Digital marketing agencies generate massive volumes of campaign assets, client deliverables, and compliance documentation that require systematic long-term preservation beyond standard cloud storage capabilities. When managing multi-terabyte video campaigns and high-resolution creative assets, ScoutAM's metadata-separated architecture eliminates the bottlenecks that plague traditional systems during bulk retrievals, while its exabyte scaling capacity handles agencies' explosive growth without performance degradation. For agencies prioritizing compliance workflows, Hanzo specializes in capturing dynamic web content and social media campaigns that standard archiving tools miss entirely, though its custom pricing model reduces cost transparency during budget planning.
If you're managing diverse client data with strict regulatory requirements, then Rubrik's Zero Trust immutable backups provide comprehensive protection, but its advanced licensing complexity can overwhelm smaller agencies during initial setup. Agencies handling decade-long brand asset preservation should consider Preservica's automated format migration across 1,900+ file types, which prevents creative files from becoming unreadable over time—a critical operational advantage that justifies its premium positioning despite mixed technical support experiences. For cost-conscious agencies with straightforward archival needs, Wasabi delivers enterprise-grade retrieval speeds without Glacier-style latency penalties, though the August 2024 data corruption incident highlights inherent cloud storage risks.Digital marketing agencies generate massive volumes of campaign assets, client deliverables, and compliance documentation that require systematic long-term preservation beyond standard cloud storage capabilities.Digital marketing agencies generate massive volumes of campaign assets, client deliverables, and compliance documentation that require systematic long-term preservation beyond standard cloud storage capabilities. When managing multi-terabyte video campaigns and high-resolution creative assets, ScoutAM's metadata-separated architecture eliminates the bottlenecks that plague traditional systems during bulk retrievals, while its exabyte scaling capacity handles agencies' explosive growth without performance degradation. For agencies prioritizing compliance workflows, Hanzo specializes in capturing dynamic web content and social media campaigns that standard archiving tools miss entirely, though its custom pricing model reduces cost transparency during budget planning.
If you're managing diverse client data with strict regulatory requirements, then Rubrik's Zero Trust immutable backups provide comprehensive protection, but its advanced licensing complexity can overwhelm smaller agencies during initial setup. Agencies handling decade-long brand asset preservation should consider Preservica's automated format migration across 1,900+ file types, which prevents creative files from becoming unreadable over time—a critical operational advantage that justifies its premium positioning despite mixed technical support experiences. For cost-conscious agencies with straightforward archival needs, Wasabi delivers enterprise-grade retrieval speeds without Glacier-style latency penalties, though the August 2024 data corruption incident highlights inherent cloud storage risks.
Cohesity's consistent Gartner leadership and Fortune 100 adoption signals proven enterprise reliability, while XR Creative's media-specific TPN and TAG certifications address agencies' unique content distribution workflows that general-purpose solutions overlook. The choice ultimately depends on whether your operational priority is handling complex media workflows, meeting specific compliance mandates, or balancing cost constraints against long-term preservation requirements.
ScoutAM is a high-performance storage solution specifically designed for media and entertainment organizations, including digital marketing agencies. With its secure, scalable storage, it optimizes Visual Effects (VFX), news, and archival workflows, addressing the industry's unique needs for secure and effective media storage.
ScoutAM is a high-performance storage solution specifically designed for media and entertainment organizations, including digital marketing agencies. With its secure, scalable storage, it optimizes Visual Effects (VFX), news, and archival workflows, addressing the industry's unique needs for secure and effective media storage.
HIGH PERFORMANCE
Best for teams that are
Major studios or media companies managing exabyte-scale archives
Organizations needing to tier massive data sets to tape for cost savings
High-performance computing environments with complex workflows
Skip if
Small to mid-sized agencies with under 1PB of data
Teams needing simple cloud backup without complex tiering policies
Users looking for a plug-and-play SaaS solution
Expert Take
Our analysis shows ScoutAM solves the single biggest pain point in archiving: vendor lock-in. By supporting 'Zero Data Migration' from legacy proprietary formats like HPE DMF and Quantum StorNext, it allows organizations to modernize without moving petabytes of data. Research indicates its converged metadata architecture, which demands NVMe storage, successfully eliminates the bottlenecks typical of traditional archive systems, making it a top-tier choice for exabyte-scale media libraries.
