In short
Microsoft 365 backup solutions keep a separate, restorable copy of your Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams data, and often Entra ID, beyond Microsoft's time-limited recycle bins. Forever Systems supplies five platforms, Acronis, Axcient x360Cloud, NinjaOne SaaS Backup, Redstor and Commvault, and explains Microsoft's own Microsoft 365 Backup so you can choose with the full picture.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us what you need to achieve and we will point you to the right option.
Why Microsoft 365 needs a separate backup
Microsoft runs a resilient service with replicated copies of your data, so a failed disk in a Microsoft datacentre does not lose your mail. What that resilience does not do is undo changes made through your own tenant. If a user deletes a project folder, a laptop syncs encrypted files into OneDrive, an attacker with a stolen admin password purges mailboxes, or a leaver's account is removed and forgotten, Microsoft 365 carries out the change faithfully. Under the Microsoft 365 shared responsibility model, your data, accounts and configuration are yours to protect, and Microsoft says its stance on that has not changed.
Microsoft does give you safety nets: recycle bins, deleted item retention, version history and retention policies. They are useful, but each is time-limited or designed for compliance rather than recovery. Our guides to the Microsoft 365 recycle bin and Microsoft 365 backup vs retention set out exactly where those limits are. A backup closes the gap: a separate copy, kept for as long as you decide, that you can restore from at the item, mailbox, site or account level.
Vendors we supply
The Microsoft 365 backup platforms we supply
We supply, set up and support five Microsoft 365 backup platforms. They all protect the core workloads; where they differ is in how they are licensed, where the copy is kept, what else they cover and how recovery works.
| Platform | What it backs up | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Acronis Microsoft 365 Backup | Exchange Online (user, shared and group mailboxes), OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams and supported Entra ID data | Per-seat licensing with unlimited Acronis Cloud storage, or a per-GB option using Microsoft 365 Backup Storage; sits in the same console as Acronis security services |
| Axcient x360Cloud | Exchange Online mail, calendars and contacts, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams | SmartSearch full-text search, AirGap protection against deletion requests, and pooled storage under Axcient's Fair Use Policy |
| NinjaOne SaaS Backup for Microsoft 365 | Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams (structure, channel messages and files), with Entra ID in the + Entra bundles | The former Dropsuite service; incremental backups several times a day and bundles that add Entra ID backup and email archiving |
| Redstor backup for Microsoft 365 | Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams and OneNote, including Class and Staff Notebooks | Now part of CyberSentriq; unlimited retention, malware-scanned backups and InstantData recovery |
| Commvault backup for Microsoft 365 | Exchange Online (including public folders, shared and group mailboxes), OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams | Formerly Metallic; three per-user editions, a UK region listed in Commvault's documentation and a Microsoft 365 Backup Storage option |
Each platform has its own page with the detail: workloads, restore options, storage, licensing and who it suits. The Microsoft 365 backup comparison puts them side by side, and the Microsoft 365 backup providers hub explains how we narrow the choice with you. Because we supply all five, we can recommend the one that fits rather than the one we happen to sell.
Not sure which option fits? Ask us
Tell us what you need and we will help you choose the right option.
Microsoft 365 Backup: Microsoft's own option
Microsoft also sells its own service, Microsoft 365 Backup, from the Microsoft 365 admin centre. It backs up OneDrive accounts, SharePoint sites and Exchange Online user and shared mailboxes, keeps the backups inside Microsoft 365's own data boundary, and offers a recovery window you can set at 3, 6, 12 or 24 months. It is billed pay-as-you-go to a linked Azure subscription, charged per GiB of protected data each month, and Microsoft says restores are free.
It is a serious option, particularly for fast, large-scale in-place restores. Its limits are scope and separation: it protects OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange Online only, so Teams channel files are covered through their SharePoint sites but Teams is not listed as a workload of its own; Entra ID is not covered; group and room mailboxes are not supported; and the backups stay inside the same Microsoft 365 service as your live data rather than with a separate provider. We do not sell Microsoft 365 Backup; we explain it on our Microsoft 365 Backup Storage page and compare it fairly in Microsoft 365 native backup, so you can decide whether it, a third-party platform or a mix of the two suits you. Two of the platforms we supply, Acronis and Commvault, can use Microsoft 365 Backup Storage as an option.
What each Microsoft 365 workload needs
Not every workload is protected in the same way, and not every product covers every workload. This is the short version; our Microsoft 365 data backup guide goes through each one.
| Workload | Native safety net | What a backup adds |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange Online | Deleted item retention of 14 days by default (up to 30); soft-deleted mailboxes kept for 30 days | Mail, calendars and contacts kept for as long as your policy says, including leavers, shared mailboxes and, with some platforms, archive mailboxes and public folders |
| OneDrive | Recycle bins for 93 days in total; Files Restore covering the last 30 days | Point-in-time copies that do not sync encryption or deletions, and a leaver's files kept after their account is gone |
| SharePoint | Version history; recycle bins for 93 days in total; deleted sites restorable for 93 days | Sites, libraries and lists restorable beyond the window, and recovery from mass encryption |
| Teams | A deleted team can be restored through its Microsoft 365 group for 30 days | Channel files and, depending on the platform, channel messages and team structure; check each vendor's chat coverage |
| Entra ID | Soft delete for 30 days for some objects; Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery (Entra ID P1 or P2) keeps up to seven days of daily backups | A longer history of users, groups and policies, held separately from the tenant |
Need help choosing?
