If you're an MSP supporting small businesses, you already know backup isn't a "set it and forget it" thing. It requires constant monitoring, testing, and the ability to restore data when clients need it most.
This guide cuts through the marketing noise to help you evaluate the best managed backup solution based on what actually matters: recovery speed, reliability, and proof that your systems work.
We'll cover the practical side of delivering data protection from how to evaluate platforms to what makes a solution truly ransomware-resilient, and how to structure offerings that provide real protection instead of just storage. Whether you're looking to switch platforms or refine your current approach, this guide focuses on the operational reality of backup as a service for MSPs that support small businesses.
A managed service provider (MSP) delivers ongoing IT support to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) rather than just showing up when something breaks. For SMBs, this means consistent monitoring, proactive updates, security management, and user support on a subscription basis. It's predictable, budget-friendly, and far more effective than reactive break-fix IT.
The SBA reports that 81.9% of small businesses have no employees at all (SBA Office of Advocacy, 2024). For these micro-businesses especially, a managed approach is often the only practical path to reliable data protection without hiring internal IT staff.
When we talk about managed backup as a service, we're describing a complete service delivered by MSPs beyond just software and storage. As an MSP, you're taking ownership of the entire data protection lifecycle, making sure backup jobs run consistently, addressing failures promptly, and most importantly, proving restores actually work when clients need them.
For SMBs, managed backup is crucial because data protection tends to fail for mundane reasons:
Then months later, when your client desperately needs a restore, you discover the coverage has gaps.
As an MSP, your job is to turn this into a living, breathing service with clear ownership, consistent monitoring, and regular restore testing that produces evidence. That way these situations don't happen.
We all know that the requirements for cybersecurity and data protection have changed over the last years. Simply copying data from a computer to an external hard drive hasn't been a valid solution for a long time.
Everything is digital now. Businesses store critical information on computers, government entities expect digital submissions, and most customer interactions happen online. With that came stricter regulations, more attack surface for cyber criminals, and even more risk for human error (How often have you had to restore an accidentally deleted file?).
A backup solution that supports MSPs in delivering the managed backup service has to do a lot nowadays. But on top of that, the services you offer around the backup software are even more important.
Here are the critical features and services that consistently matter for MSPs supporting small businesses.
An MSP's role is to translate technical details into business language for their SMB clients, for example, "All 15 devices protected successfully last night" or "We detected a failure on Sarah's laptop and resolved it this morning."
A backup solution that lets you review backup jobs easily proves you're on top of things and builds trust. Good reporting also catches problems early. If backup windows are getting longer, if storage usage is spiking unexpectedly, or if restore tests are taking more time than they should, you need to know before it becomes a crisis.
As a service provider, you need a single dashboard that shows you the status of all backup jobs across all clients, lets you apply consistent policies, and alerts you immediately when something fails.
Real multi-tenancy also means tenant isolation, role-based access control, and the ability to manage policies at scale without drowning in administrative overhead.
Ransomware attacks often target backup repositories first. If attackers can encrypt or delete your clients' protected copies, recovery options disappear.
Immutability comes in multiple forms, and the best MSP backup solutions use both:
This dual-layer approach provides protection even if attackers penetrate multiple security boundaries. The storage itself cannot be altered, and the software continuously repairs any gaps.
CISA's StopRansomware Guide explicitly recommends additional encrypted offline copies and regular restore testing to confirm backup integrity (CISA, 2023). This isn't optional anymore. If you're delivering services without immutability and isolation, you're leaving clients vulnerable.
Protected data you haven't tested is just expensive storage. NIST's Guide for Cybersecurity Event Recovery emphasizes testing and continuous improvement as essential components of recovery readiness (NIST, 2016).
Your backup software should make restore testing straightforward, not a burden. Ideally, you want automated verification that proves data integrity without manual intervention. But that's not enough. Any software can fail, so you also need a documented process for quarterly tests of critical systems, and you need to actually do them.
Every client conversation should include two questions: How much data can you afford to lose? And how long can you be offline? These translate directly into RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and RTO (Recovery Time Objective) targets, which then drive your backup frequency, retention policies, and recovery procedures.
