Finding the right SysCloud alternative could be the key to solving your backup woes. While SysCloud has a loyal following, it has a few drawbacks. For instance, it doesn’t protect all your Google Workspace data, such as the information stored in Google Chat. Also, it can be difficult to use for non-technical users.
In this comparison, we discuss the pros and cons of the platform in detail. We also suggest powerful SysCloud alternatives that you can use to backup your Google Workspace account.
What is SysCloud?
SysCloud is one of the most popular names you’ll come across while researching cloud backup solutions for your team or organization. In one sentence, SysCloud is:
An automated cloud backup solution with an AI co-pilot that creates data backups for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) apps.
SysCloud isn’t natively designed for Google backup. Instead, it supports multiple cloud services like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Google Classroom, QuickBooks, Box, Slack, HubSpot, and Salesforce. Backup for Xero is currently in beta and the company is working on a ZenDesk backup solution as well.
The company was founded in 2013 and is based out of New Jersey in the US. All data backups to SysCloud are stored on Amazon Web Services (AWS) servers in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Japan.
What does SysCloud do?
SysCloud connects with your Google Workspace account and fetches data from select Google services at regular intervals to store a copy in a different location. In case of a cyber attack, cloud outage, or accidental data loss, you can access this backup instead of the original copy.
SysCloud lets you restore data to a specific point in time, when the data was last intact and undamaged. It retains data indefinitely, or you can configure a custom data retention policy.
In addition to backup, SysCloud also offers eDiscovery features and data archiving. Therefore, you could potentially save on costs by choosing a single, comprehensive backup solution like SysCloud or a SysCloud alternative.
Key features of SysCloud
Some of the key features of SysCloud include:
- Artificial intelligence: Sky is SysCloud’s AI co-pilot for backup management, which helps detect ransomware, identify the latest data snapshots, and send compliance alerts. It’s available as a paid add-on.
- Flexible data restore: You can recover data in one click and restore backups at user, app, and file or folder levels.
- Content search: SysCloud’s search capability lets you look up specific words and phrases in email and Drive files. Like the AI, this feature is available as a paid add-on.
- Analytics: SysCloud has a detailed dashboard that includes analytics on backup health, restore and export trends, and exceptions/errors.
- Alerts: SysCloud maintains audit logs for all backup events occurring within the platform. It sends real-time alerts via emails as well as detailed error reports.
Pros and Cons of SysCloud
Like all the best Google Workspace backup solutions in the market, SysCloud has both pros and cons. Consider both before deciding on a SysCloud alternative:
SysCloud Pros
Several companies prefer SysCloud for the following reasons:
- User roles: You can add an unlimited number of admins with granular access rights for each one. It also supports self-service backups for end-users.
- Trash backup: Admins can manually enable backup for their Gmail and Google Drive trash folders. This protects against accidental deletion, one of the most common reasons why you need Google backup.
- Powerful email backup: SysCloud preserves nested email structures when you backup Gmail. It also offers email previews so you know what to restore.
SysCloud Cons
Unfortunately, it’s not all smooth sailing. Users often look for SysCloud alternatives due to the following reasons:
- Storage limit: SysCloud gives you 75GB storage per license, with no flexibility. You can’t pay more for extra space, nor is there a cheaper plan with less storage.
- Infrequent backups: The platform automatically creates backups only 1X/day, which means that changes across the day could be lost. In comparison, SysCloud alternatives like Backup Space offer up to 24X daily backups.
- Export limits: Each SysCloud account holder can export only 1TB of data in 12 months. You’ll have to contact sales and purchase additional export quota beyond this limit.
SysCloud Pricing
Given that most Google backup solutions cost between $2 and $5 for each monthly license, SysCloud is priced exactly at the industry standard.
SysCloud costs $38/year/user for an annual license and $4/month/user for a monthly subscription. Non-profits, educational institutions, and partners can avail of a discounted price.
The company doesn’t offer a free plan, but you can sign up for a 30-day free trial. The trial doesn’t require any payment details and you can enjoy most of the premium features (for up to 10 users) for free.
Notably, SysCloud offers only one plan, with no way to choose a lower-priced or more expensive plan depending on your needs. Features like artificial intelligence, eDiscovery search, and ransomware detection will cost extra.
Is SysCloud Safe?
