Cloud vs On-Prem Backup Solutions for SMBs
How to Pick the Best Backup Plan for Small Businesses
Small and medium-sized businesses have more trouble protecting their data than large companies do, but they don’t have the same amount of money or staff. Decisions about backups must take into account cost, performance, security, and ease of use. There are two main types of backups today: cloud-based backups and backups that are stored on-site.
From the point of view of a small or medium-sized business (SMB), this guide compares cloud and on-premises backup models. It does this by showing real-world examples and expert advice to help businesses choose the best option.
How Cloud Backup Works for Small Businesses
Cloud backups keep data on servers that are managed by third-party companies. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are often interested in cloud backups because they don’t cost much up front and don’t need much hardware.
Most of the time, cloud backup prices are based on a subscription model that changes based on how much storage you use and how long you want to keep it. This model works well when data growth is predictable and there is no need to keep up physical infrastructure. But costs can go up over time as the amount of data grows, especially if you need to keep it for a long time or do a lot of restores.
Performance is highly dependent on internet connectivity. When there are outages and bandwidth is limited, big restores can take a long time. When set up correctly, security is strong, but the data is still kept outside of the organization’s direct control, which means that everyone is responsible for it and must follow the rules.
Cloud backups are best for protecting data off-site, for SaaS data, and for businesses that don’t have a lot of IT resources.
What You Need to Know About On-Prem Backup Solutions
On-prem backup solutions store data locally, usually on NAS or dedicated backup appliances. This method needs an upfront investment in hardware, but it gives you predictable long-term costs.
One of the best things about it is how well it works. Local backups and restores are much faster, which makes it easy to get back up and running quickly after common problems like accidentally deleting files or a system crash. On-premise solutions also let you fully control where your data is, who can access it, and the keys used to encrypt it.
Proper configuration and physical protection are important for security, but on-prem backups make it less likely that outside attacks will happen. But if you only use on-prem backups, you run the risk of losing everything if something happens at the site level.
On-prem backups are great for primary protection, quick recovery, and places where data changes quickly.
Comparing costs: short-term vs. long-term
Cloud backups seem cheaper at first because they don’t cost much to get started. Over time, the cost of on-prem solutions can be less than the cost of subscription fees, storage growth, and egress charges.
You have to pay for on-prem backups up front, but they usually become cheaper after the first few years. It is easy to predict how much hardware will lose value over time, and storage growth can be planned in a smart way.
When SMBs look at costs, they should think about more than just monthly fees. They should also think about a time frame of three to five years.
Things to think about when it comes to performance and recovery
On-premise solutions are best at recovering quickly. Local restores let businesses get back to work quickly, which cuts down on the effects of downtime.
Cloud restores are good for recovering from disasters, but they take longer with big datasets. Many small and medium-sized businesses only find out about restore limits when something goes wrong.
A hybrid model is often the best choice because it has both local backups for speed and cloud backups for reliability.
Factors of Security and Compliance
Security is not inherently better in cloud or on-prem models, it depends on implementation. Cloud providers have strong infrastructure security, but it’s easy to make mistakes when setting things up.
On-premise solutions let you have more control over who can access what and who owns the keys, but they need to be managed carefully. When data residency is important, compliance rules may favor on-prem or hybrid models.
No matter where the backup is stored, encryption, immutability, and access auditing are all very important.
Backup Options for SMBs Based on Synology
Synology platforms are great for small and medium-sized businesses because they support both cloud and on-premises backup strategies. Local NAS systems make backups and snapshots quickly and reliably. They also have built-in tools that let you replicate data to offsite NAS or cloud destinations securely.
This flexibility lets small and medium-sized businesses use hybrid backup architectures without having to deal with a lot of separate tools. Synology systems can help businesses grow quickly, recover quickly, and protect data offsite when they are set up correctly.
Advice from Experts for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Most small and medium-sized businesses should use a hybrid approach. On-premise backups take care of daily recovery needs, while cloud backups offer disaster recovery and geographic separation.
Recovery goals, not convenience, should guide backup plans. Long-term success depends on regular testing, monitoring, and documentation.
About the Epis Technology
Epis Technology helps small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) come up with backup plans that work and don’t cost a lot of money. They use both on-premises and cloud solutions. The company focuses on consulting and support for Synology, designing storage systems for businesses and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), backing up Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, and fully managing PC backups. Epis Technology helps businesses compare backup models, keep long-term costs down, speed up recovery, and set up safe, flexible data protection solutions that meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses in the real world.