Having used Acronis since 2022, I’ve encountered several challenges that should be approached with caution. While the software is functional, adding clients and setting up servers or workstations for specific directory backups can be notably time-consuming and off putting. Setting up M365 backups was somewhat easier (as expected), but configuring each client remains labor-intensive due to the need for individual email addresses and verification emails.
Most of my clients were unaware of backup relocations, making their involvement in migrations unnecessary. Acronis support suggested using my own email address for each account—a cumbersome workaround when managing clients in the system. This is one of the reasons I stopped offering backups altogether due to my basic dissatisfaction with setting up new clients in Acronis.
The application not only suffers from a slow onboarding process but also presents complex pricing structures. This was another deterrent that contributed to my decision against selling further backups. The pricing spreadsheet was intricate and significantly more costly at approximately and you even have to even pay per GB for your own local storage!
Transitioning to N-Able RMM’s Cove Data product offered a stark contrast; I managed to migrate 15+ of my existing clients from Acronis and configure their backup routines in under an hour—a task that previously took 20-40 minutes per client with Acronis. Cove Data’s straightforward pricing model includes the specific service price (Server, VM, Workstation or M365) with some free storage and about $0.08/GB cheaper than Acronis thereafter. You can also keep a local copy of your backups at no cost.
Discontinuing use of Acronis services has proven very difficult, as they require an annual contract with no cancelation options. I have to continue paying them from now (May) to December ($250/month). Apparently, my account was auto-renewed in December, so I have to continue paying for the rest of this year. I was told by IngramMicro that it was a 90-day cancellation but Acronis countered them and said that I have to keep paying for the next 8 months.
They are trying to do too much with the Acronis service by using the same system as their version of an RMM and pushing other services through the same portal—an approach that raises concerns about efficiency and effectiveness across ALL of their offerings. Also, with absolutely zero termination rights, they will make you pay for the full year contract with no 30, 60 or even 90 day termination notice offering. N-Able offers a 30-day window, and with a 12-month or multi-year commitment, you receive a notice/reminder 120, 90, and 60 days in advance.
In summary, N-Able Cove Data Protection offers significantly easier setup and management compared to Acronis while being more cost-effective—an important consideration for anyone evaluating these services’ efficiency and affordability differences.