Backupify vs Spanning vs AFI: Best GWS Backup

If your business runs on Google Workspace, there is a common and dangerous assumption worth challenging: that Google backs up your data for you. It does not -- at least not in the way most business owners expect. Google guarantees infrastructure uptime and protects against hardware failure on their end, but it does not protect you against accidental deletion, malicious insiders, ransomware, or a departing employee wiping their mailbox on the way out.

Under the Google Workspace shared responsibility model, Google manages the infrastructure, but you are responsible for your data. If a staff member permanently deletes a folder of client emails or a critical shared drive, Google's 25-day retention window closes fast. After that, the data is gone. For Australian businesses, particularly those subject to record-keeping obligations under the Australian Privacy Act, Tax Office requirements, or industry-specific regulations, this gap is a serious exposure.

Three third-party backup solutions dominate the Google Workspace backup market: Backupify (by Datto/Kaseya), Spanning Backup (by Kaseya), and AFI Backup (by Afi.ai). Each takes a different approach to protecting your Gmail, Google Drive, Shared Drives, Contacts, and Calendar data.

Here is what matters most:

• Backupify is the most established solution with a strong MSP and enterprise pedigree, but it carries a premium price
• Spanning offers straightforward, user-friendly backup at a competitive mid-range price
• AFI Backup is the cost leader with AI-powered anomaly detection and aggressive per-user pricing
• All three back up Gmail, Drive, Shared Drives, Contacts, and Calendar, but recovery options and retention policies differ
• Data sovereignty is a critical consideration for Australian businesses -- and none of these tools store data in Australian data centres by default

Backupify (by Datto/Kaseya): The Enterprise-Grade Veteran

Backupify has been in the Google Workspace backup space longer than almost any competitor. Originally an independent company, it was acquired by Datto and subsequently became part of the Kaseya family (which also owns Spanning, creating an interesting dynamic). With a Capterra rating of 4.1 out of 5, it is respected for reliability but sometimes critiqued for its interface and pricing.

Features and Strengths

Backupify provides automated, three-times-daily backups of core Google Workspace data. The platform covers:

• Gmail: Full backup of all emails, labels, attachments, and folder structure
• Google Drive: Individual user files including Docs, Sheets, Slides, and uploaded files
• Shared Drives: Team-level shared drive backup (available on higher tiers)
• Google Calendar: Events, recurring schedules, and calendar metadata
• Google Contacts: Full contact records and contact groups
• Google Sites: Backup of Google Sites content

Backupify's granular restore capability is one of its strongest features. Administrators can restore individual emails, specific files, or entire user accounts to a point in time. Cross-user restore is also supported, meaning you can restore a departed employee's data into another user's account -- a common need when staff leave and their Google Workspace licence is deactivated.

The platform provides an admin dashboard with backup status monitoring, activity logs, and export functionality. Data is stored in Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure, encrypted both in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256).

For businesses using a Managed Service Provider (MSP), Backupify integrates with Kaseya's broader IT management stack, which can be an advantage for centralised management.

Pricing

Backupify's pricing is typically sold through MSP channels or direct sales, which makes published pricing less transparent than competitors. Based on current market rates:

• Per user pricing: ~USD $4.00-$5.00/user/month (~AUD $6.30-$7.80/user/month)
• Minimum commitment: Often requires annual contracts with a minimum user count
• Shared Drives: May require additional licensing depending on the plan

For a 50-user Australian business, expect to pay roughly AUD $315-$390 per month or AUD $3,780-$4,680 per year. Volume discounts are available for larger deployments.

Limitations

• The admin interface feels dated compared to newer competitors
• Backup frequency is capped at three times daily (not continuous)
• Published pricing is not always available -- you typically need to engage sales
• No Australian data centre option for data residency

Best Use Cases

Backupify suits mid-sized businesses (50-200 users) that already work with an MSP or want an enterprise-grade backup solution with a long track record. If your IT management is outsourced to an MSP that uses Kaseya/Datto tools, Backupify slots into that ecosystem cleanly.

Spanning Backup (by Kaseya): The User-Friendly Mid-Range Option

Spanning Backup is another Kaseya-owned product, but it targets a different segment to Backupify. Where Backupify leans toward MSP-managed deployments, Spanning is designed for direct customer use with a clean, intuitive interface. With a Capterra rating of 4.2 out of 5, it scores well on ease of use and setup simplicity.

