Comparisons/Microsoft 365 Backup
Commvault vs Microsoft 365 Backup
Microsoft 365 Backup is fast rollback inside Microsoft 365 for Exchange, OneDrive and SharePoint. Commvault Cloud for Microsoft 365 keeps a separate copy outside your tenant and covers Teams too. They aren't either/or: Commvault can use Microsoft's backup storage as a premium tier.
Which to pick
Pick Microsoft 365 Backup if…
- You mainly want fast, large-scale rollback of Exchange, OneDrive and SharePoint after a mistake or an attack.
- Keeping backups inside the Microsoft 365 boundary is a requirement, not a concern.
- Paying per GB through Azure, with free restores, suits you.
- You're on commercial Microsoft 365 or GCC.
Pick Commvault if…
- You need a copy outside Microsoft, so one compromised admin account or tenant problem can't reach both.
- You need Teams, Entra ID or Dynamics 365 covered.
- You need retention past two years, or restores to a different mailbox.
- You're on GCC High: Commvault documents support for it, and Microsoft doesn't list it for Microsoft 365 Backup.
Side by side
What it is
Commvault
Commvault Cloud for Microsoft 365, the SaaS product formerly sold as Metallic.Microsoft 365 Backup
Microsoft's own backup for Microsoft 365, generally available since July 2024, run from the Microsoft 365 admin center.Apps covered
Commvault
Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. Entra ID and Dynamics 365 are separate Commvault products.Microsoft 365 Backup
Exchange (user and shared mailboxes), OneDrive and SharePoint. Teams isn't covered; a Teams channel backup is on Microsoft's roadmap.Where the copy lives
Commvault
In Commvault Cloud, separate from your tenant.Microsoft 365 Backup
Inside the Microsoft 365 boundary. Backups are append-only, but an admin can delete them through offboarding, with a 90-day grace period.Retention
Commvault
Set by your backup plan, including long-term retention.Microsoft 365 Backup
3 months, 6 months, 1 year (default) or 2 years. Restore points every 10 minutes for the first two weeks on OneDrive and SharePoint, and for the whole period on Exchange.Restore options
Commvault
Item-level restores, to the original location or somewhere else.Microsoft 365 Backup
OneDrive and SharePoint roll back whole sites or accounts, to the same URL or a new one. Exchange restores items to the same mailbox only.Government clouds
Commvault
Commvault documents GCC and GCC High support. Commvault Cloud for Government is FedRAMP High.Microsoft 365 Backup
Available in GCC. Microsoft doesn't list GCC High or DoD as of November 2026.Pricing model
Commvault
Licensed through Commvault or a partner.Microsoft 365 Backup
Pay as you go per GB per month, billed to an Azure subscription. Restores are free.Using both
Commvault
Commvault Cloud with Premium Microsoft 365 Backup Storage adds Microsoft's fast rollback as a tier, managed from the Commvault console.Microsoft 365 Backup
Microsoft lists Commvault, Veeam, Rubrik, Cohesity, AvePoint and Druva among the partners built on its backup storage.Our take
As a Commvault MSP
We sell Commvault, so weigh this accordingly, but this one genuinely isn't a competition. Microsoft 365 Backup is very good at what it does: rolling back a lot of data fast, inside Microsoft.
What it isn't is a separate copy. Backup practice, and most auditors, expect at least one copy outside the system it protects, so a compromised global admin or a tenant-level problem can't reach both. That's the gap Commvault fills, along with Teams, longer retention and GCC High.
For many customers the answer is both: Commvault with Microsoft's backup storage as the fast tier and Commvault's own copy as the one that's out of reach.
Questions
For quick rollback, it can be. It keeps backups inside the Microsoft 365 boundary, so it doesn't give you a copy outside Microsoft, and it doesn't cover Teams.
Microsoft documents it for GCC but doesn't list GCC High or DoD as of November 2026. Commvault documents GCC High support for Exchange Online.
Yes. Commvault Cloud with Premium Microsoft 365 Backup Storage is generally available and managed from the Commvault console, alongside Commvault's own separate copy.
Per GB per month, billed through an Azure subscription, with no charge for restores. It isn't licensed per user.
Sources
- Microsoft 365 Backup overview
- Microsoft 365 Backup FAQ
- Microsoft 365 Backup setup and billing
- Microsoft 365 Backup Storage partners
- Commvault Cloud with Premium Microsoft 365 Backup Storage
- Commvault backup for Microsoft 365 (documentation)
- Commvault Exchange Online, including GCC High (documentation)
- FedRAMP Marketplace: Commvault Cloud for Government
Checked in November 2026. Vendors update products often, so their own documentation has the final word. Work at Microsoft 365 Backup and see something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Weighing Commvault against Microsoft 365 Backup?
Talk to a KELYN engineer about your estate. If the other product fits you better, we'll say so.