Azure Backup vs Cohesity DataProtect comparison

Microsoft and Cohesity are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Microsoft is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.0, while Cohesity is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.3. Microsoft holds a 3.6% mindshare in BRS, compared to Cohesity’s 3.8% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Cohesity users who would recommend it.

Azure Backup

Read 56 Azure Backup reviews

8,878 Views
7,197 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Cohesity DataProtect

Read 71 Cohesity DataProtect reviews

10,430 Views
6,604 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Azure Backup

Cohesity DataProtect

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

Cohesity DataProtect and Azure Backup provide cloud-based data protection solutions. Azure Backup is favored for its comprehensive features, making it worth the additional cost users are willing to pay.

Features: Users highlight Cohesity DataProtect's integration capabilities and unified management. They also note its excellent support and pricing. Azure Backup users appreciate its scalability, seamless integration with Azure services, and comprehensive data protection features. While both products have strong features, Azure Backup's tight integration with the Azure ecosystem gives it an edge.

Room for Improvement: Users suggest Cohesity DataProtect could improve by enhancing its reporting and analytics, expanding third-party integrations, and improving backup processes. For Azure Backup, users desire better support for non-Azure environments, faster restore times, and more intuitive user interfaces. Cohesity's improvements focus on operational enhancements, while Azure Backup needs better compatibility and user experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cohesity DataProtect is often praised for its straightforward deployment and responsive customer service. Azure Backup deployment benefits from native integration with Azure, though users mention a steeper learning curve and occasional support delays. Cohesity's easier deployment and strong customer service contrast with Azure's initial complexity and broader resources.

Pricing and ROI: Cohesity DataProtect is noted for its cost-effectiveness and fast ROI. Azure Backup, while seen as more expensive, provides significant value in the long run due to robust features and integration. Users acknowledge the higher upfront cost of Azure Backup but consider the investment justified by its extensive capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Azure Backup vs. Cohesity DataProtect Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Azure Backup vs. Cohesity DataProtect

January 2025

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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

Azure Backup

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

7th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cohesity DataProtect

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

9th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Backup (7th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Azure Backup is 3.6%, down from 5.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cohesity DataProtect is 3.8%, down from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

Terry Tull

Cloud Architecht at Capgemini

Straightforward to set up and manage and allows us to monitor all backups in one place

I would rate the easiness of the initial setup as an eight out of ten. Setting up Azure Backup was pretty straightforward, especially if you follow the steps in the right order. It might seem a bit complex at first, but with experience, subsequent setups become easier. Planning is key to optimizing its effectiveness. Deploying Azure Backup typically takes around half an hour to an hour to set up one VM, involving creating a recovery services vault, defining a backup policy, and configuring storage options. For a more comprehensive setup including proper recovery planning, it might take a few hours. The key steps involve creating a resource group, and a recovery services vault, selecting a storage type, and defining backup policies. I deployed the solution myself.

Read full review

Giovanni Golinelli.

Hybrid IT Architect at Quanture Spa

Easy to use, offers good scalability and responsive support

The deployment depends on the environment. Deploying on VMs is relatively simple. But for most of our customers, we implement physical clusters with at least three configured hosts using the existing model. So, it depends on the setup. Implementing DataProtect itself wasn't particularly challenging. One key requirement for successful DataProtect deployment is proper network configuration. If the network setup isn't right, you won't achieve optimal performance. We have developed a service for some of our customers where they implement an appliance or physical cluster of Cohesity at the customer site. Then, we use cloud clustering to replicate, and even in production, a second copy of the protected data. And in some cases, we have developed some disaster recovery procedures using Cohesity.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"With a couple of buttons, we can configure a VM for a backup and use the wall service, the storage wall service, pretty seamlessly."

"It's very simple to configure which is very useful. It's not complex to configure it."

"The most valuable feature is the ease in which it backs up our data."

"I like that it's a stable solution and their support is good. I think Microsoft's commercial force is superior."

