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Software · head to head

Spanning Backup vs StorageCraft ShadowProtect

Spanning Backup logo

Spanning Backup

Software

SaaS backup for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
StorageCraft ShadowProtect logo

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

Software

Fast and reliable image-based backup

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Spanning Backup cloud-only deployment; no on-premise or self-hosted options available; 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: Spanning Backup covers Automated daily backup, StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Spanning Backup and StorageCraft ShadowProtect actually diverge.

Attributes where Spanning Backup and StorageCraft ShadowProtect differ
AttributeSpanning BackupStorageCraft ShadowProtect
Starting price$4/month$15/month
PlatformsCloud SaaSWindows, Linux, Web
Founded20102003

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 Spanning Backup

  • Automated daily backup
  • Point-in-time restore
  • Cross-user restore
  • eDiscovery
  • Unlimited storage
  • Admin delegation
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365

Only in StorageCraft ShadowProtect

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Spanning Backup

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

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

  • Image based backup and bare metal recovery of Windows and Linux serversnot Spanning Backup
  • MSPs protecting client Hyper-V hosts and workloads from one consolenot Spanning Backup

Where each one falls short

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

Spanning Backup

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

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

Spanning Backup

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

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Spanning Backup if

  • You need automated daily backup.
  • You work on Cloud SaaS.
  • You also want point-in-time restore.
Spanning Backup 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 Spanning Backup or StorageCraft ShadowProtect better?
Neither clearly leads. Spanning Backup starts at $4/month and StorageCraft ShadowProtect at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Spanning Backup or StorageCraft ShadowProtect?
Spanning Backup starts at $4/month and StorageCraft ShadowProtect at $15/month.
Does Spanning Backup or StorageCraft ShadowProtect run on more platforms?
Spanning Backup runs on Cloud SaaS. StorageCraft ShadowProtect runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
What is Spanning Backup best used for?
Spanning Backup is most often used for cloud-to-cloud backup and disaster recovery for microsoft 365 applications, data protection and compliance management for google workspace and salesforce. Of those, cloud-to-cloud backup and disaster recovery for microsoft 365 applications and data protection and compliance management for google workspace and salesforce are not what StorageCraft ShadowProtect is typically brought in for.
What can Spanning Backup do that StorageCraft ShadowProtect cannot?
Spanning Backup covers Automated daily backup, Point-in-time restore, Cross-user restore, eDiscovery. StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup, VirtualBoot, Bare metal recovery, Hardware-independent restore. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

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