Backup & Disaster Recovery · head to head
Keepit vs Apple Time Machine
Keepit
Backup & Disaster Recovery
Independent cloud backup for SaaS workloads
- From
- $3/month
- Rated
- -
Apple Time Machine
Backup & Disaster Recovery
Built-in backup for every Mac
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Apple Time Machine has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Keepit search functionality is very limited with restrictive search strings and poor filter options; 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
- They diverge on capability: Keepit covers Vendor-independent storage, Apple Time Machine covers Automatic backup.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Keepit and Apple Time Machine actually diverge.
| Attribute | Keepit | Apple Time Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $3/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Mac |
| Founded | 2017 | 1976 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Backup & Disaster Recovery).
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 Keepit
- Vendor-independent storage
- Immutable backup
- Blockchain verification
- Unlimited retention
- Granular restore
- API access
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
Only in Apple Time Machine
- Automatic backup
- Hourly snapshots
- Visual restore interface
- Network backup
- Encryption
- System restore
- macOS
- AirPort Time Capsule
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Keepit
- Data protectionnot Apple Time Machine
- Disaster recoverynot Apple Time Machine
- Business continuitynot Apple Time Machine
- Ransomware protectionnot Apple Time Machine
- Compliancenot Apple Time Machine
Apple Time Machine
- Automatic versioned local backups of a Mac to an external drivenot Keepit
- Restoring a Mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup historynot Keepit
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Keepit
- Search functionality is very limited with restrictive search strings and poor filter options
- Download speeds during restoration are slow, particularly for mailbox restorations
- Console interface is complex and unintuitive, making file retrieval time-consuming
- Limited support for advanced features like Power Automate flows and manual backup job initiation
- Primarily targets SaaS applications and is not a single platform for on-premises workloads, VMs, or endpoint backup
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Keepit
$3/month- Keepit Business$3/month
- Immutable backup
- Unlimited retention
- Blockchain verification
Apple Time Machine
Free- Built-inFree
- Automatic backup
- Visual restore
- Network backup
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Keepit or Apple Time Machine better?
- Neither clearly leads. Keepit starts at $3/month and Apple Time Machine at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Keepit or Apple Time Machine?
- Apple Time Machine has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3/month for Keepit and Free for Apple Time Machine.
- Does Keepit or Apple Time Machine run on more platforms?
- Keepit runs on Web. Apple Time Machine runs on Mac.
- Can I use Apple Time Machine for free?
- Yes. Apple Time Machine has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Keepit starts at $3/month.
- What is Keepit best used for?
- Keepit is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what Apple Time Machine is typically brought in for.
- What can Keepit do that Apple Time Machine cannot?
- Keepit covers Vendor-independent storage, Immutable backup, Blockchain verification, Unlimited retention. Apple Time Machine covers Automatic backup, Hourly snapshots, Visual restore interface, Network backup.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Keepit: What SaaS applications does Keepit protect?
Keepit provides backup for Microsoft 365 workloads (Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Groups, Public Folders), Microsoft Entra ID, Google, Salesforce, and 15 SaaS applications total as of 2026, with plans to add more.
SourceKeepit: How is Keepit priced?
Keepit uses custom pricing starting at $5 per seat monthly. Enterprise plans are custom quoted, with median annual contracts around $60,270. The pricing includes unlimited data storage.
SourceKeepit: Does Keepit guarantee immutability?
Yes, Keepit's architecture runs on secure, private infrastructure offering data immutability to prevent ransomware and accidental deletion.
Source