Arcserve ShadowProtect
What Arcserve ShadowProtect is
Arcserve ShadowProtect backs up and restores Windows and Linux computers and servers through image-based protection. It covers physical and virtual machines, as well as supported workloads such as Exchange, SQL Server, SharePoint, IIS, Hyper-V, Dynamics CRM, VMware vCenter, Oracle Database, and custom applications. Supported SaaS services include Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Azure DevOps, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power BI, Salesforce, Google Workspace, Zendesk, Jira Cloud, and Confluence Cloud.
Backups can run multiple times daily and use incremental images, encryption, cloud image destinations, and immutable storage. Application-aware backup and audit logs are also supported. Recovery options include item-level and bare-metal restores, plus bootable recovery media. For continuity planning, ShadowProtect supports test failover, failover orchestration, and failback orchestration. Deployment is hybrid.
Arcserve offers annual and two-year subscriptions with updates, upgrades, and standard technical support during the subscription period. A perpetual license covers one system in physical or virtual environments. Pricing is on request, and a 30-day trial is available. There is no free plan.
Who it suits
ShadowProtect suits organizations that need image backups for Windows or Linux systems across physical and virtual environments. It may also fit teams protecting the listed business applications or SaaS services, and those that need item-level recovery or failover capabilities.
What it does well
- Backs up Windows and Linux computers and servers.
- Covers physical and virtual machines.
- Supports multiple daily backups and incremental images.
- Offers item-level and bare-metal restore options.
- Includes failover, failback, and test failover support.
- Supports cloud image destinations and immutable backups.
What to know first
- There is no free plan.
- Pricing is available on request.
- The listed trial lasts 30 days.
Limits
There is no free plan; the listed trial lasts 30 days. The perpetual license covers one system, while subscription pricing is on request.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Annual subscription | Access to updates and upgrades · Standard technical support during the subscription period | On request |
| Two-year subscription | Access to updates and upgrades · Standard technical support during the subscription period | On request |
| Perpetual license | One license per system · Applies to physical and virtual environments | On request |
| ShadowProtect SPX Desktop (Windows) | annual subscription · Windows desktops and laptops · maintenance and standard support included | $47 a year |
| ShadowProtect SPX Server (Windows) | annual subscription · Windows servers · maintenance included | $511 a year |
| ShadowProtect SPX Desktop (Windows) - 2 Years | two-year subscription · Windows desktops and laptops · maintenance included | $83.96, paid once |
| ShadowProtect Basic listing | one-time, per feature · Capterra listed starting price · quotation required | $99.95, paid once |
As arcserve.com lists them, read 21 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit the Arcserve ShadowProtect product website.
- Choose the 30-day trial or ask Arcserve about pricing.
- Select an annual subscription, two-year subscription, or perpetual license.
- Deploy in a hybrid environment on supported Windows or Linux systems.
Verdict
Choose Arcserve ShadowProtect if you need image-based protection across Windows or Linux systems, with options for recovery and failover orchestration. Look elsewhere if you need a free plan or want pricing published before contacting Arcserve.
Questions
Is there a free plan?
No. A 30-day trial is listed.
How much does Arcserve ShadowProtect cost?
Pricing is on request; no plan prices are listed.
Which platforms does it support?
It supports Windows and Linux, including physical and virtual machines.
What license options are available?
Annual and two-year subscriptions include updates, upgrades, and standard technical support during the subscription period. A perpetual license covers one system in physical or virtual environments.
Can ShadowProtect back up SaaS services?
Supported services include Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Azure DevOps, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power BI, Salesforce, Google Workspace, Zendesk, Jira Cloud, and Confluence Cloud.
What restore and failover options does it provide?
It supports item-level and bare-metal restore, bootable recovery media, test failover, failover orchestration, and failback orchestration.
Facts from Arcserve ShadowProtect's own pages
- API
- The June 2026 ImageManager 8.1 release added an API that exports verification data to dashboards, reporting systems and automation tools. · arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Backup scope
- image · arcserve.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Company facts
- LinkedIn lists Arcserve as a privately held IT services company founded in 1983 with headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and 501-1,000 employees. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Computer backup
- Yes · arcserve.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Continuous backups
- SPX can run a full base image followed by incremental backups on a schedule as frequent as every 15 minutes. · buy.storagecraft.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- Arcserve publishes SPX, ShadowProtect for Windows, ImageManager, ShadowControl, Recovery Environment, release notes and cross-platform user guides. · documentation.arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Encryption
- Backup images can be password-protected with RC4-128, AES-128 or AES-256 encryption. · documentation.arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 1983 · arcserve.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- No · arcserve.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Headquarters
- Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States · arcserve.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Hyper-V host protection
- ShadowProtect 8.0 added native host-based Microsoft Hyper-V protection alongside agent-based backups. · arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Hypervisor coverage
- The virtual license documentation lists Citrix XenServer, Linux KVM, VMware, Hyper-V, VirtualBox, Proxmox, RHEV, everRun and VMware Workstation. · documentation.arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- ImageManager
- ImageManager verifies, consolidates, replicates and reports on ShadowProtect backup images. · arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Immutable storage integration
- Arcserve Cloud Cyber Resilient Storage provides immutable cloud copies integrated with ShadowProtect and ImageManager. · arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The documentation bookshelf includes PSA integrations for Autotask and ConnectWise, plus ShadowControl and ShadowStream guides. · documentation.arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Legal name
- Arcserve documentation identifies the legal entity as Arcserve LLC. · documentation.arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: image-only backup
- PCWorld noted that ShadowProtect backs up complete drives or volumes rather than directly backing up individual files and folders. · pcworld.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: licensing and validation
- Gartner Peer Insights reviewers cited licensing-related backup failures, lengthy integrity validation and confusing process reporting. · gartner.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: management complexity
- TrustRadius reviewers mentioned difficult remote management, occasional off-site replication problems and manual maintenance of backup chains. · trustradius.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: pricing
- PCWorld characterized the desktop product as expensive for end users, and Capterra reviewers commonly rated value for money below other categories. · pcworld.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: support and reliability
- Capterra reviewers reported slow support, bugs, backup failures and time-consuming troubleshooting when chains or restores failed. · capterra.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Linux installation
- Linux SPX is installed from Arcserve's public repository and requires a sudo-capable user. · documentation.arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Management
- SPX provides remote monitoring and management of other SPX systems over HTTP. · documentation.arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Notable news
- On June 4, 2026 Arcserve announced ShadowProtect 8.0 and ImageManager 8.1 with host-based Hyper-V protection and expanded verification reporting and API capabilities. · arcserve.com, 15 Oct 2026
Where Arcserve ShadowProtect stands on Freedom251
- Backup software#90 of 151