MSP360 is a backup service that automatically copies your data to secure cloud storage so you can quickly restore it if your desktop or laptop computer is damaged or compromised. With it, you can create a custom backup schedule (with different backup frequencies for individual projects) and restore files, projects, or whole computers without spending much money. On top of that, MSP360's GDPR and HIPPA compliancy make the service one of the best cloud backup services for small businesses. It falls just behind Acronis Cyber Protect, our Editors' Choice winner, due to the inability to perform continuous backups.
MSP360 has a free tier covering one computer and 200GB of data backup. It's a great plan for freelancers, consultants, and other solopreneurs, but it lacks image-based data backup (the complete backup of an entire system). Another limitation? You must manage backups using the desktop application—the web console is only available with the highest-tier plan. Still, MSP360 offers a no-cost version, which Acronis Cyber Protect and Carbonite Professional do not.
The company's Standalone Backup plan includes 5TB of backups across five devices, plus image-based backup. The Windows Desktop edition starts at $29.99 per license per year, with more expensive options available for servers, Macs, and linux devices. It's a good price for the amount of storage—which would cost several hundred dollars via Carbonite Professional—but it comes with a catch: It lacks remote backup management.
To leverage remote backup management, you must spring for MSP360 Managed Backup (a plan built for businesses with five or more devices). This tier includes all of MSP360's advanced features, including cloud-based management and the MSP360 mobile apps. MSP360 Managed Backup uses a custom pricing model, with individual computers priced at $2.50 per month and a minimum charge of $30 per month. You can use the MSP360 Managed Backup Calculator to determine how much this plan will cost your company.
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Getting started with MSP360 is easy. I created an account, selected the type of device I wanted to back up, and downloaded the program. I had it running in less than a minute.
From there, I launched the Create Backup Plan Wizard. MSP360 helped me choose the location for my backups and provided settings to control how they were created. However, the "?" information icons in the settings area didn't provide additional insight, so I had to research the options to understand them. The next steps asked me to choose the folders and files I wanted to secure and dictate key backup patterns. The language might be confusing if you're not a tech-savvy person.
MSP360 has file compression and encryption, which lets you select an encryption algorithm and create an encryption key. The software lacks continuous backups—one of Acronis Cyber Backup's best features—but you can set backups to run daily or every few minutes and choose how long you keep them (the default is 30 days, but you can set it to six months or a year).
The Organization area is where you manage Companies and Users. Your business is automatically named New Company until you change it, with default permissions for backup destinations, notifications, and agents. You can customize these settings to enable remote access and control backup devices.
You create accounts in the Users section but can't control their permissions. Instead, the accounts have default permissions associated with the company you assign. You must head to Organizations > Administrators to modify those permissions, which is slightly less intuitive than adding team members to Backblaze.
With these settings configured, I initiated my first MSP360 backup. The process ran smoothly, and I received an email when it was complete. I would've preferred a pop-up window to tell me when the backup was finished so I could immediately close the program. MSP360 fired off a follow-up email every time MSP360 completed a backup, which clogged up my inbox. I had to log into MSP360 and manually disable this feature.
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Another small gripe: MSP360 is an effective backup tool, but its design caused some confusion during testing. To start, I couldn't find the program. It wasn't in my computer's taskbar and didn't appear when I searched for it using the Start menu. I quickly realized it downloaded under my company's name, not MSP360.
The Restore Wizard lets you perform an immediate data restoration or schedule one for another time. The scheduling option is useful if you’re concerned about the restoration process slowing down your PC (you can run it when you’re not using the computer).
You choose the backup plan you wish to restore and the specific backup, marked by time stamps. This makes it easy to grab older versions of your files. You also control where the restored backups go, including whether they overwrite existing files.
MSP360 doesn't let you pick specific folders or files; you can only restore a backup plan. As a result, you should create backup plans for individual projects to prevent restoring your entire computer. This is counter-intuitive compared with Acronis Cyber Protect and Backblaze, which let you pick an individual folder or file to back up. However, this structure can simplify things if you create an organized system of backup plans.
You can also manage backups and restore plans online via the MSP360 Account Center. Its Backup Storage area displays the backups and the option to conduct remote restorations.
MSP360 Control is a mobile app for Android and iOS that offers remote backup plan creation and management, something you don't often see in the business cloud backup category. The interface is also less cluttered than the desktop app since you're looking at backup plans, not the full list of files and folders. However, you can't use it to download files to your phone or tablet, which is possible with many competing apps. You also can't use MSP360 Control to back up your mobile device, a feature you get with Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive for Business.
MSP360 makes it easy to enable private encryption during setup through the internationally recognized Advanced Encryption Standard. AES-256, which uses a 14-round transformation process, is the default encryption protocol. You can also select AES-128, which performs 10 transformation rounds, or AES-192, which performs 12 transformation rounds. You can create a custom username and password connected to your chosen encryption protocol.
The app further secures data with server-side encryption and account protection tools like two-factor authentication. By setting up authorized devices, MSP360 automatically flags or rejects attempts to access your account from computers or phones that don't belong to your organization. Like Acronis Cyber Protect, MSP360 complies with the GDPR and HIPAA government regulations, so it can store highly sensitive information.
MSP360 offers highly secure cloud backup for businesses of all sizes. Although its initial setup is somewhat confusing, the program's wizards make it remarkably easy to create a custom backup schedule and restore files, including previous versions of projects you’re working on. MSP360 is also more affordable than many competing apps, making it a great choice for small business owners with a tight budget. However, its lack of continuous backups makes it slightly less effective than Acronis Cyber Protect, our Editors' Choice winner for business cloud backup services.
Best for Flexible Backup Architectures
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Highly affordable, with a free plan available
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Backup plans let you create unique schedules for active projects
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Customizable encryption protocols
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Full compliance with GDPR and HIPAA regulations
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Lacks continuous backups
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Confusing design in some areas
MSP360 offers useful cloud backup tools at reasonable rates, making it an excellent service for safeguarding valuable data.
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About Dianna Gunn
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