SysCloud uses AES-256 and TLS encryption to protect data. It’s also SSAE18/SOC2 certified and includes a number of security features like single sign-on (SSO), and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Like most leading SysCloud alternatives, the platform offers immutable backups to keep your data safe.
For added protection, you can assign different users different levels of visibility, access, and control. For instance, you can allow some admins to preview email content but not others. Overall, SysCloud can be considered safe and generally speaking, customers haven’t had any complaints about security features.
Why Backup Space is a Top Alternative to SysCloud
Backup Space is a new automated backup and restore platform specially designed for Google Workspace. It’s built by the Google-certified company, Gmelius, which has a strong track record of delivering effective solutions to Google users.
Based out of Switzerland, Backup Space adheres to the strictest data privacy and security laws.
If you’re looking for a SysCloud alternative, Backup Space offers three advantages:
1. Faster performance
Several customer reviews of SysCloud note that the platform can be unexpectedly slow at times.
In contrast, Backup Space is a SysCloud alternative that uses the latest technologies like Rust. This allows it to be exceptionally performative even under high load, since computation speed is significantly improved. Further, since Backup Space is designed for Google Workspace, it operates faster than most generic cloud backup platforms.
2. Lower costs
SysCloud has only one plan that costs $38/year/user and $4/month/user.
In comparison, Backup Space offers a free-forever plan for up to 5 users.
There’s also a mid-tier plan for $2/month/user and a premium option at $3/month/user, not to mention addons that can be added when a customer needs more storage space. This allows you to choose the plan that best fits your budget and needs.
Also, anti-ransomware is built into all three plans, and unlike SysCloud, you don’t have to pay extra for ransomware protection.
3. Better features
One of the main reasons why users switch to a SysCloud alternative is because the platform automatically backs up your data only once a day. After every significant change, you’ll have to manually create a backup so that your changes aren’t lost in the next version.
Backup Space offers up to 24X daily backup in the $3/month plan.
You can also opt for a lower frequency at a lower cost, an option that SysCloud doesn’t offer.
SysCloud vs. Backup Space: Quick Comparison
Here’s how Backup Space compares as a SysCloud alternative:
Other Alternatives to SysCloud
In addition to Backup Space, you might also want to consider the following alternatives to SysCloud:
Backupify
Backupify is a Google Workspace solution that you can directly download from the Google marketspace. It has a lot going for it such as a 5-minute setup, fast data restore, and robust search. However, users report that customer service can be slow.
Pricing: Undisclosed; usually between $3-$6/month/user.
Afi.ai
Like SysCloud, Afi.ai uses artificial intelligence to streamline data backups. It's highly scalable, and supports Kubernetes, but maxes out at 50Gb of storage per user license. Its limited social presence has also deterred some users.
Pricing: $2.4-$15/month/user
CloudAlly
CloudAlly is a Google Workspace backup solution that lets you bring your own services (BYOS), so you can choose where you want to store the data. Its other benefits include the ability to restore deleted backups and filter audit files. On the downside, high storage volumes can lead to high costs and it backs up your data only 3X daily.
Pricing: $3/month/user or $30/year/use for the base plan.
Can you use Google Vault as a SysCloud alternative?
Google Vault is included with select Google Workspace business plans and, as a result, it's often the default choice for Google backups. However, Vault isn’t designed as a backup solution and you can face issues like slow performance, unknown export formats, and limited support.
Instead, it is a better idea to invest in a third-party backup solution such as SysCloud, or even better, a SysCloud alternative that offers up to 24X daily backup, low costs, fast performance, and up to 100GB storage per license.
In Conclusion: Tips for Choosing the Best SysCloud Alternative
A reliable third-party backup is essential for Google pro-users, whether you’re an individual, team, or organization. While SysCloud is a solid option, especially if you buy the AI add-on, it has several drawbacks like capped storage and exports, slow performance, and limited backup frequency.
To find the best SysCloud alternative, first, identify your priorities; do you have a lot of non-technical users, and does ease of use matter hugely? Will your files be frequently edited, necessitating 3X-24X daily backup? How do you foresee your data volumes growing, and how much backup costs can you afford in the long term?
By answering these key questions first, you can narrow down your choices and make the right decision.
Sign up for the foremost SysCloud alternative today by visiting Backup Space.
