We have implemented a secondary contingency plan for most clients, where the primary infrastructure is on-premise, and the containers are hosted in the cloud. Some clients are currently migrating their primary solutions to the cloud. In these cases, the servers run on Azure, and Azure Backup provides backup server services. Additionally, we have implemented Azure SQL and Azure Intune for these clients.
Owner at VM7 TECHFABER
An easy-to-use solution with seamless operational capabilities
Pros and Cons
- "The daily backups have become easier since we no longer need to handle large backups. The use of Azure Backup as a service has proven reliable and simplified our daily operations. Previously, we relied on LTO backups for data retention, but after migrating to the cloud and adopting Azure Backup, the delivery process has become smoother."
- "I believe more options could be available to understand better what's happening in the system. Additionally, automating the client updates and connector updates would be beneficial. Updating the connector from time to time can be challenging, and it could be made more transparent and straightforward for users. Moreover, another drawback lies in the time it takes to test full data backup recovery. Deploying a full recovery takes longer. We need to allocate a longer period for complete data recovery to establish the environment again."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The daily backups have become easier since we no longer need to handle large backups. The use of Azure Backup as a service has proven reliable and simplified our daily operations. Previously, we relied on LTO backups for data retention, but after migrating to the cloud and adopting Azure Backup, the delivery process has become smoother.
What is most valuable?
The simplicity of the whole operation is the most valuable feature of the solution.
What needs improvement?
I believe more options could be available to understand better what's happening in the system. Additionally, automating the client updates and connector updates would be beneficial. Updating the connector from time to time can be challenging, and it could be made more transparent and straightforward for users. Moreover, another drawback lies in the time it takes to test full data backup recovery. Deploying a full recovery takes longer. We need to allocate a longer period for complete data recovery to establish the environment again.
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For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the past four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of the solution as a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In a fully cloud-based solution, scalability is good, and I rate it a ten out of ten. On the other hand, for an on-premise setup, there may be challenges related to recovery and the potential impact on the Internet link's bandwidth. Therefore, I rate it an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I believe Microsoft could improve its backup support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of the solution does not depend on the service itself but rather on the minimum data volume encountered. This pricing approach seems reasonable and is on par with other competitors in the market. It is a good solution for on-premise needs because it is more cost-effective. When evaluating the overall financial expenditure, including operational costs and the impact on the IT team, Azure Backup is a favorable choice.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend it; however, I want to emphasize the importance of thoroughly checking if the cloud backup solution aligns with the required time frame for recovery. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Technical Manager at Synnex
Simple to scale, integrates well, but limited on-premises services
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Azure Backup is its ease of use and good integration with other Azure services."
- "The Azure Backup support for on-premises service is limited."
What is our primary use case?
We use Azure Backup to backup VMs.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Azure Backup is its ease of use and good integration with other Azure services.
What needs improvement?
The Azure Backup support for on-premises service is limited.
The file-level restore procedure should be more straightforward.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Azure Backup for approximately three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Azure Backup is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Azure Backup can scale and it is easy to do.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Azure Backup is straightforward. It took 15 minutes to do the deployment.
I rate the initial setup of Azure Backup a four out of five.
What about the implementation team?
I did the implementation of the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Azure Backup a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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Azure Backup
April 2025

Learn what your peers think about Azure Backup. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
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Azure Architect at KPMG ITC
Reasonably priced, simple to install, and the technical support is helpful
Pros and Cons
- "It's useful, it works, and it's fairly reliable."
- "The length of time it takes to restore is our main source of frustration. It would be beneficial to shorten the time it takes."
What is our primary use case?
We use Azure Backup to backup and restore virtual machines as well as SQL Databases.
What needs improvement?
The only issue we have right now is the amount of time it takes to restore. When we attempt to restore a virtual machine, it can take hours. This is an area that could be improved.
The length of time it takes to restore is our main source of frustration. It would be beneficial to shorten the time it takes.
We had issues with shared storage in the past where it couldn't be included in the backup. Shared storage, or shared disc, wasn't available. I believe Microsoft promised to put it in their pipeline for improvement in order to add this, but I haven't double-checked. This was the issue with shared managed discs, and not being included in this backup scope.
If the shared managed disc could be included with the backup, it would be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Azure Backup for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Azure Backup is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Azure Backup is a scalable solution.
