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Microsoft 365 backup comparison

Compare the leading Microsoft 365 backup solutions side by side — what they protect, where data lives, how they price — then estimate your cost per user. Vendor-neutral, built by a UK IT partner.

IMMUTABLEYour M365 data → independent, immutable backup

What do you need?

Filter to the solutions that fit.

6 of 6 match
Estimated annual cost — 25 usersestimate · ex-VATVeeam£1,050£1,800AvePoint£450£750Acronis£600£1,050Commvault£900£1,500Dropsuite£450£900Druva£1,050£1,950
SolutionEst. /user/moMonthly (25)Annual (25)
Veeam£3.56£88 – £150£1,050 – £1,800
AvePoint£1.52.5£38 – £63£450 – £750
Acronis£23.5£50 – £88£600 – £1,050
Commvault£35£75 – £125£900 – £1,500
Dropsuite£1.53£38 – £75£450 – £900
Druva£3.56.5£88 – £163£1,050 – £1,950

⚠︎ Figures are indicative estimates (per user/month, ex-VAT) for sizing only — published list pricing is rare in this market and real pricing depends on term, edition, add-ons and volume.

FeatureVeeamAvePointAcronisCommvaultDropsuiteDruva
What it backs up
Exchange Online
SharePoint Online
OneDrive
Teams (sites & files)
Teams chat messages~ add-on~ add-on~ add-on~ add-on~ add-on
Entra ID (Azure AD)~ add-on
Beyond M365
  • Entra ID (separate Veeam product)
  • Self-managed option to any object storage
  • Entra ID
  • Dynamics 365
  • Power Platform / Dataverse
  • Salesforce
  • Google Workspace
  • Endpoints (laptops/desktops)
  • Servers & VMs
  • Microsoft 365 + Google Workspace
  • Anti-malware / EDR / patch in the same agent
  • Entra ID
  • Dynamics 365
  • The wider Commvault Cloud covers VMs, databases, file & endpoints
  • Google Workspace
  • Email archiving (separate, compliance-grade)
  • QuickBooks Online
  • Entra ID
  • Salesforce
  • Google Workspace
  • Endpoints (laptops/desktops)
  • VMware / NAS / data centre workloads
Storage & residency
Where backups liveVeeam-hosted cloud with unlimited storage included; region selectable (Flex) or auto-aligned to tenant (Express)AvePoint-managed, geo-distributed Microsoft Azure storage (BYO storage also supported)Acronis Cloud (50+ datacentres incl. UK/London), or provider-hosted / local storageCommvault-managed cloud (Azure), air-gapped & isolated from the source tenant; BYO storage supportedDropsuite-managed on Amazon Web Services (AWS), multiple regions incl. EU/UK100% SaaS on AWS, air-gapped and immutable by design; no customer-managed storage
Bring-your-own storage~ add-on
UK data residency
Security
Immutable / air-gapped~ add-on~ add-on
Ransomware postureImmutable backup storage; isolated from the production tenant.Immutable storage architecture; up to 4 backups per day.Integrated anti-malware/EDR plus optional immutable storage — security and backup in one agent.Air-gapped, zero-trust storage with built-in anomaly / threat detection (Threatwise).Isolated cloud copies on AWS; incremental, automated backups.Air-gapped, immutable by design with built-in anomaly detection and accelerated ransomware recovery.
Recovery
Max retentionUnlimited (on request)Unlimited / indefiniteConfigurable / long-termUnlimited / long-termUnlimitedLong-term / indefinite
Recovery options
  • Granular item-level restore
  • Point-in-time restore
  • Cross-user/cross-tenant restore
  • Export to PST/original
  • Granular item-level restore
  • One-click & Express Recovery
  • Cross-user restore
  • Out-of-place / export
  • Granular item-level restore
  • Point-in-time restore
  • Cross-user restore
  • Granular item-level restore
  • Point-in-time restore
  • Cross-user restore
  • Mass restore
  • Granular item-level restore
  • Self-service restore
  • Export
  • Archiving search / eDiscovery (with archiving add-on)
  • Granular item-level restore
  • Point-in-time restore
  • Cross-user restore
  • Mass / curated restore
Fit
How it’s deliveredFully managed SaaS (Veeam-hosted), or self-managed via Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365Fully managed SaaS; available on the UK Government G-Cloud frameworkDelivered through managed service providers (MSPs); Servnet can manage it for youManaged SaaS (formerly "Metallic", now part of Commvault Cloud)Delivered through MSPs/resellers (part of NinjaOne); Servnet can manage it100% SaaS (no infrastructure to run)
Best-fit sizeMid-market–EnterpriseSMB–Mid-marketSMBMid-market–EnterpriseSMBMid-market–Enterprise
Est. £/user/month£3.56 est£1.52.5 est£23.5 est£35 est£1.53 est£3.56.5 est

Want exact pricing & a recommendation?

Servnet sizes and supplies all of these — we’ll send itemised UK pricing for your seat count, no obligation.

Why you need a separate Microsoft 365 backup

Microsoft’s SLA covers the service, not your data. Accidental deletion, ransomware, malicious insiders, departed staff and retention gaps are all on you — which is exactly what an independent backup protects against.

The Microsoft 365 shared-responsibility modelMicrosoft protects the platformService uptime & SLAInfrastructure & hardwareDatacentre redundancyShort-term geo-replicationNot your data’s safety net.You are responsible for your dataAccidental deletionRansomware & malwareMalicious/insider deletionDeparted-employee dataLong-term retention & legal hold↑ third-party backup fills this gap

The solutions, in depth

Microsoft 365 backup — common questions

Do I really need a third-party Microsoft 365 backup?

For most organisations, yes. Microsoft operates a shared-responsibility model: it keeps the service running and resilient, but you are responsible for your data. Native features like the recycle bin and retention policies are short-term and can be turned off, purged or lost to ransomware, a malicious admin or a departed employee. A separate, independent backup is the only way to guarantee you can recover months later.

Doesn’t Microsoft back up my data already?

Microsoft protects the platform — uptime, infrastructure and short-term geo-replication — not your individual items against deletion or corruption. Microsoft’s own native "Microsoft 365 Backup" is a paid add-on focused on fast restore within a limited window, and most independent backup vendors here go further on retention, data residency, immutability and cross-cloud recovery.

What should I compare between M365 backup solutions?

The things that matter most: which workloads are covered (watch for Teams chat messages and Entra ID, which are often extra), where backups are stored and whether you get UK/EU data residency, whether copies are immutable/air-gapped against ransomware, retention length, recovery granularity, how it is delivered (direct SaaS vs through an MSP) and price. The matrix above lines all of these up.

How much does Microsoft 365 backup cost in the UK?

As a rough guide, expect roughly £1.50–£6.50 per user per month depending on the vendor, edition, retention and term — the estimator above turns that into monthly and annual figures for your seat count. These are indicative estimates for sizing; published list pricing is rare, so Servnet confirms exact pricing for your tenant.

Will my backup data stay in the UK?

It depends on the vendor and the region you choose. Several solutions here offer UK or UK/EU data residency (the matrix shows which), which matters for GDPR and many public-sector and regulated buyers. We can confirm the exact storage region for any option before you commit.

Can Servnet supply and manage these for us?

Yes. Servnet is a UK IT partner (since 2001) and can supply, set up and manage any of these solutions — and recommend the best fit for your workloads, compliance needs and budget. Use the cost estimator, then request pricing and we’ll take it from there.