Part of delivering professional service is helping clients understand these concepts and setting realistic expectations.
Small businesses typically run a mix of Windows endpoints and Servers, and SQL and SaaS applications like Microsoft365, storing the data on external disks and NAS devices. Your service needs to cover all of it from a single platform.
Pay special attention to:
Beyond cybersecurity solutions, look for features that protect both your production environment and backup files from ransomware while ensuring reliable recovery.
In addition to the above-mentioned aspects of immutability and restore testing, look for backup solutions that:
These features work together as layers of defense. For example, Incremental Forever backup enables more frequent backup jobs (hourly if needed) without overwhelming storage or bandwidth, which dramatically reduces your Recovery Point Objective (RPO). Combined with a hybrid backup architecture, you can restore quickly from local copies while maintaining immutable cloud copies as insurance against local compromise.
These ransomware protections build on the foundational 3-2-1 backup rule: three copies of data, on two different media types, with one copy offsite.
Take a look at how NovaBACKUP ensures that your backups are protected from ransomware:
You've probably seen those "Top 10 MSP Backup Solutions" lists that all seem to rank the same vendors in slightly different orders. Most of them are paid placements or affiliate-driven content designed to drive clicks instead of helping you make informed decisions.
But when it comes down to it, when we talk with MSPs, these are the decisions we hear them make.
Before you look at any vendor, document what your typical client needs:
This gives you a filter to eliminate solutions that don't fit before you waste time on demos.
Marketing materials always lead with features like "AI-powered detection!", "Unlimited storage!", "Military-grade encryption!". But features don't matter if you can't restore data quickly and reliably when clients need it.
Ask vendors how their solution handles various recovery scenarios:
Get trial access and test the backup solution yourself. Set up a few test clients and add backup jobs. Then check:
The interface you use every day matters more than the feature list in the marketing deck. A powerful platform with an inefficient interface will slow you down and increase the chance of mistakes
And while you're testing the software, also test the vendor's support. How quickly do they get back to you? Do they offer other contact options other than email? How well does the support know your MSP-specific pain points?
Look beyond the sticker price:
A platform that seems cheap but requires twice as much of your time isn't actually cheaper. Factor in your hourly rate when comparing options and always check what ALL the costs involved are. In addition, check how you're being invoiced. Is it transparent? Can you verify what you're being charged for?
Storage costs are particularly important to understand. Modern backup methodologies like Incremental Forever reduce storage requirements by 80% or more compared to traditional full + differential strategies.
You're making a multi-year commitment, because implementing and setting up a backup solution is a longer project and you likely don't want to switch that solution anytime soon. So, you need confidence that the vendor will still be around and is still investing in the product in the coming years.
When talking to the vendor, check:
Working with hundreds of MSPs has shown us certain patterns. The best backup solutions for MSPs share specific characteristics that go beyond feature checklists. Here's what actually matters when choosing a platform to build your managed backup service for your SMB clients on.
Many vendors claim to support MSPs, but true multi-tenancy is rare. What separates the best solutions:
If the vendor's demo shows them managing one client at a time, that's a red flag.
Every vendor claims ransomware protection. The best MSP backup solutions prove it with specific, testable capabilities:
Pricing models vary widely, and the cheapest option is rarely the best value. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind:
The best managed backup solutions let you build profitable, predictable offerings. If you can't forecast costs confidently as clients grow, you'll either lose money or constantly adjust client pricing. Neither is sustainable.
When a client is down and you need help immediately, generic support doesn't cut it.
Look for platforms that provide:
Ask current customers about the quality of the support. And check review sites for recent feedback.
Small businesses typically run Windows-heavy environments. While some MSPs need cross-platform support for Linux, Mac, and various hypervisors, many don't. If your clients don't need anything else other than support for Windows systems, look for a vendor that is focused on the Microsoft ecosystem.
Deep integration with Windows Server, Active Directory, SQL, and Windows endpoints are often simpler to manage because they're not trying to be everything to everyone. Also, they are usually more cost-effective for Windows-only setups, which is common in most SMB environments. In addition, look for application-aware backups that can capture SQL databases, and other applications in consistent states without user interruption.
