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Backup · head to head

Redstor vs StorageCraft ShadowProtect

Redstor logo

Redstor

Backup

Cloud backup for managed service providers with instant streamed recovery

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
StorageCraft ShadowProtect logo

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

Backup

Fast and reliable image-based backup

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Redstor it is sold through the channel, so you cannot buy it direct and your price and support quality depend entirely on the partner you engage.; StorageCraft ShadowProtect host-based backup requires Windows Server 2016 or above on the Hyper-V host, and desktop, client and Pro editions are not supported
  • They diverge on capability: Redstor covers InstantData, StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Redstor and StorageCraft ShadowProtect actually diverge.

Attributes where Redstor and StorageCraft ShadowProtect differ
AttributeRedstorStorageCraft ShadowProtect
Starting priceOn request$15/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, WebWindows, Linux, Web
FoundedUnknown2003

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

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 Redstor

  • InstantData
  • Multi-tenant console
  • SaaS application backup
  • Regional data centres
  • Malware detection
  • White labelling

Only in StorageCraft ShadowProtect

  • Image-based backup
  • VirtualBoot
  • Bare metal recovery
  • Hardware-independent restore
  • Incremental imaging
  • ShadowStream replication
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

What people use each for

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

Redstor

  • A UK managed service provider needing client data to stay in UK data centres for public sector contractsnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • An MSP that wants to promise a recovery time measured in minutes rather than hours for file serversnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • A business needing Microsoft 365 and accounting SaaS backup managed by its IT provider in one consolenot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • An MSP consolidating several backup products across its client base onto one multi-tenant platformnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

  • Backup and disaster recovery (legacy)not Redstor
  • System image backup and recoverynot Redstor

Where each one falls short

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

Redstor

  • It is sold through the channel, so you cannot buy it direct and your price and support quality depend entirely on the partner you engage.
  • Pricing is not published at all, and because partners resell it with their own margin, comparing quotes across MSPs is comparing partner markups rather than product cost.
  • The InstantData streaming advantage depends on network bandwidth to the data centre, so sites with poor connectivity see much less benefit than the demonstrations suggest.
  • Its footprint is concentrated in the UK, Europe and South Africa, so multinational organisations needing consistent coverage in North America or Asia will find the regional story uneven.
  • Feature depth for large enterprise virtual machine estates trails Veeam and Rubrik, so it fits small and medium client workloads rather than complex data centre recovery.

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

  • Host-based backup requires Windows Server 2016 or above on the Hyper-V host, and desktop, client and Pro editions are not supported
  • Host-based and agent-based backup are mutually exclusive installation modes in ShadowProtect 8.0; one machine cannot run both
  • Switching from agent-based to host-based requires a clean reinstall rather than an in-place upgrade
  • Host-based backups are not compatible with VirtualBoot
  • Granular file and folder recovery is not available for host-based backups; the whole backup must be restored to a .vhd or .vhdx first
  • Host-based backup jobs do not report status to ShadowControl
  • Advanced Verification in ImageManager 8.1 is not supported for host-based backups
  • All host-based backups go into a single folder by default, so separating them per VM means creating a separate backup job for each
  • Host-based licence keys are generated only through the Arcserve MSP portal

Pricing, plan by plan

Redstor

On request
  • Redstor Platform$undefined/year
    • Sold through managed service providers, priced per protected device or per user
    • Storage included in the per-unit price rather than billed separately
    • No egress or restore charges

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

$15/month
  • ShadowProtect SPX$15/month
    • Image-based backup
    • VirtualBoot
    • Bare metal recovery

Which should you pick?

Choose Redstor if

  • You need instantdata.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
  • You also want multi-tenant console.
Redstor review

Choose StorageCraft ShadowProtect if

  • You need image-based backup.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want virtualboot.
StorageCraft ShadowProtect review

Questions people ask

Is Redstor or StorageCraft ShadowProtect better?
Neither clearly leads. Redstor starts at On request and StorageCraft ShadowProtect at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Redstor or StorageCraft ShadowProtect?
Redstor starts at On request and StorageCraft ShadowProtect at $15/month.
Does Redstor or StorageCraft ShadowProtect run on more platforms?
Redstor runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web. StorageCraft ShadowProtect runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
What is Redstor best used for?
Redstor is most often used for a uk managed service provider needing client data to stay in uk data centres for public sector contracts, an msp that wants to promise a recovery time measured in minutes rather than hours for file servers, a business needing microsoft 365 and accounting saas backup managed by its it provider in one console, an msp consolidating several backup products across its client base onto one multi-tenant platform. Of those, a uk managed service provider needing client data to stay in uk data centres for public sector contracts and an msp that wants to promise a recovery time measured in minutes rather than hours for file servers are not what StorageCraft ShadowProtect is typically brought in for.
What can Redstor do that StorageCraft ShadowProtect cannot?
Redstor covers InstantData, Multi-tenant console, SaaS application backup, Regional data centres. StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup, VirtualBoot, Bare metal recovery, Hardware-independent restore.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Redstor: Can we buy Redstor directly?

Generally no. It is a channel product sold through managed service providers, so partner selection is part of the buying decision.

StorageCraft ShadowProtect: How much does StorageCraft ShadowProtect cost?

StorageCraft no longer maintains independent product pricing. The domain redirects to ArcServe, and ArcServe does not publish specific pricing on its homepage. Prospective customers must request a trial, demo, or contact sales.

Source
Redstor: Are there restore or egress charges?

Redstor includes storage and recovery in the per-unit price rather than charging separately for egress, which is the opposite of the cloud-native backup vendors.

StorageCraft ShadowProtect: Where can I find StorageCraft pricing?

StorageCraft's website (storagecraft.com) now redirects to ArcServe.com. ArcServe does not publish pricing publicly. To obtain pricing information, users can start a trial, request a demo, or contact ArcServe's sales team.

Source
Redstor: Where is data stored?

UK and regional data centres, selectable by tenant, which is the reason UK public sector and legal clients tend to shortlist it.

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