We will recommend what fits your organisation and explain why, in plain English.
Restores, ransomware and compliance
A backup is only worth what you can restore from it. Our Microsoft 365 backup and restore guides walk through the common scenarios, from a single deleted email to restoring a deleted mailbox, a deleted SharePoint site or a deleted OneDrive, and show what Microsoft's own tools can do before a backup is needed.
For attacks, Microsoft 365 ransomware recovery explains the recovery order and what each platform offers, and immutable Microsoft 365 backup covers the NCSC's principles for ransomware-resistant backups. If you are answering a cyber insurance questionnaire or a data protection review, Microsoft 365 backup compliance covers UK GDPR, storage location and record keeping. And Microsoft 365 backup best practices turns all of it into a checklist.
How we help
Forever Systems is vendor-independent across these five platforms, and we can handle the whole job on one account:
- Assess: we look at your tenant with you: how many users, shared mailboxes and leavers, how much data, which workloads matter and how long you need to keep things
- Recommend: we suggest a platform and edition, and explain where Microsoft's own Microsoft 365 Backup would or would not fit
- Set up: we can connect the platform to your tenant, agree retention and who can restore, and run the first backups with you
- Test a restore: we can restore real items with you so you know the process works before you need it
- Handle licences: we can look after licence changes, renewals and the vendor relationship, with terms confirmed at quote
Microsoft 365 backup pricing explains how each option is charged; for figures, ask us for a quote. Forever Group also provides Microsoft 365 licences and support, so backup can sit alongside the tenant it protects.
Contact us to talk through your Microsoft 365 backup options.
More Microsoft 365 backup guides
Microsoft 365 BackupMicrosoft's own backup for OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange, explained.Compare backupThe five platforms we supply and Microsoft 365 Backup, side by side.ProvidersThe five Microsoft 365 backup platforms we supply, and how we choose one with you.What to back upExchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams and Entra ID: native safety nets and what a backup adds.Backup and restoreSeven common data-loss scenarios in Microsoft 365, the native route for each and when a backup restore is needed.Ransomware recoveryHow ransomware and compromised accounts damage Microsoft 365 data, and a recovery order that works.Backup and complianceUK GDPR, data location, NCSC guidance and insurance questions for Microsoft 365 backups.How Forever Systems helps with Microsoft 365 backup
We are an independent UK IT and cyber security provider. We supply more than one Microsoft 365 backup product, so we can recommend what fits your tenant, your retention needs and your budget rather than one vendor's answer to everything.
- Review what you have: we look at your Microsoft 365 licences, retention policies and any existing backup before suggesting anything new
- Help you choose: we compare the backup products we supply against the workloads you need covered, such as Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams and Entra ID
- Set-up and onboarding: we can help connect the backup service to your tenant and agree what is protected and how long copies are kept
- Restore testing: we can help you plan and run test restores so you know how recovery works before you need it
- Licensing in one place: backup licences alongside your Microsoft 365 subscriptions, with terms confirmed at quote
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. Contact us to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Microsoft 365 backup solution?
There is no single best one: it depends on your workloads, how long you need to keep data, where you want it stored and what else you want from the same console. Acronis suits organisations that want backup alongside security services, Commvault larger or mixed estates, Redstor organisations that use OneNote heavily or want malware-scanned backups, and NinjaOne SaaS Backup and Axcient x360Cloud straightforward per-user protection. We compare them with you and recommend one.
Does Microsoft back up Microsoft 365?
Microsoft keeps replicated copies of your data so its service survives hardware and datacentre failures, and it offers time-limited recycle bins and retention features. It also sells a separate Microsoft 365 Backup service. Under the shared responsibility model, protecting and recovering your data is still your responsibility, which is why a separate backup is worth having.
Is Microsoft 365 Backup the same as a third-party backup?
No. Microsoft 365 Backup keeps backups inside Microsoft 365's own data trust boundary and covers OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange Online user and shared mailboxes. Third-party platforms usually keep the copy outside your tenant and cover more, such as Teams and Entra ID, depending on the product. Our native vs third-party page compares them.
Can a backup keep a leaver's mailbox and OneDrive?
Yes. When a leaver's licence is removed, Microsoft deletes their mailbox after a 30-day grace period, and once their account is deleted their OneDrive is kept only for the OneDrive retention period (30 days by default) plus 93 days in the recycle bin. A third-party backup can keep a departed user's backed-up mail and files for the retention you set; how long, and how it affects licensing, differs by vendor, and we confirm it at quote.
How much does Microsoft 365 backup cost?
It depends on the platform, the number of users and, for some options, the amount of data. Most third-party platforms are licensed per user or seat, while Microsoft 365 Backup is billed per GiB of protected data. Ask us for a quote and we will price the options for your tenant.
Do I need to back up Microsoft Teams?
Usually, yes. Teams channel files live in SharePoint and chat files in OneDrive, so backing those up protects the files. Channel messages, chats and team structure are covered differently by each platform, and Microsoft 365 Backup does not list Teams as a workload, so check coverage before you choose.
Still have a question about Microsoft 365 backup?
Ask us and a member of our team will reply by email.