We work with it all of the time.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is very helpful. I would rate them a four out of five.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. It was something that was easy for us.
It was completed within a few minutes. It can depend on the environment, but usually, it is fast.
The number of staff required for maintenance depends on the automation. We require more staff now, but we are working on the automation. Generally, it is relatively low. For the most part, it works by itself.
What about the implementation team?
We operate in our own environment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis.
It's not an expensive solution. I am more than happy with the price.
What other advice do I have?
We are working in our own environment, assisting KPMG users and firm members. We also have internal companies.
I am an Azure Architect.
It's useful, it works, and it's fairly reliable. The only issue right now isn't a big one, but our users sometimes need faster recovery, faster restoring of services, and faster restoring of data.
I would rate Azure Backup a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Managing Director/CIO at Shield Technology Programs
Offers multiple layers of security with a user-friendly ability to add features
Pros and Cons
- "The hardware is always updated and it's saved us a lot of money."
- "Lacks an AI system that would enable easier upgrading of the hardware."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case of Azure Backup is for data on our application servers. We host our ERP systems with SQL for backend software.
We've been in partnership with Microsoft for more than 15 years. I'm the CEO and the CIO.
How has it helped my organization?
Before we started using Azure we spent a lot of money at our various sites, setting one up as the main physical site and a second for disaster recovery. We had to invest a lot of money to buy hardware that needed replacing every two or three years. Switching to Azure has saved us thousands. The hardware is always updated and we're now able to invest more in our staff which is highly beneficial because it translates to satisfied clients.
What is most valuable?
As a security setting, Azure is very detailed. We can add features on retentions and retain the backup for several days. The retention policies are very good. I like the notifications and multiple layers of security that the solution offers. It enables us and our clients to feel secure and you can install and connect your systems wherever you are.
What needs improvement?
We're hoping the price of the solution won't increase in the coming months when Azure is due to review all its products. I think that what the product lacks now is an AI system; if we had that, we'd be able to more easily upgrade the hardware system.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using this solution for about seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't had any stability issues. If the initial setup is done properly there won't be any issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good. We have around 12 users in the department. Some of them provide techno support and others do testing on the system to check its abilities because sometimes it has too much load.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support is very good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. Deployment time depends on the size of the data.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay over $8 million per year in licensing fees for 365 and Azure usage. There is no additional cost for hardware but we train our employees and that is an added cost for us.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We had a look at Amazon before going with Azure but we decided to go the whole way with Microsoft. These days, I'm not sure there's much difference between the two.
What other advice do I have?
It's important to know what you'll be getting from whoever provides you with the solution because it's important that support is included. This product has really helped me in scaling up my company. We love this solution and think everyone should have it.
As a provider and a user, I rate this solution 10 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Systems Operation Manager at Compupaul
Has helped our organization prevent data loss and has great integration features
Pros and Cons
- "The solution helped us use R2 RBO to back up frequently."
- "It can be further improved by continuously meeting its compliance requirements."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is for backups.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution helped us use R2 RBO to back up frequently and avoid losing data if we had system issues.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the integrations because we are using Azure Cloud, which backs it up with all the Azure components.
What needs improvement?
Azure Backup is constantly improving its features. However, it can be further improved by continuously meeting its compliance requirements.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Cloud specialist at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Cost-effective and efficient, but it needs support for application-level backup
Pros and Cons
- "The storage backup is very efficient."
- "The support for Office365 backup is atrocious and is something that has to be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We are a Microsoft partner and we implement solutions for our customers. We also provide managed services. We work with most of the services on Azure, and this is one of the solutions that we have provided.
Azure Backup is a public cloud service, and you can use it to backup on-premises or cloud services. The primary use case is backing up cloud services. However, if you are using it on-premises then the cloud part is much more convenient.
What is most valuable?
The storage backup is very efficient.
What needs improvement?
The solution needs to be fully supported by VMware. It works, but when you go to VMware they say that Azure Backup is not recommended, or is not a very good solution.
I would like to have an application-level backup, rather than interface-level only. Examples would be Exchange backup, SharePoint backup, and SQL backup.
The support for Office365 backup is atrocious and is something that has to be improved.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not faced any problems with the stability of this solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability has not been an issue.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support for this solution depends on the type of support that you have.
