Share this
by Nathan.Fouarge on Aug 12, 2026, 8:00:01 AM
Every year, more server backups are being stored in the cloud. According to NovaBACKUP's own customer data, cloud storage usage for backups increased by 91.6% between August 2023 and August 2025. And why not? Offsite protection, storage that grows as data grows, and access from anywhere are solid benefits of using cloud storage for backups.
The actual question is not whether to use cloud storage for server backups (that question is answered here), but which option to use and what it can and cannot do as part of a backup plan. Not all "clouds" are the same product, and the storage you choose affects the restore process as much as the backup software.
This blog covers real options, what to check before committing to one, and when the cloud is no longer enough.
Table of Contents
- What "Cloud" Actually Means for Server Backup
- What to Keep in Mind When Picking a Cloud Destination for Server Backup
- Why Cloud Backup Alone Still Won't Cut It for Your Server
- What You Need for Cloud Backup of Your Server
- Frequently Asked Questions
What "Cloud" Actually Means for Server Backup
Not all clouds are the same, and the term "cloud storage" is used for multiple different things. Specifically in the context of server backup, there are different options you can use.
Most backup software designed for MSPs can target any of the different cloud storage options, sometimes even within the same job. The most appropriate option depends on the client's budget, compliance needs, and how much the MSP wants to manage directly versus handing off to a separate storage vendor.
Your Backup Vendor's Own Cloud
This type of cloud storage is built and operated by the company that developed your backup software. Billing and support also remain in one place. If a server restore goes wrong, you only need to call one vendor, rather than a backup vendor and a separate storage provider who are pointing fingers at each other.
One example is NovaBACKUP Cloud. It's part of the overall backup platform, so setup only involves picking a region and turning it on rather than configuring a separate storage account and connecting it afterwards. It uses AES-256 encryption, offers storage regions in the US, Germany, and Canada, and bills based on the amount of data stored in the cloud after compression rather than for the server backup selected dataset.
Third-Party Public Cloud or Object Storage
Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, and Impossible Cloud are services that sell cloud storage independently of any particular backup software. AWS and Azure, the hyperscalers, offer the widest range of compliance certifications and the largest ecosystem. But their pricing is tiered and they tend to charge additional egress fees, which could affect you during a server restore.
Wasabi and Impossible Cloud take a different approach. Both are S3-compatible and offer flat, no-egress-fee pricing to keep costs more predictable during a restore. Impossible Cloud also runs exclusively in EU data centers, which is useful for clients with strict residency requirements. Regardless of which cloud provider you choose, storage, billing, and support are separate from your backup vendor. Therefore, a failed restore could result in two support tickets instead of one.
Here is an example of how to add third-party cloud storage to a backup job for your server using NovaBACKUP:
Private Cloud or Self-Hosted Cloud
A private cloud or self-hosted data center is infrastructure that a business owns and operates itself. Sometimes, an MSP manages it on the business's behalf. It is hosted at a separate site rather than in the local server room. This option provides the most control over where the data is stored and who can access it. This is important for clients in government, defense, and the most heavily regulated sectors of finance and healthcare.
The trade-off is that someone has to manage it. Capacity planning, redundancy, patching, and disaster recovery for the cloud storage itself are all the responsibility of whoever owns it. For most SMB clients, this overhead outweighs the benefits, which is why private cloud and self-hosted options are far less common than the other two.
What to Keep in Mind When Picking a Cloud Destination for Server Backup
Use It for Backup, and Nothing Else
General-purpose cloud storage is a cloud storage location that holds active files and shared documents. It often allows access to multiple users, which increases the likelihood of accidental deletion or ransomware spreading into it. General-purpose cloud storage typically lacks the backup-specific encryption, retention, and immutability that dedicated backup destinations have by design.
Keep the cloud backup destination isolated for your server's backup data only. This creates a smaller attack surface and ensures that the retention and recovery rules remain predictable rather than being inherited from the original cloud storage setup.
Sync Is Not Backup
A synced folder mirrors changes in real time, including those caused by ransomware encryption or accidental deletion. A backup creates independent copies at set intervals instead. For a full breakdown of the differences between server backup and sync services, see our blog "What Do You Mean OneDrive Isn't Backup?"
Check Egress and Restore Costs Before You Need Them
Some providers charge extra for each gigabyte transferred, each restore request, and each API call, in addition to the monthly storage fee. These charges are small individually, but they add up quickly during an actual restore when a client needs their entire server back at once. Ask for the fee schedule in writing before committing to anything.
Confirm Real Immutability, Not Just Version History
of ransomware victims experienced an attempt by attackers to compromise their backups, and 57% of those attempts were successful.
Sophos, 2024/2025
One backup-related feature that can help you avoid this issue and recover your server is immutability. Also known as an object lock or WORM, it prevents a backup set from being altered or deleted for a specified period of time. Not even someone with admin privileges can change it. Unlike a standard version history, immutability cannot be cleared by anyone with account access, which is precisely what ransomware targets first.
