Softwr

Backup · head to head

Altaro VM Backup vs StorageCraft ShadowProtect

Altaro VM Backup logo

Altaro VM Backup

Backup

Simple and powerful VM backup for SMBs

From
$595/perpetual
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
StorageCraft ShadowProtect logo

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

Backup

Fast and reliable image-based backup

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Altaro VM Backup limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers; StorageCraft ShadowProtect host-based backup requires Windows Server 2016 or above on the Hyper-V host, and desktop, client and Pro editions are not supported
  • They diverge on capability: Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup, StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Altaro VM Backup and StorageCraft ShadowProtect actually diverge.

Attributes where Altaro VM Backup and StorageCraft ShadowProtect differ
AttributeAltaro VM BackupStorageCraft ShadowProtect
Starting price$595/perpetual$15/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWindows ServerWindows, Linux, Web
Founded20092003

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Backup).

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 Altaro VM Backup

  • Augmented inline dedup
  • WAN-optimized replication
  • Boot from backup
  • Granular restore
  • Cloud management
  • Continuous CDP
  • Azure
  • AWS S3

Only in StorageCraft ShadowProtect

  • Image-based backup
  • VirtualBoot
  • Bare metal recovery
  • Hardware-independent restore
  • Incremental imaging
  • ShadowStream replication
  • Windows Server
  • Linux Server

Both cover

  • VMware
  • Hyper-V
  • Windows support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Altaro VM Backup

  • Data protectionnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • Disaster recoverynot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • Business continuitynot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • Ransomware protectionnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • Compliancenot StorageCraft ShadowProtect

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

  • Backup and disaster recovery (legacy)not Altaro VM Backup
  • System image backup and recoverynot Altaro VM Backup

Where each one falls short

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

Altaro VM Backup

  • Limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers
  • Perpetual license model outdated compared to modern cloud-based backup solutions
  • Lacks enterprise-grade features for large-scale deployments
  • Offsite backup to cloud requires additional setup and configuration

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

  • Host-based backup requires Windows Server 2016 or above on the Hyper-V host, and desktop, client and Pro editions are not supported
  • Host-based and agent-based backup are mutually exclusive installation modes in ShadowProtect 8.0; one machine cannot run both
  • Switching from agent-based to host-based requires a clean reinstall rather than an in-place upgrade
  • Host-based backups are not compatible with VirtualBoot
  • Granular file and folder recovery is not available for host-based backups; the whole backup must be restored to a .vhd or .vhdx first
  • Host-based backup jobs do not report status to ShadowControl
  • Advanced Verification in ImageManager 8.1 is not supported for host-based backups
  • All host-based backups go into a single folder by default, so separating them per VM means creating a separate backup job for each
  • Host-based licence keys are generated only through the Arcserve MSP portal

Pricing, plan by plan

Altaro VM Backup

$595/perpetual

No published plan breakdown. See the Altaro VM Backup review.

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

$15/month
  • ShadowProtect SPX$15/month
    • Image-based backup
    • VirtualBoot
    • Bare metal recovery

Which should you pick?

Choose Altaro VM Backup if

  • You need augmented inline dedup.
  • You work on Windows Server.
  • You also want wan-optimized replication.
Altaro VM Backup review

Choose StorageCraft ShadowProtect if

  • You need image-based backup.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want virtualboot.
StorageCraft ShadowProtect review

Questions people ask

Is Altaro VM Backup or StorageCraft ShadowProtect better?
Neither clearly leads. Altaro VM Backup starts at $595/perpetual and StorageCraft ShadowProtect at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Altaro VM Backup or StorageCraft ShadowProtect?
Altaro VM Backup starts at $595/perpetual and StorageCraft ShadowProtect at $15/month.
Does Altaro VM Backup or StorageCraft ShadowProtect run on more platforms?
Altaro VM Backup runs on Windows Server. StorageCraft ShadowProtect runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
What is Altaro VM Backup best used for?
Altaro VM Backup is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what StorageCraft ShadowProtect is typically brought in for.
What can Altaro VM Backup do that StorageCraft ShadowProtect cannot?
Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup, WAN-optimized replication, Boot from backup, Granular restore. StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup, VirtualBoot, Bare metal recovery, Hardware-independent restore. Both handle VMware, Hyper-V, Windows support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Altaro VM Backup: What is the price per host for Altaro VM Backup?

Altaro VM Backup pricing starts at $595 per host for the Standard Edition, with the Unlimited Edition at $695 per host and Unlimited Plus at $875 per host. Pricing includes the first year of priority support and updates.

Source
StorageCraft ShadowProtect: How much does StorageCraft ShadowProtect cost?

StorageCraft no longer maintains independent product pricing. The domain redirects to ArcServe, and ArcServe does not publish specific pricing on its homepage. Prospective customers must request a trial, demo, or contact sales.

Source
StorageCraft ShadowProtect: Where can I find StorageCraft pricing?

StorageCraft's website (storagecraft.com) now redirects to ArcServe.com. ArcServe does not publish pricing publicly. To obtain pricing information, users can start a trial, request a demo, or contact ArcServe's sales team.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Altaro VM Backup

More on StorageCraft ShadowProtect

Keep looking

Other head to heads