Restow vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Backup
Hornetsecurity 365 Total Backup is a managed Microsoft 365 backup service from Hanover, sold mostly through partners. One fee per user covers the software, unlimited storage on Hornetsecurity infrastructure and support around the clock.
The short answer
Hornetsecurity fits companies and MSPs in German-speaking markets who want a fully managed service that also covers Teams chats, SharePoint, Planner, OneNote and Entra ID, with storage in Germany.
Restow fits if you want to own the backup: a one-time license, storage you choose and operate, and a weekly restore test that proves each backup can be read back.
At a glance
| Aspect | Restow | Hornetsecurity |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | Community free. Business €595, Service Provider €1,950, one-time, net (pre-sale until release: €476 and €1,560). No per-user fee. | Per user, recurring, all-inclusive (software, unlimited storage, 24/7 support). No public price. |
| Where it runs | Self-hosted: one Docker Compose stack on a Linux server or VM you control. | Managed service run by Hornetsecurity. No self-hosted option. |
| Where backups are stored | Your choice: local disk, S3-compatible object storage, NFS or SMB, in the region you pick. | Hornetsecurity infrastructure in a region you choose (Germany, USA or UK announced). |
| Microsoft 365 coverage | Exchange Online mail, calendar, contacts; OneDrive; IMAP mailboxes; Linux and macOS servers and clients (file-level agent); imported mail files. No SharePoint or Teams in version 1. | Mailboxes incl. in-place archives, Teams chats, Planner, OneNote, Entra ID, OneDrive, SharePoint. |
| Restore testing | Weekly sampled restore: data is read back through the restore path and compared byte for byte. | Not described on the pages checked. |
| Source code and exit | AGPL-3.0 core, source-available Business and Service Provider modules, open documented storage format with a standalone restore tool. | Proprietary. Export format not described on the pages checked. |
Where Hornetsecurity is strong
- Broad coverage, including Teams chats, Planner, OneNote and Entra ID.
- Fully managed, with support around the clock included.
- Storage in Germany available.
- Self-service restore for end users.
Where Restow is different
- A one-time license: Business €595, Service Provider €1,950, and no recurring fee per user.
- Storage you run or rent yourself, including local disks and NFS.
- A weekly restore test per mailbox that reads data back and compares it.
- Open source core and an open storage format.
What Restow does not do (yet)
- Restow does not back up SharePoint or Teams in version 1.
- The audit log, SSO and roles are in development for Business.
- Licenses include no support; setup is available on quote.
- The server and endpoint agent runs on Linux and macOS, file-level; Windows is planned.
- Restow 0.1.0 is a beta: do not use it as your only backup.
Hornetsecurity: the facts, with sources
Each line is taken from Hornetsecurity'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 |
|---|---|---|
| Backs up Microsoft 365 mailboxes including in-place archives, Teams chats, Planner, OneNote, Entra ID users and groups, OneDrive for Business and SharePoint document libraries. | Hornetsecurity: 365 Total Backup | Official source |
| Backups run automatically several times a day; retention periods can be customised. | Hornetsecurity: 365 Total Backup information | Official source |
| One all-inclusive fee covers software, unlimited storage and 24/7 support. No price is published on the product pages. | Hornetsecurity: 365 Total Backup | Official source |
| Backups are stored on Hornetsecurity infrastructure, independent of Microsoft, in a region you choose. No self-hosted or own-storage option was found. | Hornetsecurity: 365 Total Backup information | Official source |
| Announced regions: Germany, USA and United Kingdom, chosen per customer by the partner; more regions were planned. | Hornetsecurity blog, 20 April 2022 | Moderate |
| Backup data is encrypted with an individual AES-256 key. | Hornetsecurity: 365 Total Backup | Official source |
| End users can restore their own mailbox, OneDrive and OneNote data through a self-service portal. | Hornetsecurity: 365 Total Backup | Official source |
| No automated restore verification and no export format were described on the pages checked. | Hornetsecurity: 365 Total Backup | Checked: not found |
Frequently asked
How much does Hornetsecurity 365 Total Backup cost?
Hornetsecurity publishes no price on its product pages. It describes one all-inclusive fee per user for software, unlimited storage and 24/7 support. Prices come from partners.
Can Hornetsecurity keep backups in Germany?
Yes. Hornetsecurity announced Germany, the USA and the UK as backup regions, chosen per customer. Restow stores backups wherever you run it.