Let’s face it: our Google Workspace data is often left unprotected, and with only one copy stored in Google Drive, you have no backup at all. Third-party solutions like Afi.ai and newer alternatives like Backup Space provide extra protection from ransomware and accidental data deletion.
While Afi.ai is among the top names in the Google backup space, other platforms might offer cheaper, more reliable alternatives. In this article, we discuss whether Afi.ai is the right solution for you, or if you’re better off looking elsewhere.
What is Afi.ai?
Afi.ai is a cloud-to-cloud backup solution that creates an additional copy of your Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) and Office 365 data, storing it in a remote cloud location.
The platform’s AI engine monitors data changes to perform preemptive backups and auto-labeling of key recovery points. This makes it among the most commonly recommended backup tools in the security community, especially if you’re a Google or Microsoft user.
However, it’s not all good news. Users also point out potential flaws with Afi.ai that have many looking for an alternative.
What does Afi.ai do?
In simple terms, Afi.ai creates a backup of your Workspace data (Gmail, Drive, Contacts, Calendar, Chat, and Sites) and stores it in a cloud region, which can be the US, Australia, Canada, the UK, or the Netherlands.
The data is backed up at regular intervals and the platform will auto-label key recovery points to mark the last clean backup unaffected by cyberattacks or data loss. In case you lose access to your Google data, you can choose a recovery point and restore that specific copy.
Afi.ai provides backup for mid-sized to large teams and educational institutions. You’ll need a business email for a quote or demo.
Key features of Afi.ai
Some of the notable features of Afi.ai include:
- Application backup: Afi can copy and protect data in Google Workspace, Microsoft (Office) 365, and K8, which is a containerized cloud service.
- Artificial intelligence: It uses AI to detect gaps in your security profile, such as orphaned data and user accounts.
- Compliance: Like most leading Google Workspace backup solutions, Afi is compliant with GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and the US-EU Privacy Shield.
- Point-in-time restore: Users can restore data to a snapshot that existed at a specific point in time. Data can also be restored at a granular item level or for a whole user account.
- Unlimited data retention: Afi will hold your data for an unlimited time unless specified otherwise in the data retention policy. Bear in mind that this is true for most Afi.ai alternatives.
Pros and Cons of Afi.ai
The platform has both pros and cons, which is why users often look for Afi.ai alternatives.
Afi.ai Pros
Its highlights include:
- The use of artificial intelligence: AI reduces a lot of the manual work involved in data assessment and threat intelligence. It’s also able to predict downtime and data loss events based on historical data.
- Containerization support: Afi.ai is among the few backup solutions purpose-built for Kubernetes. However, this feature is unlikely to be of any use if your company doesn’t rely on containers.
- Highly scalable: Afi.ai is quite fast and can scale to meet the needs of tens of thousands of users. It also offers a volume discount for organizations with 500+ users.
Afi.ai Cons
The challenges with Afi.ai include:
- Limited social presence: While Afi.ai has received several recognitions, its company details are unclear with very few details on LinkedIn and other portals. This hinders trust and credibility for some users.
- Complex setup: While the initial setup is fast, it can take up to 24 hours to roll the solution out entirely and even longer to configure it correctly. Self-service backup has to be configured separately too.
- No free plan: While Afi.ai offers a free trial, it doesn’t offer a free plan for small teams or individual users. On top of that, per-user pricing is higher than usual if you sign up for less than 5 users.
Afi.ai Pricing
Afi.ai has two pricing plans, one for Google Workspace and Office 365 backup, and a custom plan for K8, for which you’ll have to contact sales. Google Workspace backup costs:
- $3/month/user if you sign up for 5 users or more
- $15/month for 2-4 users
- $15/month/user for individual users
There are no discounts for annual subscriptions, but companies with 500+ users get a discount, which depends on your team size. Also, plans for educational institutions are priced at $2.4/month/user instead of $3/month/user.
Is Afi.ai Safe?
Afi.ai is widely considered to be a safe and secured platform for your backups. All your data is protected using AES 256-bit at rest and TLS protocol in transit. You can also bring your own key, just like most Afi.ai alternatives.
