or desktop app. While reliable for file-level backups, it lacks imaging or bare-metal restore capabilities common in more comprehensive SMB solutions.
Pros
- Unlimited cloud storage per device
- Strong security with user-controlled private keys
- Cross-platform support and easy multi-device management
Cons
- Slower upload speeds for large datasets
- No disk imaging or bare-metal recovery
- Per-device pricing scales quickly for larger teams
Best For
Small businesses with distributed remote workers needing simple, unlimited file backups without storage caps.
Pricing
Starts at $10 per device/month (billed annually), with unlimited storage; minimum one device.
Conclusion
The top 10 backup tools reviewed offer robust solutions for SMBs, each designed to address unique needs, yet Acronis Cyber Protect stands out as the top choice, integrating backup, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and endpoint management seamlessly. Veeam Backup & Replication and NAKIVO Backup & Replication emerge as strong alternatives, with Veeam excelling in multi-environment support and NAKIVO offering fast, agentless capabilities. Together, these tools highlight the diversity of options for small to medium businesses seeking reliable protection.
Secure your business data today—start with Acronis Cyber Protect to unlock comprehensive protection, or explore Veeam or NAKIVO to find the perfect fit for your specific operations, and safeguard what matters most.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison
Referenced in the comparison table and product reviews above.
