Introduction to the Best Google Drive Backup Solutions
In this roundup, we compare the best Google Drive backup solutions from vendors that focus on protecting the data stored in Google Drive and Shared Drives. For each vendor, we look at backup architecture, storage models, recovery capabilities, licensing options, and more.
We’ll also point out which solutions are ideal for MSPs, SMBs, or enterprises. For them, BYOS (Bring-Your-Own-Storage) is a critical requirement, as storage control is one of the most important factors to meet a high standard of data ownership. We also considered that non-transparent pricing and long-term contracts affect MSPs’ business model
Google Drive is part of Google Workspace, an application that most organizations use to store terabytes of business-critical data such as documents, spreadsheets, and files shared across teams. Google offers some native data protection capabilities, but they are not intended to protect against every data loss scenario. Drive files can still be lost forever due to accidental deletion, ransomware attacks, syncing issues, and Google’s limited data retention. This gap is exactly what led to the creation of this roundup.
For a broader comparison of Google Workspace backup vendors, including protection for Gmail, Contacts, and Calendar, see our full roundup.
Best for MSPs
NinjaOne (by Dropsuite)
NinjaOne approaches Google Drive backup as part of an MSP-focused platform, where data protection is tightly integrated into a broader remote management and automation ecosystem.
Benefits
- Designed for centralized backup management across multiple tenants
- Supports file-level recovery, including cross-user restore scenarios
- Allows restoring data to different users or locations, not just the original source
- Uses immutable storage policies to prevent backup tampering
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Drawbacks
- No option to use your own storage
- Recovery operations may feel slow when handling large volumes of Drive data
- A tightly coupled ecosystem makes migration to another vendor more difficult
- Interface and workflows can feel fragmented across backup and RMM components
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MSP360 Backup for Google Workspace
MSP360 Backup for Google Workspace is a cloud-to-cloud backup solution designed to protect Google Drive and Shared Drives, as well as Gmail, Contacts, and Calendar, while giving organizations full control over their backup storage.
Benefits
- True multi-tenant Console: Unified management built for MSP operational efficiency.
- Full Storage Control (BYOS): The industry’s leading support for all major cloud storage providers (Amazon S3, Wasabi, Backblaze B2).
- Responsive support
- Predictable, transparent pricing
- Zero vendor lock-in
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Drawbacks
- Limited metadata backup in Shared Drives
- Limited integrations outside MSP-specific platforms
- Cloud-to-cloud solution only (no local or hybrid editions)
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Best for SMBs
Cloud-Native Backup Solutions
AFI Google Workspace Backup
AFI Google Workspace Backup is a cloud-to-cloud backup solution for Google Workspace with a strong focus on fast search and recovery.
Benefits
- Preserves folder structure and file versions
- Supports granular restore:
- individual files
- Folders
- restore to the original or alternate location
- Provides full-text search across file content
- Supports point-in-time recovery
- High backup frequency
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Drawbacks
- No Bring Your Own Storage option – storage is fully vendor-managed
- Limited visibility and control over storage growth and costs
- Permissions restore for complex Shared Drive structures may be less predictable
- Limited flexibility for MSP or multi-tenant environments
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SysCloud
SysCloud combines Google Workspace backup with built-in security and compliance monitoring, making it more than just a traditional backup tool.
Benefits
- Protects Google Drive and Shared Drives
- Supports granular restore:
- files and folders
- restore to the original or a different user/location
- Enables point-in-time recovery for Drive data
- Tracks user activity and file changes with detailed audit logs
- Provides ransomware detection and anomaly alerts for Drive data
- Allows custom retention policies for stored files
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Drawbacks
- Does not support your own storage.
- Limited version history compared to some competitors
- Initial backup may take longer for large datasets
- Pricing can be less transparent, especially with archived users
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Spanning Backup
Spanning focuses on simplicity, offering a hands-off approach to Google Drive backup where most of the process is fully automated and requires minimal configuration.
Benefits
- Supports cross-user restore, allowing files to be recovered to a different account
- Enables recovery of individual files or entire folders
- Keeps backups outside the Google Workspace environment for independent restore
- Includes basic search and filtering to locate Drive data quickly
- Designed for set-it-and-forget-it backup workflows
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Drawbacks
- Does not offer Bring Your Own Storage, relies on vendor-managed storage
- Backup frequency is relatively limited
- Less control over backup configuration and policies
- Pricing is not transparent and may change over time
- Support experience can be inconsistent or slow
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Backupify Google Workspace Backup
Backupify is one of the earliest Google Workspace backup solutions, built around fully automated protection with minimal setup, and now positioned within the Kaseya ecosystem.