Features and Strengths

Spanning provides automatic daily backups of Google Workspace data with a focus on simplicity. The platform covers:

• Gmail: Complete backup of messages, labels, attachments, and drafts
• Google Drive: All user files, including Google-native formats and uploaded content
• Shared Drives: Full Shared Drive backup included in the standard licence
• Google Calendar: Events and calendar data
• Google Contacts: Contact records and groups

Spanning's restore experience is where it genuinely excels. The interface allows end users (not just admins) to browse their own backup history and restore individual items. This self-service restore capability significantly reduces the burden on IT staff. Instead of raising a support ticket and waiting for an admin to find and restore a deleted file, users can do it themselves.

Key features include:

• Point-in-time restore: Roll back any user's data to a specific date
• Granular restore: Recover individual emails, files, contacts, or calendar events
• Cross-user restore: Restore data from one account into another
• End-user self-service portal: Users can browse and restore their own data without admin involvement
• Automated daily backups: Runs without manual intervention once configured
• Unlimited storage: No caps on backup storage volume
• Admin dashboard: Centralised view of backup status, licence management, and activity logs

Data is stored on AWS infrastructure with encryption in transit and at rest. Spanning also maintains SOC 2 Type II compliance, which provides an independently audited assurance of security controls.

Pricing

Spanning is more transparent with pricing than Backupify:

• Per user pricing: ~USD $4.00/user/month (~AUD $6.30/user/month) billed annually
• Monthly billing: ~USD $5.00/user/month (~AUD $7.80/user/month)
• Shared Drives: Included in the standard per-user licence
• Minimum users: Typically no minimum, though some reseller channels may set one

For a 50-user Australian business on annual billing, expect roughly AUD $315 per month or AUD $3,780 per year. The inclusion of Shared Drives backup in the base price is a meaningful advantage over solutions that charge extra for this.

Limitations

• Backup frequency is once daily (not three times daily like Backupify)
• No Australian data residency option
• Limited advanced features like anomaly detection or AI-driven threat identification
• Reporting capabilities are functional but not as deep as enterprise-focused competitors

Best Use Cases

Spanning is ideal for SMBs (20-100 users) that want reliable backup without complexity. If your business does not have dedicated IT staff and wants a backup solution that works quietly in the background with minimal management overhead, Spanning delivers. The self-service restore portal is a genuine differentiator for teams without a full-time IT admin.

AFI Backup (by Afi.ai): The AI-Powered Cost Leader

AFI Backup is the newest of the three competitors and has quickly gained attention for its aggressive pricing and AI-driven features. Built from the ground up for cloud-native backup, AFI positions itself as a modern alternative to legacy backup tools. With a Capterra rating of 4.8 out of 5 (the highest of the three), it has earned strong reviews for both value and capability.

Features and Strengths

AFI Backup provides automatic backups up to three times daily and covers the full Google Workspace suite:

• Gmail: Messages, labels, attachments, drafts, and folder structure
• Google Drive: All files including Google-native formats (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
• Shared Drives: Full Shared Drive backup included
• Google Calendar: Events, invitations, and calendar settings
• Google Contacts: Contact records, groups, and directory data
• Google Sites: Site content backup

What sets AFI apart is its AI-powered features:

• Anomaly detection: AFI's machine learning monitors backup data for unusual patterns -- such as mass file deletions, unusual download volumes, or sudden permission changes -- and alerts administrators. This provides an early warning system for insider threats or compromised accounts.
• Ransomware detection: The platform can identify patterns consistent with ransomware encryption across Drive files and alert before the damage spreads.
• Smart search: AI-assisted search across backed-up data makes finding specific items faster during restore operations.

Additional features include:

• Granular and full restore: Recover individual items or complete accounts
• Cross-user restore: Move data between accounts
• Point-in-time recovery: Restore to any backup snapshot
• Unlimited backup storage: No caps on data volume
• Admin dashboard: Backup monitoring, reporting, and licence management
• API access: Programmatic access for integration with other tools
• SOC 2 Type II compliance: Independent security audit assurance

Data is stored on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) infrastructure, which is a notable difference from the AWS-hosted competitors. For businesses already committed to the Google ecosystem, this alignment may be appealing.