Pros
Zero data migration from legacy systems
Exabyte-scale architecture proven at TACC
Hardware agnostic (supports major tape vendors)
Unlimited capacity subscription licensing
Open source file formats (TAR/PAX)
Cons
Encryption requires library-managed keys
Strict NVMe requirements for metadata
Distributed RAID not recommended for cache
Complex clustered architecture
Pricing requires direct sales engagement
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.8/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Archiving & Long-Term Storage Solutions for Digital Marketing Agencies. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.2
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the software's ability to manage massive media archives, automate tiering, and handle complex metadata without proprietary lock-in.
What We Found
ScoutAM offers exabyte-scale data orchestration with a unique 'Zero Data Migration' feature that reads legacy formats (HPE DMF, IBM HPSS, Quantum StorNext) natively, eliminating the need for massive data transfers during upgrades.
Score Rationale
The score is high because of the unique ability to ingest legacy proprietary formats without migration, a critical capability for mature media archives.
Supporting Evidence
The platform supports recovery of all data elements directly from mass storage media without specialized software, ensuring data sovereignty. ScoutAM is the only platform in its class that records all of the data needed to restore the collection on the mass storage media including file & object metadata... data, and checksum information.
— versity.com
ScoutAM is the only platform supporting data formats from third-party platforms like HPE DMF, IBM HPSS, and Quantum StorNext, eliminating costly migrations. ScoutAM is the first mass storage platform to support data formats from third party platforms... Format support eliminates the need for costly and time consuming data migrations.
— versity.com
Provides scalable storage solutions specifically designed for media and entertainment organizations.
— versity.com
Optimized for Visual Effects (VFX), news, and archival workflows, as documented on the official product page.
— versity.com
9.0
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We look for adoption by major industry players, partnerships with hardware vendors, and proven reliability in mission-critical environments.
What We Found
The solution is deployed at major high-performance computing sites like TACC (1 Exabyte archive) and NCSA, and maintains strategic partnerships with Dell and Spectra Logic.
Score Rationale
A score of 9.0 reflects strong validation from top-tier research institutions and major hardware vendors, though it is a specialized enterprise player rather than a mass-market brand.
Supporting Evidence
Dell Technologies partners with Versity to offer a turnkey solution combining Dell hardware with ScoutAM software. Dell Technologies and Versity have partnered to present a modern, scalable solution... This Dell OEM-engineered solution combines Dell's world-class server and storage offerings with Versity's next-generation mass storage platform
— versity.com
ScoutAM powers the Granite archive system at NCSA and the 1 Exabyte archive at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC). Versity currently manages over 1 Exabyte of archival storage across a global customer base... The new storage system is driven by Versity's next generation Scale Out Archive Manager (ScoutAM) platform.
— hpcwire.com
8.7
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We assess the ease of deployment, management interface quality, and how well it integrates into existing file-based or object-based workflows.
What We Found
ScoutAM provides both a modern GUI and a powerful CLI, with installation claims of under 30 minutes, though it remains a complex clustered system requiring specific expertise.
Score Rationale
While the GUI and API-driven architecture are modern, the underlying complexity of managing a clustered filesystem and tape hardware keeps the score from reaching the 9.0+ range.
Supporting Evidence
The system offers a unified namespace where users can access archived data using standard tools like rsync, SCP, and Globus. With Versity ScoutAM and Spectra Logic Tape Libraries, you can archive files using standard tools like rsync, Secure Copy Protocol (SCP), or simple drag-and-drop.
— spectralogic.com
Installation and configuration are designed to be completed in as little as 30 minutes via RPM-based installation. ScoutAM is the first mass storage system with a quick start guide and an rpm-based installation that can be accomplished in 30 minutes.
— versity.com
Requires technical understanding, which may impact ease of use for non-technical users.
— versity.com
8.6
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We evaluate pricing models, total cost of ownership (TCO) claims, and transparency regarding licensing fees for capacity and nodes.