"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."

"The MARS agent makes it easy to use."

"Azure Backup is good because it is entirely cloud-based, which means that you can be 99.9% sure that your backup is safe."

"The most valuable feature of Azure Backup is the file recovery and file vault."

More Azure Backup pros

"The tool is faster and easier to use than others. The most critical feature for our data protection needs is the accuracy of backups and restores."

"Instant recovery options are a big benefit for urgent restores, as we don't need to wait for hours or days for a restore to complete before being able to access the files."

"The recovery process is effective, especially when it comes to other types of data, such as VMs, and overall, the performance is commendable."

"Setup was extremely easy from racking to backing up was about one hour."

"One of the most valuable features is the restore functionality that they offer."

"We are very satisfied with the product as a whole—all the backup functions, the data protection functions. We are very satisfied with those, and the product is very simple to use."

"I like that Cohesity offers the chance to have data on-premises and on the cloud. All the data is automatically sent to the cloud."

"We are saving valuable datacenter rack space, which is critical as we evaluate co-location options."

More Cohesity DataProtect pros

Cons

"I would like to see better integration with more products, and more services."

"Azure lacks sufficient solutions for a particular scenario, we may need to resort to using third-party applications. In such cases, these applications can be employed to facilitate backup, replication, and the efficient utilization of internet connectivity and bandwidth. They enable us to effectively manage and transfer data while ensuring optimal utilization of network resources. However, it would be a benefit if we did not have to use third-party applications for these operations."

"For companies frequently accessing data or not using Microsoft Azure, the solution may not be very helpful."

"I can’t use the solution to restore another native cloud solution. Azure must add this new feature."

"It would be beneficial to receive alert messages if something isn't configured correctly, for instance, if service principal names are missing, a message could prompt you to set them up."

"In the next release, I would like to see the ability to back up to different cloud providers."

"The Azure Backup support for on-premises service is limited."

"The solution should involve more redundancy types in the backup storage and support open-source OS."

More Azure Backup cons

"I would like to see the management of multiple nodes inside a tenant. If you want to manage a Cohesity environment, you either go on a per-node base, and you can hop from one node to the other, or you need to implement their SaaS capability but it always needs an internet connection. We would really like to have some kind of local management entity so that we can see all the Cohesity nodes in a customer environment and manage those nodes centrally. That's something that we would really like, and they are really working on it."

"This solution is only compatible with a limited number of storage arrays, including Pure and Cisco Hyperflex."

"Cohesity DataProtect needs to improve its reporting capabilities."

"Reporting is quite limited and not customizable."

"The support team could do a better job. Sometimes finding the correct person is cumbersome and time consuming."

"There is room for improvement in terms of price."

"There is limited support for legacy systems, which is something that could be improved."

"You need to put the full name instead of a few letters while searching for backup. It should also improve customization."

More Cohesity DataProtect cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis."

"The product is neither too expensive nor too cheap."

"There is a cost per terabyte for using this solution."

"The price should be cheaper, but it's affordable if you use the yearly subscription."

"We are paying about $100,000 USD per year, just for a couple of servers."

"Comparing the pricing with other technologies, Azure Backup is more affordable for customers. It follows a pay-as-you-go model, where we pay according to our consumption."

"The product is not expensive."

"The product's pricing is a three or four out of ten, where one is inexpensive, and ten is costly."

More Azure Backup pricing and cost advice

"Licensing is per node and per protected terabyte. You will also pay 10-15% annually for support."

"Cohesity came in at the best price."

"It has reasonable pricing, and we know they can give discounts. If you look at the primary pricing or the list pricing, it conforms to the market pricing, but you have to have a discount on it. Otherwise, it is way too expensive."

"I expect the system to probably pay off within the first two years."

"The solution's pricing is in the mid-range, where it's neither costly nor cheap."

"Ensure that you understand the per TB licensing model. Also, Exchange backups are not native to Cohesity and require Kroll."

