Backup pricing is confusing because it isn't really priced on storage alone - it's priced on data volume, retention length, and how fast you need to recover. Here's what actually drives the cost, and our published starting prices and the scope to confirm before accepting a quote.
What Actually Drives Backup Pricing
- Data volume - the raw amount of data being backed up, growing over time as your business does
- Retention period - how far back you can restore from. 30 days costs less than 7 years, which matters for compliance-driven industries
- Recovery speed (RTO) - cloud-only backup is cheaper but slower to restore; local + cloud hybrid backup costs more but restores much faster
- What's covered - servers, workstations, Microsoft 365 mailboxes and files, and any line-of-business databases all typically get priced or licensed separately
- Testing and monitoring - whether restores are periodically tested and verified, or just assumed to be working because the backup job completed
Realistic Cost Ranges
Our Standalone Backup Starting Prices
All prices exclude GST: Microsoft 365 cloud-data backup is $15 per user/month; workstation backup is $20 per device/month; server backup starts from $60 per server/month. Additional storage is quoted separately.
The written quote confirms protected systems, storage, retention, monitoring, restore testing, and recovery responsibilities. These prices do not imply unlimited storage or a guaranteed recovery time. Microsoft 365 licences and cloud-data backup are separate from endpoint backup.
See our backup service and Microsoft 365 backup guide.
Why the Cheapest Option Is Rarely the Right One
The lowest-cost backup option is almost always cloud-only, with no local copy and no tested restore process. This satisfies the letter of "having a backup" while leaving significant risk on the table - a full data recovery from cloud-only backup after a ransomware incident can take days for a business with a meaningful amount of data, not hours. See our guide on the 3-2-1 backup rule for why a single backup location, however reliable, isn't considered sufficient practice.
Cost of Getting It Wrong
The real comparison isn't backup cost against doing nothing - it's backup cost against the cost of extended downtime or permanent data loss. A properly configured, tested backup costing a few hundred dollars a month is inexpensive against the alternative of days of lost productivity, client data unrecoverable, and in some industries, compliance and reputational consequences on top.
What to Ask a Provider Before You Commit
- What's the actual recovery time for a full server restore, not just an individual file?
- Are test restores included and performed on a schedule, or is that an extra cost?
- Is retention long enough for any compliance obligations specific to your industry?
- Does the quote clearly separate Microsoft 365 backup, server backup, and workstation backup, or is it bundled vaguely?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft 365's built-in retention enough, or do I need to pay for separate backup?
Retention and backup serve different purposes. Assess built-in recovery, retention policies, and a separately configured backup against the data and recovery points you need. Our Microsoft 365 cloud-data backup is $15 per user/month + GST, separate from Microsoft 365 licensing.
Why does recovery speed affect the price so much?
Recovery time depends on data volume, available bandwidth, hardware, application dependencies, and the restore process. Local copies can reduce download time, but actual recovery objectives should be agreed and tested rather than inferred from the backup price.
What's a realistic monthly backup budget for a 15-person business?
Start with the systems to protect, then quote endpoint and server backup separately from Microsoft 365 cloud-data backup. At our published rate, cloud-data backup for 15 users is $225/month + GST. Device count, servers, storage, retention, monitoring, and restore testing determine the remaining scope and cost.
Does backup cost include testing, or is that extra?
This varies significantly by provider, and it's worth asking directly. Some managed backup services include periodic test restores as standard; others only back up and monitor job completion, leaving testing as an additional service or your own responsibility. An untested backup is a real risk regardless of how much you're paying for it.
We configure, monitor, and regularly test-restore backups for Perth businesses - so a backup that hasn't actually been verified never becomes your problem.
Backup & DR Services →Not sure what your current backup actually costs, or covers?
Call 0433 087 091 - we'll review your current setup and give you a clear, itemised quote for what proper coverage would cost.
Get a Free Backup ReviewFor related reading, see our guides to the 3-2-1 backup rule explained and how to test your business backup.