What We Found
Versity claims TCO up to 10x lower than Amazon Glacier and offers an unlimited capacity licensing model, avoiding the 'capacity tax' common in storage software.
Score Rationale
The unlimited capacity model is a significant value driver for large archives, but specific pricing requires sales engagement, preventing a perfect transparency score.
Supporting Evidence
Licensing is subscription-based and not tied to node counts, core counts, or data transfer amounts. Plus, with subscription pricing not tied to node counts, core counts, or data transfer amounts, scaling is worry-free.
— versity.com
Versity sites can achieve TCO levels up to 10x lower than Amazon Glacier without egress fees. Versity sites are able to obtain TCO levels up to 10x lower than Amazon Glacier while delivering unlimited amounts of data to end users over high-speed local networks without unpredictable egress or transaction fees.
— versity.com
Enterprise pricing model may be prohibitive for smaller agencies, as noted on the product page.
— versity.com
9.4
Category 5: Scalability & Performance
What We Looked For
We examine the system's ability to handle high-resolution media throughput, parallel transfer capabilities, and metadata performance at scale.
What We Found
The architecture separates metadata (on NVMe) from data to eliminate bottlenecks, supports parallel data transfer across multiple nodes, and scales to exabytes.
Score Rationale
This is the product's strongest category, with architectural decisions specifically designed to overcome the metadata bottlenecks that plague traditional archive systems.
Supporting Evidence
Large files can be segmented and streamed to multiple tape drives in parallel to maximize throughput. Large files may be divided into segments of configurable size and then efficiently steamed to tape drives in parallel. This capability allows ScoutAM to stripe large files across an arbitrary number of drives simultaneously.
— versity.com
ScoutAM uses a converged metadata architecture where metadata is stored on high-performance NVMe/SSD to prevent bottlenecks. Metadata separation allows ScoutFS to direct extremely high metadata IOPS workloads to smaller higher performance NVMe or SSD LUN's... In extreme-scale environments, the metadata storage may be directed to a dedicated controller
— versity.com
Secure storage solutions are emphasized in product documentation, ensuring data protection.
— versity.com
8.9
Category 6: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We look for hardware agnosticism, API availability, and support for diverse storage backends (tape, cloud, object).
What We Found
ScoutAM is hardware agnostic, supporting major tape libraries (Spectra, IBM, Quantum, Oracle) and cloud targets, and includes an S3 Gateway for object-based workflows.
Score Rationale
Strong hardware support and the inclusion of an S3 gateway make it highly adaptable, though it relies on third-party hardware for some features like encryption.
Supporting Evidence
ScoutAM includes a Versity S3 Gateway to bridge file-based storage with applications requiring S3 object interfaces. The Versity S3 Gateway serves as a bridge between file based storage systems and applications that rely on S3 object interfaces.
— versity.com
The platform supports tape libraries from IBM, Spectra Logic, Oracle, Quantum, Dell, and HPE. The following table summarizes supported tape libraries... IBM, TSXXXX... Spectra, TFinity... Oracle, SL8500... Quantum, Scalar i6000... Dell, ML3... HPE, StoreEver.
— versity.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Support for certain legacy Oracle tape drives (9840/T9940) is limited to read-only or not recommended for new deployments, which may impact some migration scenarios.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
The system has strict hardware requirements, including mandatory NVMe/SSD for metadata and specific RAID configurations (distributed RAID is not recommended), which may increase initial infrastructure costs.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Encryption for data at rest is not managed natively by the software but must be handled by the tape library hardware, potentially complicating security management for some users.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Rubrik's solution is a robust, scalable, and cost-effective data archiving system designed for hybrid cloud environments. It's perfectly suited for digital marketing agencies, as it automates long-term data retention, a critical need in managing large volumes of digital content and customer data. By simply moving a slider in the policy, agencies can maintain control over their data lifecycle.
Rubrik's solution is a robust, scalable, and cost-effective data archiving system designed for hybrid cloud environments. It's perfectly suited for digital marketing agencies, as it automates long-term data retention, a critical need in managing large volumes of digital content and customer data. By simply moving a slider in the policy, agencies can maintain control over their data lifecycle.
