Backup Exec Is Gone.
Your Data Protection Doesn't Have to Be.

NovaBACKUP is an on-premises Windows Server backup solution built for small businesses. Same functionality you already know, but with transparent pricing and US-based support that actually responds.

Talk to an Expert
Buy Now — $399.95/year

Cloud Software Group discontinued selling Backup Exec on March 31, 2026. Although they claim to support customers until 2029 (depending on the version), this promise seems questionable given that the company didn't even exist four years ago.

So you need a replacement for your backup solution, and ideally one from a company that is stable and focused on the unique backup needs of small businesses.

NovaBACKUP Was Built for Small Business from Day One.

The product, the pricing, and the support model are all designed around what a small business actually needs:

  • Straightforward setup and maintenance
  • Predictable costs
  • A team that is there when something goes wrong

If your IT environment runs one to a handful of Windows servers or Hyper-V virtual machines, and you want to back up to an on-site NAS or external disk, NovaBACKUP is the backup solution for you.

And if you're managing backup for clients in healthcare, accounting, legal, or other regulated fields where keeping data on-site is part of staying compliant, NovaBACKUP gives you control without forcing you into a cloud architecture you didn't ask for.

Central-Management-Dashboard-screenshots

What NovaBACKUP Covers

Pick Your Backup Storage Destination. We Don't Care Which Brand.

NovaBACKUP supports a variety of local and offsite backup storage destinations. You can perform backups locally, to the cloud, or a combination of both, with the option to automatically push backups to cloud storage once the local backup is complete.

Local Backups to Any NAS or USB Disk Drive

From your preferred vendor. No need to replace existing hardware.

Tape Drive Support via LTFS Formatting

NovaBACKUP will see it as a standard disk destination. Check with your tape vendor for LTFS compatibility.

Cloud Storage via NovaBACKUP Cloud or Any S3-Compatible Provider.

Cloud is optional across all products. You are never required to send data offsite.

How NovaBACKUP Compares to
Backup Exec

Feature
Backup Exec
NovaBACKUP
Windows Server backup
Yes
Yes
Hyper-V backup
Yes — separate agent license required per host; VMs counted as instances in some editions.
Yes — agentless, unlimited VMs, no per-VM licensing. Agent inside guest recommended for single-file VM restore.
SQL Server backup
Yes, but requires separate Agent for applications and databases.
Yes — included in base license.
Backup methodology
Forever incremental
Incremental forever. One job covers backup and retention. No chain dependency. Up to 80% less storage than full + differential.
How incremental forever backup works →
Licensing model
Multiple editions (Bronze / Silver / Gold / Custom / V-Ray); separate license per agent, per instance, or capacity-based depending on edition.
Two options:
$399.95/year flat for single server (all features included)
Usage-based Managed Backup for multi-server environments
See pricing details →
On-premises storage
Yes — NAS, disk, tape
Yes — any NAS or USB disk, from any vendor.
Tape support
Full tape management, media rotation, library support
LTFS-formatted drives only (check with your tape vendor). No built-in tape management or media rotation.
Cloud storage
No
Optional. NovaBACKUP Cloud or any S3-compatible storage.
Support
Via Cloud Software Group
US-based. No tiered queues. Phone, email, ticket, or scheduled call.
Available to purchase
End of Sale March 31, 2026
Available Now

Straightforward Pricing. No Surprises.

 Are you an IT reseller or MSP? Join the Partner Program here → 

The Same Team. For Over 20 Years.

Profile Picture (Mike and Nate)

The company that owns Backup Exec didn't even exist four years ago. NovaBACKUP, on the other hand, has had the same leadership, focus, and customers for over two decades. When you switch to us, you're working with people who have been in the backup business longer than most backup companies have been around.

Our Goal

Our goal is to make backup easier, with high-performance software and professional support you can rely on. We want to share our industry expertise with partners and clients and educate them on the best data protection practices. Our focus is on delivering compliant, hardware and storage-neutral software solutions that meet the needs of our customers and partners — software distinguished by its quality, stability, and performance.

Want to learn more about us? Click here →

What out Customers Say

"Novabackup is a very solid data protection product for Windows. Support for the product is very good. The backup and data replication capability is very versatile supporting on prem and several cloud based backup options. Support is builtin for VMware, HyperV, Exchange and SQL. Cost is very reasonable compared to the competition. Very highly recommend Novabackup for any organizations backup needs."
Josh
Google Review
"This is an amazing backup application, easy to use, provides image backup! The Nova team is wonderful to work with and immediately responsive."
Lynne Welsby
Google Review
"I've been a NovaBackup customer for decades. The very few times I have needed customer support I have found them to be very responsive with almost instant solutions to any problem I had. I give them my highest recommendation."
Garry Hammond
Google Review
"We have never lost a file from a customer using NovaBACKUP solutions. More than one time our customers have been saved from threats like ransomware. It’s our goto backup solution for all our customer’s needs."
Jose Eduardo Oliveira, Partner at Qualitas Network
Case Study

Read more reviews on Google

US-Based Support That Knows Backup

We don't have tier-1 scripts, and our support team is based in the US. When you contact the NovaBACKUP support team, you'll reach someone who understands Windows Server environments because they have been doing this for years.