Benefits
- Supports granular recovery of files and folders
- Allows restoring data to any user within the domain
- Provides unlimited retention, enabling recovery from any historical point
- Stores backups outside the Google environment for independent recovery
- Includes basic reporting and monitoring for Drive activity
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Drawbacks
- No Bring Your Own Storage
- Limited visibility and alerting for backup issues
- Restore workflows are less flexible
- Support response times can be slow
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Local Backup Solutions
CubeBackup
CubeBackup takes a different approach to Google Drive backup by giving organizations full ownership over their backup infrastructure and storage.
Benefits
- Backs up Google Drive and Shared Drives with full data ownership
- Preserves file versions and folder hierarchy
- Supports granular recovery, including files and folders
- Allows restoring data to original or alternate locations
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Drawbacks
- Requires self-hosted infrastructure
- No built-in storage
- Set up and operation require technical expertise
- Difficult to scale
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Synology
Synology approaches Google Drive backup from an on-premises perspective, storing all backup data locally on NAS devices instead of relying on cloud infrastructure.
Benefits
- Backs up Google Drive and Shared Drives to local NAS storage
- Supports high-frequency backups
- Preserves folder structure and file versions
- Offers a self-service recovery portal for end users
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Drawbacks
- Scalability is limited by NAS hardware capacity
- Requires on-prem maintenance and administration
- Backup security depends on local infrastructure configuration
- Not designed for multi-tenant or large distributed environments
- Does not support cross-domain restore scenarios
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Best for Enterprise & Governance
Druva Google Workspace cloud backup
Druva delivers Google Drive backup as part of its broader data resiliency platform, focusing on centralized control, scalability, and compliance across large environments.
Benefits
- Protects user drives and Shared Drives within a unified platform
- Supports file- and folder-level recovery across large datasets
- Provides centralized policy management for backup and retention
- Designed to handle large-scale environments with many users and data volumes
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Drawbacks
- No Bring Your Own Storage
- Limited flexibility in backup scheduling and customization
- Pricing is not fully transparent
- Requires long-term contracts
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AvePoint Cloud Backup
AvePoint positions Google Drive backup as part of a broader data governance and compliance framework, with strong emphasis on control, permissions, and policy-driven management.
Benefits
- Supports granular restore, including files, folders, and access settings
- Preserves and restores permissions and sharing configurations
- Applies policy-based backup and retention rules
- Integrates Google Drive backup into compliance and audit workflows
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Drawbacks
- No Bring Your Own Storage
- Pricing is not transparent,
- Configuration can be complex and requires experienced administrators
- Full functionality may depend on additional AvePoint modules
- Requires long-term commitment
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Keepit
Keepit focuses on long-term data protection and sovereignty, using its own independent cloud to ensure backups remain isolated from the original Google environment.
Benefits
- Stores data in immutable backups with a no-overwrite policy
- Backs up Google Drive and Shared Drives into a separate, vendor-controlled environment
- Retains unlimited version history for long-term data access
- Enables file- and folder-level restore
- Applies consistent retention policies across all backed-up data
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Drawbacks
- No Bring Your Own Storage
- Slow restore speed
- Complicated licensing
- Limited restore notifications and alerting capabilities
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Conclusion on the best Google Drive Backup solutions
To summarize, choosing one of the best Google Drive backup solutions depends on your management and control preferences.
For backups that stay onsite and users who want complete control of their infrastructure, Synology is an excellent option given its legacy and expertise with local storage solutions.
If you’re an MSP or an organization that requires full autonomy over its cloud infrastructure, MSP360 secures its position as the definitive choice. While many cloud-native vendors impose vendor lock-in and mandatory proprietary storage, MSP360 is the only platform in this roundup that fully delivers on the essential requirement of Bring Your Own Storage (BYOS) for clouds like Wasabi and Amazon S3. This combination of unparalleled storage control, a centralized multi-tenant console, and zero long-term commitment makes MSP360 the clear winner for MSPs seeking flexibility, cost-predictability, and freedom from vendor lock-in.
If you are an enterprise with more complex environments and compliance requirements, look into either Druva or AvePoint, as they offer a larger feature set with scalability and governance.