Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup alternative and comparison 2026
Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup is a SaaS backup for Microsoft 365 and Entra ID. Barracuda runs it and keeps the backups in Barracuda Cloud Storage on Microsoft Azure, in a region you choose. It is licensed per user.
By Lucas Flores, IT Systeme Flores UG. Last updated
Barracuda product page and Cloud-to-Cloud Backup FAQ checked on 2026-10-05.
The short answer
Barracuda fits if you want nothing to run yourself: unlimited storage, a choice of Azure region, SharePoint, Teams, OneNote and Entra ID covered, and an MSP program for service providers.
Restow fits if you want the backups on storage you control and a one-time license, with IMAP mailboxes, servers and clients, and a weekly restore test that proves each backup can be read back.
At a glance
| Aspect | Restow | Barracuda |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | Community free. Business €595, Service Provider €1,950, one-time, net (pre-sale until release: €476 and €1,560). Pre-sale licenses include every 1.x update; from version 1.0, a license includes 12 months of updates, then an optional update year (Business €295, Service Provider €595 net per year). No per-user fee. | Per user, recurring subscription. No public price. |
| Where it runs | Self-hosted: one Docker Compose stack on a Linux server or VM you control. | SaaS run by Barracuda. No self-hosted option found. |
| Where backups are stored | Your choice: local disk, S3-compatible object storage or NFS, in the region you pick. Immutable backups (S3 Object Lock) can be switched on per repository. | Barracuda Cloud Storage on Microsoft Azure, in the region you choose. Unlimited storage included. |
| Microsoft 365 coverage | Exchange Online mail, calendar, contacts; OneDrive; SharePoint Online sites (document libraries and lists, new in 0.4.0); Microsoft 365 groups (calendar and conversations, opt-in, since 0.4.5); IMAP mailboxes; Linux and macOS servers and clients (file-level agent); SMB and NFS file shares without an agent; imported mail files. No Teams chats. | Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams, OneNote, plus Entra ID. |
| Restore testing | Weekly sampled check: data is read back through the restore path and verified against the recorded hashes. File shares are checked after every new restore point, Proxmox VE (preview) guests within minutes of every new restore point, and Proxmox VE can also boot-test restore points. | Not described on the pages checked. |
| Source code and exit | Apache 2.0 core, Business and Service Provider modules under the Restow license terms, open documented storage format with a standalone restore tool. | Proprietary. No export format or self-hosted restore tool found on the pages checked. |
Where Barracuda is strong
- Nothing to operate: Barracuda runs the service.
- Unlimited storage and a choice of Azure region.
- Covers SharePoint, Teams, OneNote and Entra ID.
- An MSP program for service providers.
Where Restow is different
- Backups on storage you operate: local disk, S3-compatible object storage or NFS.
- A one-time license instead of a subscription per user; Community is free.
- IMAP mailboxes, imported mail files and Linux and macOS servers and clients.
- A weekly restore check that reads data back and compares hashes.
- Open source core and an open storage format with a standalone restore tool.
What Restow does not do (yet)
- Restow does not back up Teams chats. It backs up SharePoint Online sites since 0.4.0, without attachments of list items, site design, navigation and workflows; permissions are kept as information and never restored.
- Immutable backups (new in 0.4.0) are off until an administrator turns them on per repository. S3 Object Lock was tested against a simulated S3 service only, directories and NFS get only a deletion delay, which is not immutability, and the installation's default repository cannot be made immutable.
- In Business, the audit log viewer ships since 0.1.0 and the audit log export since 0.3.1; since 0.3.1 every edition has several administrators with roles. Sign-in with Microsoft and single sign-on (SSO) are planned, and so are four-eyes approval and a signed restore proof.
- The archive is filled by mail import with archiving and, from Business, by capture from the mailboxes (Microsoft Graph, IMAP sync), Exchange Online journal receipt and forwarded copies. Capture from the mailbox is near-time and not complete, and was tested against simulated services only.
- The automated Microsoft 365 backup and restore check against a real tenant is not active yet: check 4 of the release pipeline was skipped in every release so far; Microsoft 365 is covered by tests against a simulated Graph API.
- Licenses include no support, setup, operation or SLA.
- The server and endpoint agent runs on Linux and macOS, file-level; a Windows agent and image backup are planned.
- Restow is a beta: do not use it as your only backup.
Barracuda: the facts, with sources
Each line is taken from Barracuda's own documentation unless the rating says otherwise. "Checked: not found" means we looked in the named sources and did not find it, which is not proof that it does not exist.
| Fact | Source | How solid |
|---|---|---|
| "Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup is licensed on a per-user basis." For Entra ID backup, all users in the tenant must be licensed. | Cloud-to-Cloud Backup FAQ | Official source |
| "Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup includes unlimited storage" in Barracuda Cloud Storage. | Cloud-to-Cloud Backup FAQ | Official source |
| Backup data resides in the Microsoft Azure region of your choice. | Cloud-to-Cloud Backup FAQ | Official source |
| Protects Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams and OneNote, plus Entra ID backup. | Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup | Official source |
| SaaS only; no self-hosted deployment or storage on customer infrastructure was found on the pages checked. | Same pages, absence checked directly | Checked: not found |
| No price is published on the product page or FAQ. | Same pages, absence checked directly | Checked: not found |
| What happens to backups when the subscription ends, and an export format, are not described on the pages checked. | Not found | Open question |
Frequently asked
Where does Barracuda store Microsoft 365 backups?
In Barracuda Cloud Storage on Microsoft Azure, in the Azure region you choose. Barracuda does not offer storage on your own infrastructure for this product, as far as the pages checked show.
How much does Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup cost?
Barracuda licenses it per user and does not publish a price on its product pages; pricing comes from Barracuda or a partner.
Does Restow back up SharePoint, Teams and Entra ID like Barracuda?
In part. Restow has backed up SharePoint Online sites since 0.4.0 (document libraries and lists); the feature is new and so far tested against a simulated Microsoft Graph. Teams and Entra ID are not backed up; Barracuda covers both and Restow does not.