Call us, send us email, submit a ticket, or schedule a live session—whatever works for you.

Phone

+1 805-579-6700
Press 2 for support

Email

support@novabackup.com

Common Questions from Backup Exec Users

Can NovaBACKUP replace Backup Exec for Windows Server backup?

Yes. NovaBACKUP provides file- and image-level backup for Windows Server environments, as well as for Hyper-V with unlimited VMs and SQL Server. All of these features are included in the base license. Backups can be stored on NAS or USB disks from any vendor, and there is no cloud requirement.

Does NovaBACKUP require cloud storage?

No. While NovaBACKUP offers cloud backup to the NovaBACKUP Cloud, it is completely optional. NovaBACKUP also supports local backups to your preferred storage destination, including NAS, USB disks, and any LTFS-formatted tape.

Does the $399.95 license cover Hyper-V and SQL Server?

Yes. The NovaBACKUP Server Agent, available for $399.95 per year, includes Hyper-V backup with an unlimited number of VMs, as well as SQL Server backup. No add-on agents are required for either feature.

What storage hardware does NovaBACKUP support?

NovaBACKUP is compatible with any NAS device or USB disk drive, regardless of the brand or model. If your tape drive supports LTFS formatting, NovaBACKUP will treat it as a standard disk destination. Check with your tape vendor to see if they support LTFS. For offsite backup, NovaBACKUP offers its own cloud storage option and supports any S3-compatible cloud provider.

Is NovaBACKUP suitable for regulated industries like healthcare?

NovaBACKUP is used by medical and dental practices, accounting firms, and law offices, all of which require strict data governance. For businesses operating under strict data guidelines such as HIPAA, your backup data stays in your environment and on your storage, can be encrypted, and scheduled with custom retention settings. Nothing is sent offsite unless you choose to use the included cloud storage. NovaBACKUP aligns with HIPAA guidelines for on-premises data protection.

What if I have more than one server?

NovaBACKUP Managed Backup is designed for multi-server environments, including MSPs who manage backup for multiple clients and IT admins who oversee servers and PCs across multiple locations. It includes a multi-tenant management dashboard, and you only pay for the servers, PCs, and cloud storage that you use. Local backup is always free. Contact us for pricing.

How long has NovaBACKUP been around?

Over 20 years. The same company, leadership team, and focus on small business backup remain. NovaBACKUP has never been acquired, rebranded, or restructured.

Can I try NovaBACKUP before buying?

Yes. A free trial is available at novabackup.com/resources/free-trial.

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Ready to Move On from Backup Exec?

Whether you want to buy directly, ask a few questions first, or take either solution for a test run, we're here to help.
Buy Now — $399.95/year
Request a 30-Day Trial

Want to try it first? Download a 14-day free trial →

Want to talk first? Talk to a Backup Expert →

Easy, Silent Deployment with Backup Seeding Included

Effortlessly roll out of your client installations and updates. Just connect your clients to NovaBACKUP Managed Backup and start protecting their data. It’s that easy.

Automate deployment and installation of NovaBACKUP for your employees' or clients' laptops, workstations, and servers. Using an MSI-based installer, you can easily perform remote deployment, configurations, and backup job automation to support clients with remote workers, offsite locations or to handle new client and existing customers remotely.

Client Backup Software Licenses Included

NovaBACKUP Managed Backup includes client software installations for workstations and servers with unlimited local file, folder, application and VM backups. Plus, get image backups, which allow you to perform bare metal recovery or output an image to VHD or VHDX format to recover to a virtual machine.

 

Easy Management with a Bird's Eye View

The dashboard of the NovaBACKUP Central Management web-based interface offers a high-level view of customer activity. MSPs attain deep insight into local and offsite backups from anywhere. Drill down to see additional details about specific machines and backups.

Organize customers into custom groups and assign agents to manage them. Use a simple drag-and-drop tool to organize installations and admins. Quickly view activity logs for each group or agent.

Receive Real-time Notifications Based on Triggers

Immediate notification of activities based on your criteria. Generate reports based on users, groups, cloud storage and backup job status.

Flexible Cloud Storage Hosting with Usage Monitoring

Choose self-hosted private cloud or NovaBACKUP-hosted cloud, (in addition to local storage) depending on your business needs.

With NovaBACKUP-hosted cloud, gain insight and understand of your clients' cloud backup usage with a clear picture of each application requirement during a given time frame.

 

FastBit Technology with Block-Level Backup

FastBIT utilizes a block-level comparison between files already backed up on the storage server and files on a client machine being backed up. Once compared, FastBIT prepares and sends only the differences at the block level between those two files, allowing backups to be as small and fast as possible.

 

Physical to Virtual (P2V) VHDX Restore

Bring your own Backup and Disaster Recovery feature wherever you go. NovaBACKUP Managed Backup comes with a built-in physical-to-virtual feature, which means that you can spin up an image backup in any Hyper-V application.

 

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