Their response time is within the SLA, which is good, but sometimes I have trouble communicating with the support staff. It is normally a case of the technical support person having an accent which is difficult for me to understand, which makes it inconvenient. I have trouble trying to explain the problem.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of this solution is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of this solution is good, and it is one of the easiest things that you can sell Azure with.
What other advice do I have?
This is a solution that I might recommend, depending on the customer's requirements. If they need application-level backup then I will not even consider it. However, if they need infrastructure backup for Azure, then, of course, it is a good option. Generally speaking, I recommend this solution.
Overall, the service is good for certain use cases, but it is short of functionality when you consider the competitors.
I would rate this solution a five out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner,
Chief Executive at a non-profit with 51-200 employees
Useful native backup capabilities, quick setup, but lacking immutability
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Azure Backup is the native backup capabilities."
- "Azure Backup could improve the backup data copies because they are not immutable."
What is our primary use case?
I use Azure Backup VM backups.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Azure Backup is the native backup capabilities.
What needs improvement?
Azure Backup could improve the backup data copies because they are not immutable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Azure Backup for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of Azure Backup a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have two engineers that are using the solution in my organization.
Azure Backup has a medium scalability level.
I rate the scalability of Azure Backup a seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I have not needed to use the support from the vendor.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Dell Avamar prior to Azure Backup. We switched to Azure Backup because we were having to pull data back down to an on-premise hardware infrastructure and Azure Backup meant we didn't have to pull the data down through our express route.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Azure Backup took a couple of hours to complete. It was quick and straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We completed the implementation of the solution in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a cost per terabyte for using this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Azure Backup a seven out of ten.
My rating was because the absence of immutability, a critical feature in our current backup system, is a limitation of its monitoring and reporting capabilities.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Cloud Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
It has a good user interface and is helpful in reducing the downtime
Pros and Cons
- "The feature that I have found the most valuable is that it is easy to create a backup by using Azure Backup. It also has a good user interface and nice features for sending notifications when any backup fails or there is a change in the status of virtual machines."
- "I once tried restoring a Linux environment, and the size of the Linux VM or the data disk was really huge. It took a really long time to restore the environment and send the data from the storage to the disk. It took around 25 to 30 minutes, which was much longer than I anticipated. They can improve the duration of such restore operations. In the next release, it would also be good if they could reduce the duration for transferring the data from their storage to the actual storage while creating a virtual machine. They can reduce the duration or increase the data transfer rate."
What is our primary use case?
I have created a virtual machine that I use as a testbed to validate the Azure backup and restore functionality.
How has it helped my organization?
It is mainly used for backups, which are a key part of any organization's structure. Azure Backup has definitely helped us to reduce the downtime. Whenever something goes wrong, we can fix and restart it within no time. 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.
What is most valuable?
The feature that I have found the most valuable is that it is easy to create a backup by using Azure Backup.
It also has a good user interface and nice features for sending notifications when any backup fails or there is a change in the status of virtual machines.
What needs improvement?
I once tried restoring a Linux environment, and the size of the Linux VM or the data disk was really huge. It took a really long time to restore the environment and send the data from the storage to the disk. It took around 25 to 30 minutes, which was much longer than I anticipated. They can improve the duration of such restore operations.
In the next release, it would also be good if they could reduce the duration for transferring the data from their storage to the actual storage while creating a virtual machine. They can reduce the duration or increase the data transfer rate.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Azure Backup for the last ten months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is really stable. There were no problems with its stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Its scalability is very good.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have interacted with their technical support. I have no complaints. They are neither so good nor so bad.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used an Oracle solution and worked extensively with Oracle Database. The way to take a backup and do everything else was different from Azure Backup.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy. To install it, you just choose an agent, and that agent is automatically deployed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is a bit costly initially, but it is well worth it in the long run, especially for fighting against a number of threats, such as ransomware, which the IT industry is facing.
What other advice do I have?
It is really a valuable product. Most of the organizations nowadays, especially in North America, prefer Microsoft products over the Linux environment. There are, however, some people who use the Linux environment as well.
Overall, I would rate Azure Backup an eight out of ten. It meets the day-to-day requirements of most of the IT people, and it can be automated.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner

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