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Software · head to head

Arcserve UDP vs CrashPlan

Arcserve UDP logo

Arcserve UDP

Software

Unified data protection for all workloads

From
$25/month
Rated
-
CrashPlan logo

CrashPlan

Software

Endpoint backup designed for work-from-anywhere

From
$8/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Arcserve UDP multiple security vulnerabilities documented in 2025-2026 including authentication bypass and buffer overflow issues; CrashPlan initial data uploads can be noticeably slow, often taking several full days for complete system backups
  • They diverge on capability: Arcserve UDP covers Assured recovery testing, CrashPlan covers Automatic backup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arcserve UDP and CrashPlan actually diverge.

Attributes where Arcserve UDP and CrashPlan differ
AttributeArcserve UDPCrashPlan
Starting price$25/month$8/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWindows, LinuxWindows, macOS, Cloud (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace)
Founded19832001

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

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 Arcserve UDP

  • Assured recovery testing
  • Instant VM recovery
  • Deep application support
  • Ransomware protection
  • Tape backup
  • Hardware snapshots
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Only in CrashPlan

  • Automatic backup
  • Continuous protection
  • Legal hold
  • Centralized administration
  • Unlimited storage
  • AES 256-bit encryption
  • Active Directory
  • LDAP

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Linux support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Arcserve UDP

  • Data protection
  • Disaster recovery
  • Business continuity
  • Ransomware protection
  • Compliance

CrashPlan

  • Data protection
  • Disaster recovery
  • Business continuity
  • Ransomware protection
  • Compliance

Both are used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection, compliance, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Arcserve UDP

  • Multiple security vulnerabilities documented in 2025-2026 including authentication bypass and buffer overflow issues
  • Slow restore speeds for large backup tasks and recovery operations
  • Requires full backup when changing drive sizes, causing extended backup windows

CrashPlan

  • Initial data uploads can be noticeably slow, often taking several full days for complete system backups
  • Occasional slow restore speeds for very large files impact recovery time objectives
  • Full system recovery requires requesting hard drive delivery instead of bare-metal restore capability
  • Difficulties reported with backing up or restoring data from external hard drives
  • Pricing is higher than some competitors like Backblaze when compared per user/month
  • Limited SIEM integration and governance reporting for enterprise environments

Pricing, plan by plan

Arcserve UDP

$25/month
  • UDP Premium$25/month
    • Assured recovery
    • Instant VM
    • Tape support

CrashPlan

$8/month
  • Professional (Monthly)$8/month
    • Unlimited backup capacity
    • Unlimited file versions
    • 90-day deleted file retention
  • Professional (Annual)$88/year
    • All Monthly features
    • $0.88 savings per month vs monthly billing
  • Professional (2-Year)$158/2 years
    • All features
    • Lower per-month cost vs annual

Which should you pick?

Choose Arcserve UDP if

  • You need assured recovery testing.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want instant vm recovery.

Choose CrashPlan if

  • You need automatic backup.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Cloud (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace).
  • You also want continuous protection.

Questions people ask

Is Arcserve UDP or CrashPlan better?
Neither clearly leads. Arcserve UDP starts at $25/month and CrashPlan at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arcserve UDP or CrashPlan?
Arcserve UDP starts at $25/month and CrashPlan at $8/month.
Does Arcserve UDP or CrashPlan run on more platforms?
Arcserve UDP runs on Windows, Linux. CrashPlan runs on Windows, macOS, Cloud (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace).
What is Arcserve UDP best used for?
Arcserve UDP is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection.
What can Arcserve UDP do that CrashPlan cannot?
Arcserve UDP covers Assured recovery testing, Instant VM recovery, Deep application support, Ransomware protection. CrashPlan covers Automatic backup, Continuous protection, Legal hold, Centralized administration. Both handle Windows support, Linux support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arcserve UDP: What licensing model does Arcserve UDP use?

Arcserve UDP uses a capacity-based subscription model (Managed Capacity Program) where you license based on total front-end terabytes of protected data rather than per-device. Available in Standard, Advanced, and Premium editions.

Source
CrashPlan: What is CrashPlan's pricing for business backup?

CrashPlan Professional Edition costs $8 per user/month (billed monthly), $7.33 per user/month when billed annually ($88/year), or $158 per user for a 2-year commitment. This includes unlimited backup capacity, unlimited file versions, and 90-day deleted file retention.

Source
Arcserve UDP: Does Arcserve UDP support cloud backup?

Yes. Arcserve UDP integrates with multiple cloud providers including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Wasabi for offsite backup and disaster recovery storage.

Source
CrashPlan: Does CrashPlan offer a free trial?

Yes, CrashPlan offers a 14-day free trial. Credit card information is required for signup, but there will be no charge if you cancel during the trial period. Your credit card will be automatically charged when the trial ends unless you cancel.

Source
Arcserve UDP: What hypervisors does Arcserve UDP support?

Arcserve UDP supports multiple hypervisors including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, and others, allowing granular recovery at the VM level with instant boot capabilities.

Source
CrashPlan: What platforms and services does CrashPlan protect?

CrashPlan protects Windows and Mac endpoints, Microsoft 365 services (Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams), and Google Workspace (Gmail, Google Drive). The platform provides backup for endpoints, servers, and cloud applications.

Source
CrashPlan: Does CrashPlan have a free version for consumers?

No, CrashPlan discontinued its consumer personal backup tier and now focuses exclusively on commercial businesses. The platform is strictly for business and organizational use.

Source
CrashPlan: What is CrashPlan's partnership status with Microsoft?

CrashPlan is a trusted Microsoft Partner and is co-sell eligible. The platform is available in the Microsoft Marketplace and counts toward customers' Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC). CrashPlan is built on Microsoft Azure infrastructure.

Source

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