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Backup · head to head

StorageCraft ShadowProtect vs Vultr

StorageCraft ShadowProtect logo

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

Backup

Fast and reliable image-based backup

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vultr logo

Vultr

Cloud

High performance cloud compute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Vultr has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; Vultr vultr Cloud Compute pricing as captured 31 December 2022 started at $5/month (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB transfer), scaling to $10/month and $20/month with more vCPU/RAM/storage; bandwidth overage billed at $0.01 to $0.05 per GB depending on plan
  • They diverge on capability: StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup, Vultr covers Cloud servers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where StorageCraft ShadowProtect and Vultr differ
AttributeStorageCraft ShadowProtectVultr
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, WebWeb, Api, Cli
CategoryBackupCloud
Founded20032014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 StorageCraft ShadowProtect

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

Only in Vultr

  • Cloud servers
  • Bare metal servers
  • Block storage
  • Object storage
  • Load balancers
  • Kubernetes
  • Firewalls
  • Private networks

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

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

Vultr

  • High performance computingnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • Game serversnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • Streamingnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • Database hostingnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • Application serversnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect

Where each one falls short

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

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

Vultr

  • Vultr Cloud Compute pricing as captured 31 December 2022 started at $5/month (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB transfer), scaling to $10/month and $20/month with more vCPU/RAM/storage; bandwidth overage billed at $0.01 to $0.05 per GB depending on plan

Pricing, plan by plan

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

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

Vultr

Free
  • Cloud Compute$2.5/month
    • 512MB RAM
    • 10GB SSD
    • 500GB bandwidth
  • Bare Metal$32/month
    • Dedicated hardware
    • High performance
    • Full root access

Which should you pick?

Choose StorageCraft ShadowProtect if

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

Choose Vultr if

  • You need cloud servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want bare metal servers.
Vultr review

Questions people ask

Is StorageCraft ShadowProtect or Vultr better?
Neither clearly leads. StorageCraft ShadowProtect starts at $15/month and Vultr at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, StorageCraft ShadowProtect or Vultr?
Vultr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for StorageCraft ShadowProtect and Free for Vultr.
Does StorageCraft ShadowProtect or Vultr run on more platforms?
StorageCraft ShadowProtect runs on Windows, Linux, Web. Vultr runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use Vultr for free?
Yes. Vultr has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. StorageCraft ShadowProtect starts at $15/month.
What is StorageCraft ShadowProtect best used for?
StorageCraft ShadowProtect is most often used for backup and disaster recovery (legacy), system image backup and recovery. Of those, backup and disaster recovery (legacy) and system image backup and recovery are not what Vultr is typically brought in for.
What can StorageCraft ShadowProtect do that Vultr cannot?
StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup, VirtualBoot, Bare metal recovery, Hardware-independent restore. Vultr covers Cloud servers, Bare metal servers, Block storage, Object storage. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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