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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Alibaba Cloud vs Arq Backup

Alibaba Cloud logo

Alibaba Cloud

Cloud & Infrastructure

Asia's leading cloud computing provider

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Arq Backup logo

Arq Backup

File Storage & Backup

Mac and Windows backup to your own cloud storage

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Alibaba Cloud technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included; Arq Backup runs on Mac and Windows only
  • They diverge on capability: Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Arq Backup covers Client-side encryption.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alibaba Cloud and Arq Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Alibaba Cloud and Arq Backup differ
AttributeAlibaba CloudArq Backup
Starting priceFree$50/year
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Api, CliWindows, Mac
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureFile Storage & Backup

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2009).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Alibaba Cloud

  • Elastic Compute Service
  • Object Storage Service
  • RDS Database
  • MaxCompute
  • Function Compute
  • CDN
  • Load Balancer
  • API Gateway

Only in Arq Backup

  • Client-side encryption
  • Hourly backups
  • Network backup
  • Deduplication
  • Immutable backups
  • Budget controls
  • AWS S3
  • Google Cloud

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Alibaba Cloud

  • Cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in China and Asia Pacificnot Arq Backup
  • Pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitmentnot Arq Backup
  • Committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloadsnot Arq Backup
  • CDN and data transfer packages for content deliverynot Arq Backup

Arq Backup

  • Data protectionnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Disaster recoverynot Alibaba Cloud
  • Business continuitynot Alibaba Cloud
  • Ransomware protectionnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Compliancenot Alibaba Cloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Alibaba Cloud

  • Technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
  • Service prices are not shown as a rate card and route through a calculator or sales
  • Committed discounts require savings plans, reserved instances or capacity packages rather than being automatic

Arq Backup

  • Runs on Mac and Windows only
  • Arq 7 is licensed per computer, and continuing to receive updates after the first year costs $25 per year per computer
  • Arq Premium covers up to 5 computers, so larger households or teams need more than one subscription
  • Arq Premium includes 1TB of storage and charges $0.0059 per GB per month beyond it

Pricing, plan by plan

Alibaba Cloud

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Free tier credits
    • ECS instances
    • Cloud storage
  • Pay-as-You-GoFree
    • Flexible billing
    • No commitments
    • Global reach

Arq Backup

$50/year
  • Arq Premium$50/year
    • 5 computers
    • Arq Cloud storage option
    • Email support

Which should you pick?

Choose Alibaba Cloud if

  • You need elastic compute service.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want object storage service.
Alibaba Cloud review

Choose Arq Backup if

  • You need client-side encryption.
  • You work on Windows, Mac.
  • You also want hourly backups.
Arq Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Alibaba Cloud or Arq Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Alibaba Cloud starts at Free and Arq Backup at $50/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alibaba Cloud or Arq Backup?
Alibaba Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Alibaba Cloud and $50/year for Arq Backup.
Does Alibaba Cloud or Arq Backup run on more platforms?
Alibaba Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Arq Backup runs on Windows, Mac.
Can I use Alibaba Cloud for free?
Yes. Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arq Backup starts at $50/year.
What is Alibaba Cloud best used for?
Alibaba Cloud is most often used for cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in china and asia pacific, pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitment, committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloads, cdn and data transfer packages for content delivery. Of those, cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in china and asia pacific and pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitment are not what Arq Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Alibaba Cloud do that Arq Backup cannot?
Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Object Storage Service, RDS Database, MaxCompute. Arq Backup covers Client-side encryption, Hourly backups, Network backup, Deduplication. Both handle Windows support.
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