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File Storage · head to head

Arq Backup vs Scality RING

Arq Backup logo

Arq Backup

File Storage

Mac and Windows backup to your own cloud storage

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Scality RING logo

Scality RING

File Storage

Petabyte-scale object storage software on your own hardware

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Arq Backup runs on Mac and Windows only; Scality RING hardware is bought separately, so the software quote understates total cost and the buyer carries the sizing risk if the drive and server specification is wrong.
  • They diverge on capability: Arq Backup covers Client-side encryption, Scality RING covers S3-compatible object storage.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arq Backup and Scality RING actually diverge.

Attributes where Arq Backup and Scality RING differ
AttributeArq BackupScality RING
Starting price$50/yearOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindows, MacLinux
Founded2009Unknown

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

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 Arq Backup

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

Only in Scality RING

  • S3-compatible object storage
  • File and object access
  • Erasure coding
  • Object lock
  • Multi-site geodistribution
  • Hardware independence
  • ARTESCA

What people use each for

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

Arq Backup

  • Data protectionnot Scality RING
  • Disaster recoverynot Scality RING
  • Business continuitynot Scality RING
  • Ransomware protectionnot Scality RING
  • Compliancenot Scality RING

Scality RING

  • A broadcaster archiving decades of video where hyperscaler storage and egress costs would be prohibitivenot Arq Backup
  • A hospital group holding medical imaging on premises for data residency and retention reasonsnot Arq Backup
  • An enterprise building an immutable on premises backup target for Veeam or Commvault with object locknot Arq Backup
  • A service provider offering S3-compatible storage to its own customers on hardware it controlsnot Arq Backup

Where each one falls short

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

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

Scality RING

  • Hardware is bought separately, so the software quote understates total cost and the buyer carries the sizing risk if the drive and server specification is wrong.
  • Running distributed erasure coded storage requires operations skills, and organisations that expected appliance simplicity end up staffing a storage team they had not budgeted.
  • Rebuild times after a drive failure on large capacity disks are measured in hours or days, and capacity planning has to leave headroom for that degraded window.
  • Pricing is per usable terabyte and quoted, so cost comparisons against cloud object storage require modelling your own retrieval patterns rather than reading a rate card.
  • Small deployments carry a minimum viable node count for erasure coding to work sensibly, which makes the entry footprint larger and less economic than the per-terabyte price implies.

Pricing, plan by plan

Arq Backup

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

Scality RING

On request
  • Scality RING$undefined/year
    • Priced per usable terabyte, subscription or perpetual
    • Server hardware purchased separately by the customer
    • Support tiers quoted separately
  • Scality ARTESCA$undefined/year
    • Lighter object store for smaller footprints
    • Priced per usable terabyte
    • Commonly deployed as an immutable backup target

Which should you pick?

Choose Arq Backup if

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

Choose Scality RING if

  • You need s3-compatible object storage.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want file and object access.
Scality RING review

Questions people ask

Is Arq Backup or Scality RING better?
Neither clearly leads. Arq Backup starts at $50/year and Scality RING at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arq Backup or Scality RING?
Arq Backup starts at $50/year and Scality RING at On request.
Does Arq Backup or Scality RING run on more platforms?
Arq Backup runs on Windows, Mac. Scality RING runs on Linux.
What is Arq Backup best used for?
Arq Backup is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what Scality RING is typically brought in for.
What can Arq Backup do that Scality RING cannot?
Arq Backup covers Client-side encryption, Hourly backups, Network backup, Deduplication. Scality RING covers S3-compatible object storage, File and object access, Erasure coding, Object lock.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arq Backup: What are the different licensing models for Arq?

Arq 7 is a perpetual license with a one-time purchase and 1 year of free updates, then $25/year for continued updates. Arq Premium is a subscription model covering up to 5 computers with 1TB of included cloud storage.

Source
Scality RING: Do we buy hardware from Scality?

No. RING is software; you buy commodity servers and drives yourself, which is the point for buyers who want to rebid hardware at each refresh.

Arq Backup: Is there a trial period before purchasing Arq?

Yes, Arq 7 includes a 30-day free trial.

Source
Scality RING: Is it S3-compatible enough for backup software?

Yes, it is a common object lock target for Veeam, Commvault and Rubrik. Verify the specific S3 features your backup product needs during a proof of concept.

Arq Backup: What are the storage costs beyond the included 1TB with Arq Premium?

Additional storage is billed at $0.0059/GB per month beyond the 1TB included with Arq Premium.

Source
Scality RING: What is ARTESCA?

A lighter object store from the same company, aimed at smaller footprints and backup targets rather than multi-petabyte archives.

Arq Backup: Can I access my backup data directly or is it in a proprietary format?

Arq uses open and documented backup formats with transparent storage, allowing users direct access to encrypted backup data.

Source
Arq Backup: Are perpetual licenses from earlier Arq versions still compatible?

Yes, perpetual licenses from Arq 5 and earlier remain compatible with Arq 7.

Source
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