"The tool's pricing is average."

"My advice is to always negotiate for better pricing."

More Cohesity DataProtect pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Educational Organization

42%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

How does Azure Backup differ from Veeam Backup & Replication?

Veeam has a version for Azure but there are organizations, like ours, that are considering moving to an Azure environment and wonder if Azure Backup is better than Veeam Backup and Replication (Vee...

See all answers

What do you like most about Azure Backup?

Azure Backup is easy to configure and restore.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Backup?

Azure Backup is expensive relative to the value we get from it. I do not have specific details about the licensing cost as it falls under another department.

See all answers

What do you like most about Cohesity DataProtect?

Several features enable us to perform fast recovery, such as instant fast recovery. All our virtual machines protected with the product can be quickly restored to another healthy environment with m...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cohesity DataProtect?

Typically on-premises nodes/clusters are deployed for primary backup (to enable instant mass restore) so price will be dependent on chosen OEM and capacity required. MSPs like us utilise PPU licens...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cohesity DataProtect?

Cohesity DataProtect needs to improve its reporting capabilities.

See all answers

Comparisons

Veeam Data Platform vs Azure Backup

Compared 26% of the time

Rubrik vs Azure Backup

Compared 18% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Azure Backup

Compared 13% of the time

Acronis Cyber Protect vs Azure Backup

Compared 9% of the time

N-able Cove Data Protection vs Azure Backup

Compared 3% of the time

More Azure Backup Competitors

Rubrik vs Cohesity DataProtect

Compared 27% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs Cohesity DataProtect

Compared 14% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Cohesity DataProtect

Compared 11% of the time

Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) vs Cohesity DataProtect

Compared 6% of the time

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs Cohesity DataProtect

Compared 3% of the time

More Cohesity DataProtect Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Backup

January 2025

Download Azure Backup product report

Buyer's Guide

Cohesity DataProtect

January 2025

Download Cohesity DataProtect product report

Also Known As

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Cohesity

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Microsoft

Cohesity

Overview

Azure Backup is a scalable backup solution with zero capital investment and minimal operational expenses that can help a company achieve maximal data protection. Azure Backup’s System Center Data Protection Manager provides optional integrations that can enable you to protect both advanced workloads running in your datacenter in VMs as well as those that are on physical servers.

Azure Backup has many features that make it a most effective product. Included among these is its ability to easily scale up your storage capacity. It taps into the cloud to give you the ability to expand on a massive scale. This can be done without any monitoring or maintenance overhead.

Benefits of Azure Backup

Some of the benefits of using Azure Backup include:

The ability to control and track the performance of your network from a single centralized location. Azure Backup has a “single pane of glass” interface that enables users to monitor, operate, govern, and analyze their backups from one place. This eliminates any need to add additional management infrastructure. You can manage different workload types, subscriptions, vaults, and regions with Azure’s Backup Center.
A wide array of security features allows you to prevent malicious users from doing damage to the system, receive alerts if an unauthorized action takes place, and recover from any damage that results. Azure Backup has authentication requirements built in to protect vital functions, such as the ability to delete backed up data from unauthorized users. If something that impacts the backed up data takes place, users are immediately notified. Azure Backup saves any and all deleted backup data for two weeks. This enables administrators to use recovery points to recover their lost data.

Reviews from Real Users

There are a number of characteristics that make Azure Backup extremely effective. Two of these are the flexibility that it offers users and its overall effectiveness.

PeerSpot user Ayman Y., an IT manager at NOMAC, notes all of the different backup options that Azure Backup offers. He writes, “It has many features. First of all, you can schedule a backup for the client as you like. You can do a backup from the whole virtual machine as an image. You can do a backup only from files and folders. It has every option. All options are available for the backup, for the restore, for the bandwidth utilization to do backups, even virtual machines or a physical machine. If you need to do a backup of the whole image from the virtual machine, all these options are there.”

