In short
Microsoft 365 backup pricing depends on the platform. Acronis, Axcient x360Cloud, NinjaOne SaaS Backup and Commvault are licensed per user or seat, with storage included or pooled in different ways; Redstor's licence unit is confirmed at quote; Microsoft 365 Backup is pay-as-you-go per GiB of protected data. Ask us for a quote for your tenant.
Get a quote for Microsoft 365 backup
Ask us for a quote and we will reply by email with options priced for your organisation.
The main ways Microsoft 365 backup is charged
Almost every Microsoft 365 backup option uses one of three models:
- Per user or per seat: you pay for each person whose mailbox, OneDrive and related data you protect. Storage is either unlimited, pooled across the organisation, or included up to an allowance per user.
- By edition: the per-user licence comes in tiers that add features such as archive mailbox coverage, self-service restore, eDiscovery or Entra ID backup.
- By consumption: you pay for the amount of data protected each month, regardless of how many users it belongs to.
Per-user models make budgeting simple and suit organisations with predictable headcount. Consumption models track data volume rather than people, which can suit organisations with a few very large sites or mailboxes, or many users with little data, but make the bill move as data grows.
How each platform we supply is licensed
These are the charging models published by each vendor. We confirm the exact licence unit, term and billing frequency in your quote.
| Platform | Licence unit | Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Acronis Microsoft 365 Backup | Per seat | Unlimited Acronis Cloud storage included; alternatively per GB when backups are kept in Microsoft 365 Backup Storage, where Acronis lists retention as fixed at one year |
| Axcient x360Cloud | Per protected user | Flat-fee storage pooled across the organisation under Axcient's Fair Use Policy |
| NinjaOne SaaS Backup for Microsoft 365 | Per seat, in bundles: Standard, + Entra, + Archiver, and + Archiver + Entra | A fair-use storage allowance per paid seat, pooled across the organisation |
| Redstor backup for Microsoft 365 | Confirmed at quote; available on its own or in the Restore Bundle (adds Entra ID backup) or Comply Bundle (adds email archiving) | Unlimited retention; Redstor says there are no egress fees |
| Commvault backup for Microsoft 365 | Per user, by edition: Standard, Enterprise or Enterprise with Compliance | A per-user storage allowance that differs by edition, per Commvault's current edition guide |
Licensing details for each product are on our sister site: Acronis Microsoft 365 Backup licensing, Axcient x360Cloud licensing, Dropsuite pricing for NinjaOne SaaS Backup, Redstor Microsoft 365 backup licensing and Commvault Microsoft 365 backup licensing. For a wider view of the market, see Microsoft 365 backup software.
Not sure which licence fits? Ask us
We will match the right licence to your requirements and quote for it.
How Microsoft 365 Backup is charged
Microsoft's own Microsoft 365 Backup works differently. Microsoft describes it as a pay-as-you-go offering charged on consumption rather than user-based licences:
- Billed per GiB of protected data each month across OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange Online, to an Azure subscription linked through the Microsoft 365 admin centre
- Restores are not charged, according to Microsoft
- No per-user licence: the bill follows how much data you protect, not how many people you have
Setting it up needs an Azure subscription linked for pay-as-you-go billing in the Microsoft 365 admin centre. When a partner application is built on Microsoft 365 Backup Storage, Microsoft says it is managed and paid for entirely through the partner's application, so the charges come through that vendor instead. Acronis, for example, offers a per-GB option that uses Microsoft 365 Backup Storage. We do not sell Microsoft 365 Backup, but we explain how its costs compare on our Microsoft 365 Backup Storage page.
What drives the cost
Whichever model you choose, a handful of things decide the quote:
- Number of users: the main driver for per-user and per-seat licensing
- Shared mailboxes: vendors count these differently, so check whether they need a licence of their own
- Leavers you keep: protecting departed users' data for months or years can add licences or storage, depending on the platform
- Data volume: the main driver for consumption billing, and relevant where storage is capped per user or pooled under a fair-use policy
- Retention: how long you keep backups affects storage on some models and edition choice on others
- Workloads and add-ons: Entra ID backup, email archiving, eDiscovery and security services are often extra bundles or editions
- Term: subscription length and billing frequency, which we confirm at quote
Want a price for your organisation?