Don't pay for capabilities you won't use. But also, don't choose a platform that can't grow with you. Know your current needs and your likely expansion paths.
The best backup solution for your MSP isn't necessarily the one with the most features or the biggest marketing budget. It's the one that:
Use the evaluation framework in Section 3 to test platforms against these criteria. Don't rely on vendor comparisons or review sites. Instead, get trial access and test the actual workflows you'll use every day.
Michael Gustine runs MG Technology, a one-person IT services company supporting small businesses and individuals in his local community. For over 20 years, he built his business on break-fix work, PC refurbishing, and project-based support. It worked, but it came with challenges: constant driving to client sites, unpredictable revenue, and the reality that manual backup management didn't scale.
Michael had used NovaBACKUP for years to protect client data on external drives. But as his customer base grew, the model broke down. Every failed backup meant another site visit. Every restore was disruptive. He needed a more efficient approach that didn't require hiring staff.
After seeing NovaBACKUP Managed Backup working efficiently at a colleague's business, Michael made the decision to transition his own offering with the goal to provide better service to clients while building predictable monthly revenue.
He created a bundled package, combining NovaBACKUP for data protection with dedicated cloud storage, endpoint protection for security, and remote management capabilities, all for a fixed monthly fee per client.
The results were immediate. Michael could now monitor all backups from his desk. No more driving across town because a job failed. No more discovering months later that a laptop wasn't being protected. The remote management console gave him complete visibility without leaving the office.
Michael highlights several factors that made the transition successful:
Client feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. They appreciate the added security of cloud-based backups and value the simplicity of predictable monthly pricing. More importantly, they trust that their data is protected.
For Michael's business, the change is transformative. He's targeting 17-25% growth in his backup customer base by year's end, converting existing relationships into ongoing service contracts and attracting new prospects—all without increasing his workload or hiring staff.
As he puts it: "I'm looking to build a monthly residual income stream with this, because once it's set up, I can envision it needing very little maintenance on my part."
This model works because it's built on operational efficiency. Fewer truck rolls, less time troubleshooting failed local backups, lower overhead, and the ability to serve clients beyond his immediate geographic area. The bundled offering provides real value to clients while scaling Michael's time instead of consuming it.
Michael's experience demonstrates several principles that apply broadly:
With the evaluation criteria above in mind, it's useful to look at how one platform approaches these challenges in practice.
NovaBACKUP was built with MSP workflows in mind, specifically for service providers supporting small businesses with Windows-centric environments. The focus has been less on adding surface-level features and more on making day-to-day backup operations reliable, visible, and provable.
Backup failures in small business environments rarely happen during large-scale disasters. They happen quietly when a job fails overnight, storage fills up, a configuration changes, or a device falls out of scope. If nobody notices, the problem only surfaces when a restore is needed.
NovaBACKUP's management interface is designed around catching these issues early. MSPs can quickly see the backup status across all clients, track storage usage trends, identify failed jobs with clear explanations, and receive alerts that point to specific actions. The goal is to reduce the time spent hunting through logs or investigating silent failures.
When clients ask what happens if ransomware hits, MSPs need to be able to explain, and show, how data remains recoverable.
NovaBACKUP addresses this through multiple, complementary layers:
These mechanisms are visible and auditable. MSPs can walk clients through retention settings, integrity checks, and verification logs to provide evidence that protection is working, not just configured.
Restore testing often gets deprioritized because it is manual, disruptive, or time-consuming. NovaBACKUP integrates verification directly into the backup process through automated integrity checks and unified restore views.
Rather than managing backup chains or guessing which backup contains the required data, MSPs can select a point in time and view the complete file structure needed for recovery. This lowers the barrier to regular testing and makes it easier to document results for internal reviews or client discussions.
This approach aligns with guidance from organizations like CISA and NIST, which emphasize regular testing and verifiable recovery capabilities as part of a resilient backup strategy.
NovaBACKUP's Incremental Forever approach is designed to reduce overhead for both MSPs and their SMB clients. After an initial full backup, subsequent jobs capture only changed blocks while maintaining a complete, point-in-time restore view.
