Arq Backup vs CrashPlan
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Arq Backup and CrashPlan.
Quick Verdict
4.0/5
Arq Backup
0 reviews
3.7/5
CrashPlan
0 reviews
Arq Backup is rated higher (4.0 vs 3.7). Arq Backup sends encrypted backups to your own S3, B2, Wasabi, or Google Drive. No subscription to Arq cloud — you own the destination. One-time purchase for macOS and Windows. CrashPlan provides unlimited endpoint backup for businesses. Deploy to employee laptops and workstations centrally. No file size limits, unlimited versioning, and forensic restore capabilities.
Arq Backup Mac and Windows backup to your own cloud | CrashPlan Unlimited endpoint backup for businesses | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.0 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.7 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | one-time purchase + optional subscription (Arq Premium is subscription) | paid |
| Starting price | From $59.99/mo | From $7.33/mo✓ |
| Best for | Mac and Windows users who want a one-time-purchase backup app sending encrypted, versioned backups to their own cloud or NAS storage | IT departments at businesses under a few hundred employees that want centrally managed, unlimited-version endpoint backup with self-serve restore |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | — | CrashPlan cloud; enterprise can use Azure, AWS, Wasabi, Backblaze or their own S3 |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | encryptedself hosted | team features |
| Visit Arq Backup → | Visit CrashPlan → | |
Arq Backup
Pros
- + One-time $59.99 per-computer license with an optional, genuinely optional updates subscription
- + Backs up to storage you own — S3, B2, Wasabi, Google Drive, SFTP, NAS and other S3-compatible targets
- + End-to-end encryption with keys that never leave your machine
- + Open, documented backup format — restores do not depend on the vendor existing
Cons
- - macOS and Windows desktops only — no Linux or server agent
- - Destination storage, request and egress costs are separate and ongoing
- - File backup only: no disk imaging or bare-metal recovery
- - Small-company support with no published SLA
CrashPlan
Pros
- + Endpoint backup at $7.33/user/month (annual) with unlimited cloud storage and unlimited versioning — retention length and restore count do not change the bill
- + Published small-business pricing with self-serve signup, 14-day full-function trial, and no per-server license on the enterprise tier
- + Long track record: continuous product since 2007 (ex-Code42), 900+ enterprise and 120,000+ small-business customers cited at the 2022 carve-out
- + Enterprise tier supports bring-your-own storage (Azure, AWS, Wasabi, Backblaze or your own S3) plus SSO, legal hold, immutable copies and audit logging
Cons
- - Vendor pages contradict themselves on endpoint storage ('unlimited' on the plan page vs 50 GB pooled in the pricing FAQ) — resolve before rollout
- - Cost scales per user and the governance features (SSO, legal hold, immutable copies, dedicated CSM) sit above the 250-user / quote-only line
- - No personal plan, no free tier, no published uptime SLA, and endpoint deleted-file retention caps at 90 days
- - Server tier's 250 GB pooled storage with $90/year per 250 GB add-ons is stepped pricing that grows quietly with data volume
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