Neither CrashPlan nor Acronis is a universal winner. CrashPlan is a fit to evaluate for endpoint file backup, recovery, device migration, and SaaS protection; Acronis offers business Cyber Protect editions and a separate multi-tenant Cyber Protect Cloud service for MSPs. Choose by matching your workloads, recovery requirements, licensing model, administration needs, and a fully scoped quote—not by comparing product names or starting prices alone.
First, compare the right products
“Acronis” in this comparison means Acronis Cyber Protect for business IT teams or Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud for managed service providers. It does not mean the consumer Acronis True Image plan. CrashPlan likewise has multiple product families and subscription plans, with different purchase routes and licensing units.
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Start by identifying who will operate the service. An internal IT team should compare business endpoint and workload offerings; an MSP should specifically assess the multi-tenant and service-provider options. If SaaS protection is central, confirm coverage and licensing for the exact Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace services you use.
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At a glance
| Decision area | CrashPlan | Acronis | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audience and product scope | Business and endpoint plans, plus SaaS protection product families; purchase availability varies by tier. CrashPlan’s plan guide describes endpoint, server, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace coverage. | Cyber Protect editions for business IT; Cyber Protect Cloud for MSPs and service providers. | Whether the buyer is an internal IT team, MSP, or organization prioritizing SaaS backup. |
| Licensing | Depending on plan, licensing may be per device, storage usage, user, or device for MSPs. | Business editions are priced by protected workload or device type; Cloud pricing is custom and licensing models vary. | Count endpoints, servers, virtual machines, SaaS seats, storage, and add-ons on the same basis. |
| Backup and recovery | Plan guide describes file backup and recovery, device migration, and unlimited file-version retention; details vary by plan. | Features vary by edition and package. Cloud feature material describes instant restore and SaaS backup options. | Validate required workloads and recovery objectives in a scoped trial or demo. The vendor pages do not provide a shared independent performance benchmark. |
| Security and storage | Plan guide describes encryption in transit and at rest; confirm exact controls for the selected plan. | Cloud feature page lists AES-256 encryption in transit and at rest and immutable storage, with availability depending on package and account configuration. | Check key management, immutability setup, retention, data region, and whether protections are included or add-ons. |
| Local backup destination | An attached external drive can be used as a local destination if the organization enables the option. | A like-for-like local-destination comparison is not established by the cited comparison materials. | If local copies are required, verify supported destinations and administrator controls for the exact deployment. |
| Cost and purchase | Availability and sales channel vary by plan; pricing units are not uniform. | Public starting prices are listed for business editions; Cloud service-provider pricing is custom. | Compare a buyer-specific total for identical workloads, retention, recovery, security, and support. |
Which CrashPlan plans can new customers buy?
CrashPlan’s plan guide, updated July 27, 2026, says Small Business and Essential are unavailable for new purchase. Endpoint is available online, Enterprise is sold through its sales team, and MSP is handled through its partner team. Existing customers may still have legacy subscriptions, so confirm the product and terms on the organization’s current contract.
#1 Best Overall
- Slim durable design to help take your important files with you
- Vast capacities up to 6TB[1] to store your photos, videos, music, important documents and more
- Back up smarter with included device management software[2] with defense against ransomware
- Help secure your important files with password protection and hardware encryption
- 3-year limited warranty
The same guide lists support for Windows, Mac, and Linux, unlimited file-version retention, and encryption in transit and at rest, alongside core file backup, recovery, and device migration. Those are guide-level descriptions, not proof that every plan includes identical features, device allowances, or administrative controls. Match the required capabilities to the specific subscription before deciding.
How Acronis pricing differs
Acronis’s business product comparison lists these starting prices for its Cyber Protect editions. The page does not specify a publication year for the figures; it notes prices can vary by region, reseller, and subscription term. Treat them as starting points, not a complete or universally available quote.
Rank #2
- Slim durable design to help take your important files with you
- Back up smarter with included device management software[2] with defense against ransomware
- Help secure your important files with password protection and hardware encryption
- 3-year limited warranty
| Acronis business edition | Listed starting price | Pricing qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber Protect Standard | $85 | Starting price on Acronis’s product comparison page, accessed October 7, 2026; region, reseller, and subscription term can change the price. |
| Cyber Protect Backup Advanced | $109 | Starting price on Acronis’s product comparison page, accessed October 7, 2026; region, reseller, and subscription term can change the price. |
| Cyber Protect Advanced | $129 | Starting price on Acronis’s product comparison page, accessed October 7, 2026; region, reseller, and subscription term can change the price. |
Acronis describes business pricing by protected workload or device type. Cyber Protect Cloud is a distinct service-provider offering with custom pricing, rather than a continuation of the public starting-price list. Get a quote for the correct edition and inventory; the listed figures do not establish the total cost of a deployment.
