M365 backup vs Others

mvnair As a sysadmin, I've worked with both Microsoft's native M365 backup tools and third-party solutions like AvePoint. In my experience, M365's built-in capabilities have really improved and can handle most basic data protection needs pretty well these days. The native versioning, retention, and recovery features in Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Teams are solid for many common scenarios.

That said, I've found that third-party tools can provide some extra flexibility and control that can be really valuable in certain situations. If you have complex compliance requirements, need to backup data to a separate location, or want more granular restore options, a third-party solution might be the way to go. I've seen third-party tools come in handy for things like longer retention periods, item-level restores, cross-service restores, automated backup testing, and centralized management and reporting. They can give you some additional peace of mind and make it easier to manage your backups holistically.

At the end of the day, it really depends on your specific needs and budget. I'd suggest making a list of your must-have features and doing a side-by-side comparison to see which approach ticks the most boxes. If you can, it's always helpful to do a proof of concept with both options to see how they work in your real-world environment. I'd definitely recommend checking out NAKIVO Backup & Replication. I've heard great things about it as a flexible, powerful M365 backup solution.