Pricing

AFI Backup is the most competitively priced of the three:

• Google Workspace Backup: ~USD $3.00/user/month (~AUD $4.70/user/month) billed annually
• Monthly billing: Available at a slightly higher rate
• Shared Drives: Included in the base per-user price
• Google Sites: Included

For a 50-user Australian business, expect roughly AUD $235 per month or AUD $2,820 per year. That is approximately 25-35% less than Backupify or Spanning for equivalent coverage, while including features (anomaly detection, ransomware alerts) that the others do not offer at all.

Limitations

• Newer vendor with a shorter track record than Backupify or Spanning
• Smaller brand recognition in the Australian MSP channel
• No Australian data residency option (data stored on GCP, typically US or EU regions)
• Self-service end-user restore is available but less mature than Spanning's portal

Best Use Cases

AFI Backup suits cost-conscious SMBs (10-200 users) that want modern backup features without the enterprise price tag. If your business values AI-driven threat detection and wants the most backup capability per dollar, AFI is the strongest option in this comparison. It is particularly appealing for businesses that want proactive security alerting alongside backup, rather than treating backup as a purely reactive tool.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Here is how the three backup solutions compare across the criteria that matter most for Google Workspace protection:

Winner by Category

• Best Value for Money: AFI Backup -- lowest per-user cost with the most features included
• Best User Experience: Spanning -- self-service restore portal and clean interface set it apart
• Best for MSP-Managed Environments: Backupify -- deepest integration with Kaseya/Datto management tools
• Best Security Features: AFI Backup -- AI anomaly detection and ransomware alerting are unique in this comparison
• Best for Non-Technical Teams: Spanning -- simplest setup and management with user self-service
• Highest Customer Satisfaction: AFI Backup -- 4.8/5 Capterra rating leads the field
• Best Backup Frequency: Backupify and AFI Backup (tied) -- both offer up to three backups per day

Australian Considerations: Data Sovereignty and Compliance

For Australian businesses, data sovereignty is a significant factor that deserves its own discussion. None of the three solutions currently offer data storage in Australian data centres. Backupify and Spanning store data on AWS (typically US regions), while AFI Backup uses Google Cloud Platform (typically US or EU regions).

This means your backed-up Google Workspace data -- emails, documents, contacts -- will be stored offshore. For many Australian SMBs, this is acceptable. However, businesses in certain sectors should consider the implications:

• Healthcare: The Australian Digital Health Agency guidelines recommend that patient data remain within Australia where practicable
• Financial Services: APRA CPS 234 requires regulated entities to assess risks associated with offshore data storage
• Legal: Law firms handling client-privileged communications should review whether offshore backup storage complies with their professional obligations
• Government contractors: Many government contracts explicitly require data to remain within Australian borders

If Australian data residency is a hard requirement, you may need to look beyond these three solutions to options like CloudAlly (which offers some regional storage choices) or consider a self-managed backup approach using tools like Google Vault (for retention and eDiscovery, though it is not a true backup) combined with a local backup solution.

For businesses where offshore storage is acceptable (the majority of Australian SMBs), all three solutions meet standard security requirements with SOC 2 Type II compliance, strong encryption, and access controls.

Compliance and Retention

All three tools support configurable retention policies, allowing you to set how long backup data is kept. For Australian businesses:

• Tax records: The ATO requires business records to be kept for 5 years. Ensure your backup retention policy covers this period.
• Employee records: Fair Work regulations require some employment records to be kept for 7 years.
• General correspondence: Review your industry obligations and set retention accordingly.

Spanning and AFI Backup offer unlimited retention on standard plans. Backupify's retention policies may vary depending on the plan and MSP configuration.

Recommendation Guide: Which Backup for Which Business?

Scenario 1: Small Business with No IT Staff (10-30 Users)

A Brisbane marketing agency with 15 staff and no dedicated IT person needs backup that works without constant attention. Budget is tight.

Best choice: AFI Backup. At roughly AUD $70 per month for 15 users, it is the most affordable option. The AI anomaly detection provides security alerting that compensates for not having IT staff monitoring for threats. Setup is straightforward, and the admin dashboard provides clear visibility without requiring technical expertise. The cost saving of roughly AUD $25 per month over Spanning (and more over Backupify) adds up to AUD $300+ per year that can be spent elsewhere.