For more information on how different immutability approaches work as part of your server cloud backup, see our guide to immutable backups for SMBs.
Know Where the Data Physically Sits
"It's in the cloud" is not helpful. Clients with compliance requirements need a specific storage location. HIPAA requires end-to-end encryption and a signed Business Associate Agreement with any entity storing the data. GDPR goes further, specifying acceptable physical locations and requiring the ability to fulfill deletion requests on demand.
Make sure you know where your data is being stored and if the cloud storage aligns with relevant compliance requirements.
Look for Single-Dashboard Management Across All Three
A platform that only manages its own cloud backup storage well leaves a gap when a client needs a private or public cloud from a specific provider. Stronger platforms allow IT professionals to see and manage storage and backup jobs across all three types of clouds, private, public, and the vendor's own, from one dashboard. This eliminates the need to log into a separate environment for each destination type.
This is most important when working with a mixed client base. One client may require private cloud storage, while another may be fine with the vendor's own cloud storage.
Why Cloud Backup Alone Still Won't Cut It for Your Server
No matter which cloud destination you choose for your server backup, there's one more thing to consider: bandwidth.
Restoring 2 TB of data from cloud storage over a standard 100 Mbps connection takes roughly 45 to 55 hours if the backup solution can use the entire bandwidth at once. This number doesn't change much based on the cloud provider because the connection is the main constraint.
average cost of downtime for SMBs with fewer than 200 employees, which adds up quickly even at the low end of a 45-hour recovery time.
ITIC, Global Server Hardware, Server OS Reliability Survey, 2024
A cloud-only setup is also a single point of failure. If the provider experiences an outage or a support ticket is held in a queue during an active incident, there is no fallback option. The only solution here is an additional local backup of the server.
None of this is an argument against cloud storage. It argues against relying on it by itself. Cloud storage handles offsite protection well. But it was never designed to be a fast recovery path for your server. A local backup covers what the cloud can't.
What You Need for Cloud Backup of Your Server
Cloud storage is an important part of a server backup strategy, but it shouldn't be used as a replacement for the entire strategy. Choose a destination that fits your budget and compliance needs. Keep it dedicated to backup and read the fine print on egress and immutability before committing. Then, pair it with a local backup because clients (understandably) almost always expect fast restore speeds.
See how NovaBACKUP can handle server backup to local storage, its own cloud, or third-party cloud storage providers like Wasabi and Impossible Cloud, all in one job. Start a free trial and compare it to your current setup.
Looking for more?
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
What's the difference between a vendor's cloud and a third-party option like Wasabi?
A vendor's own cloud is provisioned to work with that specific backup platform. Setup, billing, and support stay in one place. Third-party providers like Wasabi and Impossible Cloud sell storage independently. The pricing flexibility is real, but a failed restore means two support relationships instead of one.
FAQ
Why do egress fees matter for server backup specifically?
Egress fees are per gigabyte moved out of storage. During routine monitoring they're negligible. During a full server restore, you're moving everything at once. That's when the per-GB charges add up fast. Wasabi and Impossible Cloud don't charge egress fees. AWS and Azure do.
FAQ
Is version history the same as immutability?
No. Version history keeps older copies but anyone with account access can clear it. Object lock and WORM policies block changes for a defined period, even with admin credentials. Ransomware goes after elevated account access first. Version history doesn't survive that. Immutability does.
FAQ
How long does a cloud-only server restore actually take?
Restoring 2TB over a standard 100 Mbps connection takes 45 to 55 hours. The bottleneck is bandwidth, not the cloud provider. For SMBs where downtime costs $100,000 per hour on average, that timeline is a business problem. A local copy is what closes the gap.
FAQ
Which cloud option works for HIPAA or GDPR compliance?
HIPAA requires end-to-end encryption and a signed Business Associate Agreement. GDPR requires acceptable physical storage locations and the ability to fulfill deletion requests. NovaBACKUP Cloud offers regions in the US, Germany, and Canada with AES-256 encryption. Impossible Cloud runs exclusively in EU data centers. The vendor's willingness to sign the compliance paperwork matters as much as the storage itself.
FAQ
Can one backup job write to both local and cloud storage?
Yes. NovaBACKUP lets you configure a single job that writes to local storage and cloud storage simultaneously, with independent retention policies for each destination. Local copies can rotate faster for quick restores. Cloud copies stay longer for compliance or disaster recovery. One job covers both without managing them separately.
Sources
- NovaBACKUP customer data, August 2023–August 2025
- Sophos. State of Ransomware. 2024/2025
- ITIC. Global Server Hardware, Server OS Reliability Survey. 2024
Worth Reading
What to Look for in Cloud Storage for Server Backup
7 Things MSPs Should Look for in a Managed Backup Platform in 2026
Share this