PeerSpot user Muzammil M., a senior operations engineer at the AlGosaibi Group, notes the effectiveness of Azure Backup when he writes, “Azure Backup is good because it is entirelycloud-based, which means that you can be 99.9% sure that your backup is safe. This is the reason that I suggest its use for companies that need to back up critical data.”

What is Cohesity DataProtect?

Cohesity DataProtect is a top-level, sophisticated, software-defined backup and recovery solution created for cloud environments. Cohesity DataProtect is made to hyperscale and is one the most thorough policy-based protection solutions available on the market today.

Cohesity DataProtect melds multiple-point products into a single software that is able to be deployed as on-premise or consumed as a service.

Top Features:

Hyperscale made easy: Cohesity DataProtect improves data protection by doing away with the need for backup silos and administers backup and recovery with a single user-friendly, easy-to-understand interface. Cohesity DataProtect provides extensive 24/7 enterprise-class protection for a large, varying set of sources, including virtual and physical servers, NAS and SaaS workloads, relational and distributed databases, and traditional and containerized applications.

Super fast recovery: Cohesity DataProtect offers near-zero recovery point objectives (RPOs) and near-instant recovery time objectives (RTOs) to satisfy your business service-level agreements (SLAs). Using Cohesity Helios’ unified data plane and control plane you can immediately search and recover data on any Cohesity cluster, located anywhere. DataProtect distinctively minimizes downtime by immediately mass restoring any amount of virtual machines (VMs) to any point in time, and lowers data protection costs by as much as 70% or more.

Backup as a Service: Feel free to take advantage of the elasticity of the public cloud and the cost-effective value of Cohesity DataProtect when delivered as a service. When you choose an OPEX option, you can eliminate the need for on-premises hardware. There is a SaaS option that will allow you to very simply configure your backup workloads and immediately begin protecting your vital all-important data and applications.

It’s as easy as: sign-up, connect, and protect!

Ransomware protection: Cohesity DataProtect offers stellar recovery at scale. The solution is so intuitive, it has machine learning-based anomaly detection to stop incidents before they happen. Cohesity DataProtection can provide immutable backups, Datalock write once, read many (WORM), encryption, and role-based access control (RBAC).

Cohesity DataProtect integrates well with many of today’s top solutions, including, but not limited to:

Hypervisors: VMware vSphere (5.5 and later), Microsoft Hyper-V (2019, 2016, 2012 R2), Nutanix AHV and RHeV

Kubernetes-based data and application state

Cloud: AWS EC2, Amazon RDS, Azure VM, and Google Compute

Physical: Windows, Linux(RHEL, CentOS, OEL, Debian, Ubuntu), AIX (7.x), and Solaris

Databases: Oracle (11g R2, 12c), Oracle RAC and SQL (2008 or later)

Distributed Databases (NoSQL and Hadoop): MongoDB, CouchbaseDB, Apache, Cassandra, Cloudera, and Hortonworks.

Bare Machine Recovery: Windows and Linux

Applications: MS Exchange (2010 SP3 or later), MSFT Active Directory, Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams, Groups), SalesForce (SFDC), and SAP HANA

Primary storage: Pure FlashArray, HPE Nimble, and Cisco Hyperflex

NAS: Pure FlashBlade, NetApp, Isilon, IBM GPFS, Google EFS, Elastifile, and generic solutions*

Reviews from Real Users

One reviewer, who is head of IT infrastructure at Kampmann says, “Cohesity really is a Next-Gen Data Management Software,” and goes on to indicate that Cohesity “works flawlessly with easy replication of backups and numerous supported backup sources.”

Another user, who is a senior network engineer at a legal firm, relates that "Cohesity is a robust and feature-rich solution"

Sample Customers

Russell Reynolds Associates, Somerset County Council, Kardem, PCL Construction

Tribune Media

Buyer's Guide

Azure Backup vs. Cohesity DataProtect

January 2025

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