The independent security assessment company, UpGuard, gives Afi.ai an A rating, with a score of 855/950. Notably, the company’s website security posture can be affected by the exposure of server information header and the lack of content security policy (CSP) implementation.
Why Backup Space is a Top Alternative to Afi.ai
While Afi.ai has carved out for itself a strong following, it is not without its disadvantages. Very little is known about the company’s background and the platform can be difficult to navigate for small teams or those lacking deep technical expertise.
In comparison, Backup Space is a compelling alternative, thanks to its 5-minute setup, affordable pricing, and company reputation. It’s built by the Swiss company, Gmelius, which is a certified Google partner, with a proven track record of handling Google Workspace data.
1. Free plan + affordable pricing overall
Backup Space offers three plans—$0 for up to 3 users, $2/month/user for 50GB per user and 3X daily backup, and $3/month/user for 100GB per user and 24X daily backup. Its most expensive plan costs $3/month, while this is the beginning benchmark for Afi.ai.
Further, as shown above, Afi.ai offers a maximum of 50GB of storage per user license, which is pooled for one whole domain.
In case the entire domain’s pooled usage exceeds this threshold, it’ll automatically add extra storage for an extra fee. In comparison, Backup Space offers up to 100GB of storage per user outright.
2. Easy setup and navigation
Afi.ai takes several hours to fully set up and configure, and the user interface can be difficult to navigate. Backup Space offers a breezy, 5-minute installation, complete with preconfigured settings so that you’re up and running in no time.
3. Swiss-grade data protection
Backup Space lets users choose from multiple storage locations in the US, Canada, EU, UK, and Switzerland. This means that your data benefits from Swiss data protection laws, remaining inaccessible to anyone but you.
Afi.ai vs. Backup Space: Quick Comparison
For those looking for a good Afi.ai alternative, here are the key differences at a glance:
Other Alternatives to Afi.ai
Besides Backup Space, users can also consider the following alternatives to Afi.ai
Backupify
Like Afi.ai, Backupify offers solutions for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. It supports unlimited retention and granular restore, but daily backups are limited to 3X a day. On the plus side, you can also backup your data stored in Microsoft Azure.
While the company doesn’t disclose its pricing, customer reviews indicate that costs will range between $3 and $6/month/user.
SysCloud
SysCloud is a power-packed backup solution that works with a number of SaaS apps like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Google Classroom, QuickBooks, Box, Xero, and Slack. However, not all Google services are supported—for example, you can’t backup Google Sites.
SysClous backs up your data up to 3X daily, which is less than Afi.ai or Backup Space. It costs $4/month/user or $29/year/user.
CloudAlly
CloudAlly provides backup tools for SaaS apps like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Box, Dropbox. It creates comprehensive snapshots of your data, including Tasks and metadata backup. On the downside, it supports up to 3X daily backup only.
CloudAlly costs $3/month/user.
Druva
Druva is a powerful data protection, cybersecurity and eDiscovery platform for enterprises. You can also use it to backup your Google Workspace data, among other SaaS apps and cloud infrastructure.
It has built-in eDiscovery features and integrates with third-party eDiscovery solutions like Google Vault as well. The company doesn’t disclose pricing and only mentions that it charges per TB of storage space used.
In Conclusion: How to Choose the Best Backup Solution
No matter which Afi.ai alternative you choose, there are a few best practices that should influence your decision:
- Compatibility: If your organization overwhelmingly relies on Google Workspace (G Suite), then the backup platform should be natively designed for Google.
- Frequency: Frequent, automated backups minimize the risk of data loss; 24X daily backup is considered best-in-class.
- Restore: Backed-up data should be easy to restore, letting you control the point-in-time, user account, or the files you want to get back.
- Usability: A difficult-to-use platform will likely sit idle on the desktop, leaving users exposed to data loss risks. Find a platform that is fast and simple to setup.
The best Afi.ai alternative like Backup Space will tick all of these boxes and offer additional features like detailed audit logs and multiple versions storage as well. Discover how Backup Space can give you the edge over other backup solutions in the market.