For MSPs, this translates into:
For small businesses with limited budgets and tight recovery expectations, this balance between efficiency and recoverability is critical.
Learn more about how Incremental Forever addresses modern backup challenges.
Backup pricing needs to scale predictably as clients grow. NovaBACKUP's pricing model is designed to avoid hidden fees, surprise overages, or rigid contract minimums that make forecasting difficult. This helps service providers build backup offerings with consistent margins and fewer billing surprises, both internally and for clients.
When backups fail or restores are urgent, response time matters. NovaBACKUP's support model is built around MSP use cases, with teams familiar with multi-tenant environments and service provider workflows. The goal is to resolve issues quickly without forcing MSPs to explain their operating model or urgency from scratch.
Use this checklist when evaluating platforms to ensure you're asking the right questions.
☐ True multi-tenant architecture with single dashboard for all clients
☐ Coverage for your clients' platforms (Windows, M365, etc.)
☐ Incremental Forever or similar efficient backup methodology
☐ Application-aware backups for SQL-based applications
☐ Support for hybrid backup (local + cloud in one job)
☐ Adheres to 3-2-1 backup rule architecture
☐ Software-enforced immutability (continuous integrity verification)/p>
☐ Storage-level immutability options (Object Lock or equivalent)
☐ Air-gapped or isolated storage options
☐ Automated restore testing and verification
☐ Granular recovery options (files, folders)
☐ Clear, actionable alerts for failed jobs
☐ Email notifications for critical events
☐ Role-based access control
☐ Reporting suitable for client review meetings
☐ Intuitive interface that doesn't require constant training
☐ Backup verification (integrity checks) built into workflow
☐ Automated alerts for failed integrity checks
☐ Unified restore view (no manual chain management)
☐ Transparent, predictable pricing you can forecast
☐ No hidden costs (data egress, restore fees, premium features)
☐ Flexible contract terms (monthly vs. annual)
☐ Clear invoicing you can verify against usage
☐ Margin potential that supports your business model
☐ Storage options that match client budgets
☐ Responsive support with MSP expertise
☐ Regular product updates and platform compatibility
☐ Financial stability and longevity
☐ Positive reviews from other MSPs serving SMBs
☐ Clear product roadmap aligned with your needs
☐ Backup is a core focus, not a side product
☐ Trial period available to test real workflows
☐ Setup multiple test clients to evaluate multi-tenancy
☐ Perform actual backup and restore tests
☐ Measure time investment for setup and daily management
☐ Test support responsiveness with real questions
☐ Verify reporting meets your client communication needs
So, what is the best managed backup solution for MSPs? The honest answer is that it depends on your client mix, operational model, and the level of responsibility you take for data protection.
For MSPs supporting small businesses, backup success is rarely about having the longest feature list. It comes down to operational reliability, backups that run consistently, issues that are detected early, and restores that work when they are needed. A platform that supports multi-tenant management, clear reporting, ransomware resilience, and regular verification helps turn backup from a reactive task into a dependable service.
Cost structure matters just as much as technical capability. Predictable pricing, transparent billing, and efficient use of storage make it possible to build backup offerings that scale without eroding margins or forcing frequent price adjustments for clients. Just as importantly, the platform should match your clients' actual environments rather than introducing unnecessary complexity.
Platforms like NovaBACKUP are designed around these practical requirements, particularly for MSPs working in Windows-centric SMB environments. Others may be better suited for MSPs with enterprise clients, highly diverse infrastructures, or specialized compliance needs. There is no universal best option, only a best fit.
The most reliable way to evaluate any backup solution is to test it in the context of your real workflows. Set up trial clients, run backups, perform restores, review alerts, and assess how much time daily management actually requires. Focus less on marketing claims and more on whether the platform helps you deliver backup as a service with confidence and consistency.
When you provide managed services, clients are trusting you not just to store their data, but to recover it. Choosing software that supports clear ownership, verifiable protection, and repeatable processes is what ultimately earns that trust and keeps clients with you long term.
Ready to explore how NovaBACKUP can help you build a profitable managed backup service? Talk to a backup expert to discuss your specific needs and see if our platform is the right fit.