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File Storage · head to head

CrashPlan vs Scality RING

CrashPlan logo

CrashPlan

File Storage

Endpoint backup designed for work-from-anywhere

From
$8/month
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: CrashPlan initial data uploads can be noticeably slow, often taking several full days for complete system backups; 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: CrashPlan covers Automatic backup, 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 CrashPlan and Scality RING actually diverge.

Attributes where CrashPlan and Scality RING differ
AttributeCrashPlanScality RING
Starting price$8/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Cloud (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace)Linux
Founded2001Unknown

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 CrashPlan

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

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.

CrashPlan

  • 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 CrashPlan
  • A hospital group holding medical imaging on premises for data residency and retention reasonsnot CrashPlan
  • An enterprise building an immutable on premises backup target for Veeam or Commvault with object locknot CrashPlan
  • A service provider offering S3-compatible storage to its own customers on hardware it controlsnot CrashPlan

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

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

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 CrashPlan if

  • You need automatic backup.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Cloud (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace).
  • You also want continuous protection.
CrashPlan 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 CrashPlan or Scality RING better?
Neither clearly leads. CrashPlan starts at $8/month and Scality RING at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CrashPlan or Scality RING?
CrashPlan starts at $8/month and Scality RING at On request.
Does CrashPlan or Scality RING run on more platforms?
CrashPlan runs on Windows, macOS, Cloud (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace). Scality RING runs on Linux.
What is CrashPlan best used for?
CrashPlan 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 CrashPlan do that Scality RING cannot?
CrashPlan covers Automatic backup, Continuous protection, Legal hold, Centralized administration. Scality RING covers S3-compatible object storage, File and object access, Erasure coding, Object lock.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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.

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
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.

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
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.

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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