Do you need a backup of Microsoft 365? Microsoft keeps its services running, but you remain responsible for your own data. Think of a user who accidentally deletes a folder, a ransomware attack, or a departing employee who deletes files. This article shows what Microsoft 365 can already do, what Microsoft 365 Backup adds and when a third-party solution makes sense.
Who is responsible?
Microsoft works with a shared responsibility model. Microsoft protects the infrastructure and ensures availability. What users do with their data, and how far back you need to restore it, is up to you.
What Microsoft 365 can already do
| What | How to restore |
|---|---|
| Deleted emails | The Deleted Items folder and then Recover deleted items in Outlook. |
| Files in OneDrive and SharePoint | The recycle bin (two stages, up to 93 days by default) and version history. |
| An entire OneDrive or library | Restore your OneDrive or Restore this library to an earlier point (up to 30 days back). |
| A deleted team or Microsoft 365 group | Restore in the admin center, within 30 days. |
| Keep data longer | Retention policies in Microsoft Purview or a litigation hold. |
These are useful safety nets, but not a real backup. They are limited in time, and retention is meant for compliance, not for quickly rolling back an entire environment.
Microsoft 365 Backup
Microsoft 365 Backup creates restore points for Exchange Online mailboxes, SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts. The data stays inside the Microsoft cloud, so restores are fast, even for large amounts of data.
- Link an Azure subscription for billing. Microsoft 365 Backup is pay-as-you-go.
- Turn on the service in the Microsoft 365 admin center via Settings > Microsoft 365 Backup.
- Choose which sites, OneDrive accounts and mailboxes to protect.
- When something goes wrong, restore to a chosen restore point.
Check Microsoft's official page for current pricing and retention. Teams chats aren't covered by every backup solution, so verify exactly what you protect.
Third-party backup solutions
Vendors such as Veeam, AvePoint or Acronis offer backups for Microsoft 365. Choose one if you:
- want a copy outside Microsoft, for example in your own datacenter or another cloud;
- already use a backup platform and want everything in one console;
- want to include Teams data or other workloads your native backup doesn't cover;
- need your own rules for retention and storage.
Starting with Veeam? Read set up Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365.
How do you choose?
- Decide how far back and how fast you must be able to restore data.
- Check whether the built-in options and retention policies already suffice.
- Need more? Compare Microsoft 365 Backup with a third-party solution on price, restore time and storage location.
- Test your restores regularly. A backup you never restored is a gamble.
Also see restore deleted files in Teams or SharePoint and restore OneDrive files.
Read also
Install Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 and create a first backup
How to restore deleted files in Microsoft Teams and SharePoint
Restore deleted OneDrive files up to 93 days after deletion
Nederlandstalige versie: Back-up en herstel in Microsoft 365: ingebouwd, Microsoft 365 Backup of extern