Scenario 2: Growing Business with In-House IT (50-100 Users)

A Sydney accounting firm with 70 staff, an IT coordinator, and compliance obligations under APRA-related requirements needs reliable backup with strong restore capabilities.

Best choice: Spanning Backup. The self-service restore portal means the IT coordinator is not fielding restore requests from 70 people. Users can find and recover their own deleted files, which saves significant time. At roughly AUD $440 per month for 70 users, it is competitive. The SOC 2 Type II compliance and clean admin reporting make it easy to demonstrate backup controls during audits.

Scenario 3: MSP-Managed Business (100-200 Users)

A Melbourne manufacturing company with 150 staff, fully managed by an MSP, needs backup integrated into the MSP's existing management toolset.

Best choice: Backupify. The Kaseya/Datto ecosystem integration means the MSP can manage Google Workspace backup alongside all other IT services from a single pane of glass. At roughly AUD $945-$1,170 per month for 150 users, it is the most expensive option, but the MSP management overhead is lowest when the tools are already integrated.

Decision Framework: Which Tool Should You Choose?

Choose Backupify if:
- Your business is managed by an MSP that already uses Kaseya/Datto tools
- You need three-times-daily backup frequency and enterprise-grade reliability
- Your user count is 50+ and you want a vendor with a long track record
- MSP integration and centralised management are priorities
- Budget is secondary to proven reliability

Choose Spanning Backup if:
- Your team needs a clean, user-friendly backup solution with minimal management overhead
- Self-service restore by end users is important (reduces IT burden)
- You want Shared Drives backup included in the base price without extras
- Your business is 20-100 users and values simplicity
- You want a balance of capability, ease of use, and cost

Choose AFI Backup if:
- Cost per user is a primary decision factor
- AI-powered anomaly detection and ransomware alerting are appealing
- You want the most features per dollar
- Your business is 10-200 users and you want modern, cloud-native backup
- You are comfortable with a newer vendor that has strong ratings but less brand history

Useful Resources:
- Backupify for Google Workspace
- Spanning Backup for Google Workspace
- AFI Backup for Google Workspace
- Google Workspace Admin Help: Data Recovery
- OAIC Australian Privacy Principles

Affiliate & Partner Programs

If you are interested in partnering with or referring these backup solutions, here are the official partner program sign-up pages:

• Datto/Kaseya Partner Program: https://www.datto.com/partners
• AFI Backup Partner Program: https://afi.ai/partners

The Verdict: Practical Recommendations for Australian Businesses

There is no single best Google Workspace backup solution. The right choice depends on your team size, budget, technical resources, and whether you are working with an MSP.

For budget-conscious SMBs that want the most capability per dollar, AFI Backup is the standout. It costs roughly 25-35% less than competitors while including AI-powered features that neither Backupify nor Spanning offer. The 4.8/5 Capterra rating suggests customers agree. For a 50-user business, the annual saving of approximately AUD $960 compared to Spanning (and more compared to Backupify) is meaningful.

For businesses that prioritise ease of use and want their team to self-serve, Spanning Backup is the safest choice. The end-user restore portal genuinely reduces IT workload, the interface is clean, and setup takes minutes. It is the kind of tool you configure once and rarely think about again, which is exactly what a backup solution should be.

For MSP-managed businesses that need backup integrated into a broader IT management stack, Backupify remains the strongest option in the Kaseya/Datto ecosystem. The premium price is partially offset by reduced MSP management overhead, which matters when your MSP is billing by the hour.

If you are unsure where to start, trial AFI Backup. It offers the lowest entry cost, the broadest feature set, and the highest customer satisfaction rating. If you find the self-service restore experience does not meet your team's needs, Spanning's user-friendly portal is the logical next step. Either way, having any third-party backup is dramatically better than relying on Google's built-in retention alone. The cost of losing a year's worth of client emails or a critical shared drive full of project documents will always dwarf the AUD $4-8 per user per month that proper backup costs.

For Australian businesses, the most important first step is acknowledging the gap in Google's shared responsibility model and closing it. Choose a tool, configure it, verify the first backup completes, and move on. The peace of mind is worth every cent.

Need help choosing and configuring backup for your Google Workspace environment? Contact our team for a free consultation.