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Apple Time Machine vs AvePoint Cloud Backup

Apple Time Machine logo

Apple Time Machine

Backup

Built-in backup for every Mac

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
AvePoint Cloud Backup logo

AvePoint Cloud Backup

Backup

Microsoft 365, Dynamics and Salesforce backup from a long-standing Microsoft partner

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Apple Time Machine has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apple Time Machine apple states the Time Machine backup disk should be used only for Time Machine backups and not for storing other files, unless you split it into a separate APFS volume; AvePoint Cloud Backup no pricing is published, so the per-user cost has to be established through sales, and it varies with data volume rather than being a flat seat rate.
  • They diverge on capability: Apple Time Machine covers Automatic backup, AvePoint Cloud Backup covers Microsoft 365 backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apple Time Machine and AvePoint Cloud Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Apple Time Machine and AvePoint Cloud Backup differ
AttributeApple Time MachineAvePoint Cloud Backup
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacWeb
Founded1976Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Apple Time Machine

  • Automatic backup
  • Hourly snapshots
  • Visual restore interface
  • Network backup
  • Encryption
  • System restore
  • macOS
  • AirPort Time Capsule

Only in AvePoint Cloud Backup

  • Microsoft 365 backup
  • Granular restore
  • Entra ID backup
  • Salesforce and Dynamics backup
  • Bring your own storage
  • Multiple daily backups
  • Governance portfolio

What people use each for

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

Apple Time Machine

  • Automatic versioned local backups of a Mac to an external drivenot AvePoint Cloud Backup
  • Restoring a Mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup historynot AvePoint Cloud Backup

AvePoint Cloud Backup

  • A tenant consolidation after an acquisition where backup, migration and governance are needed against the same Microsoft 365 estatenot Apple Time Machine
  • An organisation that has discovered Microsoft 365 native retention does not restore a deleted SharePoint site after the recycle bin windownot Apple Time Machine
  • Backing up Entra ID configuration so an accidental conditional access or group change can be reversednot Apple Time Machine
  • A regulated organisation that must hold backup data in its own storage account under its own encryption keysnot Apple Time Machine

Where each one falls short

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

Apple Time Machine

  • Apple states the Time Machine backup disk should be used only for Time Machine backups and not for storing other files, unless you split it into a separate APFS volume
  • Apple recommends the Time Machine volume be twice the storage capacity of the Mac being backed up
  • It requires an attached external storage device or network disk; there is no built-in cloud destination
  • It backs up Macs only

AvePoint Cloud Backup

  • No pricing is published, so the per-user cost has to be established through sales, and it varies with data volume rather than being a flat seat rate.
  • Whether AvePoint or your organisation holds the storage account and encryption keys is a configuration decision that is expensive to reverse later, and buyers often accept the vendor-managed default without considering it.
  • Per-user pricing means organisations with many low-activity accounts, such as education institutions with dormant student mailboxes, pay for seats with almost no data.
  • Restore of very large SharePoint sites and Teams structures is slow and API-throttled by Microsoft rather than by the product, so recovery time objectives set on paper often cannot be met in practice.
  • The breadth of the AvePoint portfolio means sales conversations quickly widen into governance and migration products, and buyers who wanted only backup should expect to defend that scope.

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple Time Machine

Free
  • Built-inFree
    • Automatic backup
    • Visual restore
    • Network backup

AvePoint Cloud Backup

On request
  • AvePoint Cloud Backup$undefined/year
    • Priced per user, with variation by protected data volume
    • AvePoint-managed or bring your own storage
    • Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Dynamics, Salesforce and Google Workspace

Which should you pick?

Choose Apple Time Machine if

  • You need automatic backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want hourly snapshots.
Apple Time Machine review

Choose AvePoint Cloud Backup if

  • You need microsoft 365 backup.
  • You also want granular restore.
AvePoint Cloud Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Apple Time Machine or AvePoint Cloud Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple Time Machine starts at Free and AvePoint Cloud Backup at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple Time Machine or AvePoint Cloud Backup?
Apple Time Machine has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apple Time Machine and On request for AvePoint Cloud Backup.
Does Apple Time Machine or AvePoint Cloud Backup run on more platforms?
Apple Time Machine runs on Mac. AvePoint Cloud Backup runs on Web.
Can I use Apple Time Machine for free?
Yes. Apple Time Machine has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. AvePoint Cloud Backup starts at On request.
What is Apple Time Machine best used for?
Apple Time Machine is most often used for automatic versioned local backups of a mac to an external drive, restoring a mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup history. Of those, automatic versioned local backups of a mac to an external drive and restoring a mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup history are not what AvePoint Cloud Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Apple Time Machine do that AvePoint Cloud Backup cannot?
Apple Time Machine covers Automatic backup, Hourly snapshots, Visual restore interface, Network backup. AvePoint Cloud Backup covers Microsoft 365 backup, Granular restore, Entra ID backup, Salesforce and Dynamics backup.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apple Time Machine: Does Time Machine charge a subscription or licensing fee?

No. Time Machine is a built-in feature of macOS with no subscription or licensing costs.

Source
AvePoint Cloud Backup: Can we keep backups in our own storage?

Yes, bring your own Azure or Amazon S3 storage is supported. Decide this before rollout, because moving to it afterwards is a migration.

Apple Time Machine: What storage capacity do I need for Time Machine backups?

Apple recommends using a storage device with at least twice the storage capacity of your Mac. For example, if your Mac has 1TB of storage, your backup disk should ideally have at least 2TB.

Source
AvePoint Cloud Backup: Is Microsoft 365 native retention not enough?

No. Native retention covers deletion within limited windows and does not provide point-in-time restore of arbitrary items after those windows expire.

Apple Time Machine: How long does Time Machine keep my backups?

Time Machine automatically maintains hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for all previous months. The oldest backups are deleted when your backup disk is full.

Source
AvePoint Cloud Backup: How is it priced?

Per user, varying by protected data volume, quoted rather than published. Ask for the volume assumption behind the per-user figure.

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