Tell us your users, sites and timescales and we will come back with a clear quote.
Getting value without cutting protection
The cheapest backup is the one that does not cover what you need, so compare like with like. A few practical points:
- Count your real users: Microsoft 365 usage reports show active mailboxes, OneDrive accounts and storage, which we use to size the quote accurately
- Decide on leavers up front: a clear retention rule for departed staff avoids paying to keep data nobody needs, or losing data someone does
- Match the edition to the need: do not buy an edition with eDiscovery or archiving if you already have those elsewhere, and do not buy a smaller edition only to run short of storage
- Consider bundles carefully: adding Entra ID backup or archiving to the same platform can be simpler than running separate tools
- Include the cost of a bad restore: a cheaper option with slower or less granular recovery can cost more on the day you need it
Our Microsoft 365 backup comparison shows the feature differences that sit behind the pricing models.
Ask us for a quote
To quote, we need a few facts about your tenant: the number of licensed users, shared mailboxes and any leavers you want to keep; roughly how much data sits in mailboxes, OneDrive and SharePoint; which workloads you want covered, including Teams and Entra ID; how long you want to keep backups; and any requirements on storage location. If you are not sure, we can work it out with you from the Microsoft 365 admin centre reports.
We can price more than one platform side by side so you can see the difference, and we can handle the licences, renewals and changes on one account. Forever Group's Microsoft licensing team can quote the Microsoft 365 licences themselves.
Contact us for a Microsoft 365 backup quote.
How Forever Systems helps with Microsoft 365 backup
We are an independent UK IT and cyber security provider. We supply more than one Microsoft 365 backup product, so we can recommend what fits your tenant, your retention needs and your budget rather than one vendor's answer to everything.
- Review what you have: we look at your Microsoft 365 licences, retention policies and any existing backup before suggesting anything new
- Help you choose: we compare the backup products we supply against the workloads you need covered, such as Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams and Entra ID
- Set-up and onboarding: we can help connect the backup service to your tenant and agree what is protected and how long copies are kept
- Restore testing: we can help you plan and run test restores so you know how recovery works before you need it
- Licensing in one place: backup licences alongside your Microsoft 365 subscriptions, with terms confirmed at quote
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. Contact us to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Microsoft 365 backup cost?
It depends on the platform, the number of users, the amount of data and the edition or bundle. Third-party platforms are usually licensed per user or per seat, while Microsoft 365 Backup is charged per GiB of protected data. Ask us for a quote and we will price the options for your tenant.
Is Microsoft 365 backup charged per user?
For most third-party platforms, yes: Acronis, Axcient x360Cloud, NinjaOne SaaS Backup and Commvault are licensed per user or seat. Microsoft's own Microsoft 365 Backup is the main exception, billed by data volume. Redstor's licence unit is confirmed at quote.
Does Microsoft charge for Microsoft 365 Backup restores?
No. Microsoft says Microsoft 365 Backup is pay-as-you-go, charged on the data protected each month, and that restores are not charged.
Is storage included in Microsoft 365 backup licences?
It depends on the vendor. Acronis includes unlimited Acronis Cloud storage per seat, Axcient pools storage under its Fair Use Policy, NinjaOne SaaS Backup has a pooled fair-use allowance per seat, and Commvault includes a per-user allowance that varies by edition.
Do shared mailboxes need a backup licence?
It varies by platform. Some vendors count shared mailboxes as protected users and some do not. We check how your chosen platform treats them when we quote.
Can I get a Microsoft 365 backup quote for several vendors?
Yes. Because we supply Acronis, Axcient, NinjaOne, Redstor and Commvault, we can price more than one option side by side for your user count and data.
Still have a question about Microsoft 365 backup?
Ask us and a member of our team will reply by email.
More Microsoft 365 backup guides
Microsoft 365 BackupMicrosoft's own backup for OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange, explained.Best practicesA practical checklist for Microsoft 365 backup, aligned with NCSC guidance.