Softwr

Software · head to head

Carbonite vs Spanning Backup

Carbonite logo

Carbonite

Software

Simple and reliable cloud backup for businesses

From
$6/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Spanning Backup logo

Spanning Backup

Software

SaaS backup for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Carbonite upload speeds are significantly slower than competitors due to lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading; Spanning Backup cloud-only deployment; no on-premise or self-hosted options available
  • They diverge on capability: Carbonite covers Automatic backup, Spanning Backup covers Automated daily backup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Carbonite and Spanning Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Carbonite and Spanning Backup differ
AttributeCarboniteSpanning Backup
Starting price$6/month$4/month
PlatformsWindows, Mac, WebCloud SaaS
Founded20052010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Carbonite

  • Automatic backup
  • Continuous protection
  • Remote file access
  • Bare metal restore
  • Encryption
  • Compliance support
  • Windows Server
  • VMware

Only in Spanning Backup

  • Automated daily backup
  • Point-in-time restore
  • Cross-user restore
  • eDiscovery
  • Unlimited storage
  • Admin delegation
  • Google Workspace
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Microsoft 365
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Carbonite

  • Data protectionnot Spanning Backup
  • Disaster recoverynot Spanning Backup
  • Business continuitynot Spanning Backup
  • Ransomware protectionnot Spanning Backup
  • Compliancenot Spanning Backup

Spanning Backup

  • Cloud-to-cloud backup and disaster recovery for Microsoft 365 applicationsnot Carbonite
  • Data protection and compliance management for Google Workspace and Salesforcenot Carbonite

Where each one falls short

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

Carbonite

  • Upload speeds are significantly slower than competitors due to lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading
  • Bandwidth throttling control is limited, preventing users from managing full bandwidth allocation
  • Mobile apps and web access are more limited than sync-first services like Dropbox or Google Drive
  • Uses AES-128 encryption instead of industry-standard AES-256
  • Hybrid backup support is restricted to professional plans, unavailable for personal users

Spanning Backup

  • Cloud-only deployment; no on-premise or self-hosted options available

Pricing, plan by plan

Carbonite

$6/month
  • Basic$6/month
    • Automatic backup
    • Unlimited cloud storage
    • Easy restore

Spanning Backup

$4/month
  • Spanning Backup$4/month
    • Daily backup
    • Point-in-time restore
    • Unlimited storage

Which should you pick?

Choose Carbonite if

  • You need automatic backup.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Web.
  • You also want continuous protection.
Carbonite review

Choose Spanning Backup if

  • You need automated daily backup.
  • You work on Cloud SaaS.
  • You also want point-in-time restore.
Spanning Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Carbonite or Spanning Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Carbonite starts at $6/month and Spanning Backup at $4/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carbonite or Spanning Backup?
Carbonite starts at $6/month and Spanning Backup at $4/month.
Does Carbonite or Spanning Backup run on more platforms?
Carbonite runs on Windows, Mac, Web. Spanning Backup runs on Cloud SaaS.
What is Carbonite best used for?
Carbonite is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what Spanning Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Carbonite do that Spanning Backup cannot?
Carbonite covers Automatic backup, Continuous protection, Remote file access, Bare metal restore. Spanning Backup covers Automated daily backup, Point-in-time restore, Cross-user restore, eDiscovery. Both handle Microsoft 365, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Carbonite: Does Carbonite offer unlimited storage?

Yes, Carbonite's personal plans (Safe Basic through Safe Server Ultimate) offer unlimited cloud storage, though business plans have tiered storage starting at 250 GB.

Source
Carbonite: What is Carbonite's pricing?

Personal plans range from $4.91 to $83.33 per month with annual billing. Business plans start around $50-$75 per endpoint annually, with volume discounts available for multi-year contracts.

Source
Carbonite: How fast are Carbonite's upload speeds?

Carbonite's upload speeds are notably slow and are consistently identified as the platform's main weakness. The lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading contributes to these speed limitations.

Source
Carbonite: What encryption does Carbonite use?

Carbonite uses AES-128 encryption at rest, which is an unusual choice in 2026 when AES-256 is the industry standard.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Carbonite

More on Spanning Backup

Keep looking

Other head to heads