Compare workloads, recovery, and security—not feature labels
Inventory what needs protection
List user endpoints, servers, virtual machines, and SaaS accounts separately. CrashPlan’s current plan guide covers local endpoints and servers as well as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace environments. Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud’s feature page names Exchange Online, OneDrive for Business, Teams, SharePoint Online, and Google Workspace. Coverage and licensing depend on the selected product and package, so ask vendors to map each workload to a specific plan and charge unit.
Rank #3
- Slim durable design to help take your important files with you
- Vast capacities up to 6TB[1] to store your photos, videos, music, important documents and more
- Back up smarter with included device management software[2] with defense against ransomware
- Help secure your important files with password protection and hardware encryption
- 3-year limited warranty
Define recovery requirements
“Backup” is not a recovery plan by itself. Specify the data and systems that must be restored, the recovery time your business can tolerate, how far back versions must reach, and who is authorized to initiate recovery. CrashPlan’s guide describes unlimited file-version retention, while Acronis Cloud material advertises instant restore; neither statement alone establishes recovery performance for your environment. Test representative files and workloads, including the steps an administrator must take.
Confirm security controls and storage terms
CrashPlan’s plan guide describes encryption in transit and at rest. Acronis Cloud feature material specifies AES-256 encryption in transit and at rest and describes immutable storage as ransomware protection. These are vendor-described capabilities, and availability can vary by package or account configuration. Confirm encryption and key-management details, how immutability is configured, retention rules, storage region, and any extra charges in writing.
Rank #4
- Massive capacity, up to 22TB capacity. (1TB = one trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.).Specific uses: Personal
- Includes software for device management and backup with password protection (Download and installation required. Terms and conditions apply. User account registration may be required.)
- 256-bit AES hardware encryption
- SuperSpeed USB (5 Gbps); USB 2.0 compatible
- Trusted storage built with WD reliability
When a local CrashPlan copy helps—and its limit
CrashPlan documents backing up attached external storage, including USB, Thunderbolt, and FireWire drives. An organization administrator can disable local destinations through policy. If enabled, an external hard drive can provide a convenient on-site copy, but a drive kept with the computers it protects can be lost to the same theft, fire, or other site-level incident. CrashPlan’s policy guidance recommends multiple destinations and describes an on-site plus off-site arrangement as a common setup; do not rely on one local drive as the entire disaster-recovery plan.
A practical way to choose
- Identify the operating model. Decide whether the service will be managed by your own IT team or delivered to customers by an MSP. Evaluate Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud specifically for multi-tenant service-provider needs.
- Build a workload count. Record endpoints, servers, virtual machines, SaaS users, and any required local destinations. Include the storage and retention your policies require.
- Write down recovery and security requirements. Specify recovery objectives, version and retention needs, encryption and key-management expectations, immutability, and storage-region constraints.
- Map each requirement to a purchasable plan. For CrashPlan, account for plan availability and its online, sales, or partner purchase route. For Acronis, separate business Cyber Protect editions from custom-priced Cyber Protect Cloud.
- Request comparable quotes and test recovery. Ask each vendor to price the same workload inventory, retention, security features, support, and term. Use a scoped trial or demo to verify the actual restore workflow; do not infer performance from feature descriptions.
Verdict: let your workload and operating model decide
CrashPlan merits consideration when its endpoint and file-recovery capabilities, version retention, device migration, or supported SaaS coverage align with the organization’s needs and purchase route. Acronis is worth evaluating when its workload-based business editions or MSP-oriented multi-tenant Cloud service better fit the operating model, and when the required package includes the security and recovery features you need. The available vendor materials do not establish a universal winner or a like-for-like independent performance advantage; the defensible choice comes from matching requirements and comparing scoped quotes.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 【Plug-and-Play Expandability】 With no software to install, just plug it in and the drive is ready to use in Windows（For Mac，first format the drive and select the ExFat format.
- 【Fast Data Transfers 】The external hard drives with the USB 3.0 cable to provide super fast transfer speed. The theoretical read speed is as high as 110MB/s-133MB/s, and the write speed is as high as 103MB/s.
- 【High capacity in a small enclosure 】The small, lightweight design offers up to 500GB capacity, offering ample space for storing large files, multimedia content, and backups with ease. Weighing only 0.35 Lbs, it's easy to carry "
- 【Wide Compatibility】Supports PS4 5/xbox one/Windows/Linux/Mac and other operating systems, ensuring seamless integration with game consoles,various laptops and desktops .
- Important Notes for PS/Xbox Gaming Devices: You can play last-gen games (PS4 / Xbox One) directly from an external hard drive. However, to play current-gen games (PS5 / Xbox Series X|S), you must copy them to the console's internal SSD first. The external drive is great for keeping your library on hand, but it can't run the new games.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