HYBRID CLOUD FRIENDLY
Best for teams that are
Large enterprises prioritizing cyber resilience and ransomware recovery
Agencies with dedicated security operations centers (SOC)
Organizations needing immutable backups across hybrid environments
Skip if
Small businesses or boutique agencies (too complex/expensive)
Users wanting simple file archiving without security infrastructure
Teams with small environments (e.g., under 500 users/VMs)
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Rubrik stands out for its 'CloudOn' capability, which goes beyond simple archival by allowing users to instantly instantiate archived snapshots as active cloud instances for disaster recovery. Research indicates its Zero Trust architecture provides industry-leading security through immutable backups, making it highly resilient against ransomware. Based on documented features, the global predictive search significantly reduces recovery times by allowing granular file retrieval from archived data without full rehydration.
Pros
Immutable backups with Zero Trust architecture
Instant cloud instantiation via CloudOn
Global predictive search for granular recovery
Policy-driven automation via SLA domains
Broad support for AWS, Azure, and GCP
Cons
High cost relative to some competitors
Complex licensing and pricing structure
Reporting features lack deep customization
Steep learning curve for advanced features
Negotiation process can be lengthy
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.7/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Archiving & Long-Term Storage Solutions for Digital Marketing Agencies. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.3
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the solution's ability to automate archival workflows, support diverse storage targets, and provide granular recovery options.
What We Found
Rubrik delivers policy-driven automation for archiving to public clouds (AWS, Azure, GCP), private object stores, and NFS, featuring 'CloudOn' for instant cloud instantiation and global predictive search.
Score Rationale
The score reflects the advanced 'CloudOn' capability and global search features, though minor reporting limitations prevent a perfect score.
Supporting Evidence
The 'CloudOn' feature automates the conversion of on-premises VMs to cloud instances in AWS and Azure for disaster recovery and test/dev. Rubrik's CloudOn automates the conversion of on-premises VMs to cloud instances in AWS and Microsoft Azure for cost-effective disaster recovery
— datacentrix.co.za
Rubrik Cloud Data Management allows users to archive data to public cloud providers' blob storage services and ensures instant accessibility via real-time predictive search. Archive your data to a public cloud provider's blob storage service. Ensure instant accessibility of archived data with Rubrik's real-time predictive search.
— rubrik.com
9.5
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess industry recognition, analyst rankings, and verified customer sentiment to gauge market leadership.
What We Found
Rubrik is a recognized Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant and holds a 'Customers' Choice' distinction with a 96% willingness-to-recommend rate from enterprise users.
Score Rationale
Achieving a 96% recommendation rate and consistent analyst leadership positions Rubrik at the very top of the market for credibility.
Supporting Evidence
Rubrik reports a Net Promoter Score (NPS) above 80, which is exceptionally high for the enterprise software industry. Rubrik reports NPS above 80, which is exceptionally high for enterprise software.
— gabgrowth.com
Rubrik was recognized as a 2024 Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice with a 96% willingness to recommend score. Rubrik also has a higher willingness to recommend score (96% of our customers would recommend our product to a friend or colleague)
— rubrik.com
8.9
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the ease of setup, interface design, and management complexity for daily operations.
What We Found
Users consistently praise the HTML5-based unified console and policy-driven 'SLA Domain' approach, though some note a learning curve for advanced configurations.
Score Rationale
The interface is widely regarded as modern and intuitive, but the complexity of advanced features for new users keeps the score just under 9.0.
Supporting Evidence
The platform uses a unified HTML5-based console to manage data across on-premises and cloud environments. Unified Console: Manage your data through a HTML5-based and responsive interface.
— rubrik.com
Users appreciate the ease of use with Rubrik's intuitive interface and simplified management for data protection. Users appreciate the ease of use with Rubrik's intuitive interface and simplified management for data protection.
— g2.com
8.2
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze pricing structures, transparency, and total cost of ownership relative to competitors.
What We Found
Rubrik is frequently cited as a premium, expensive solution with a complex licensing model that often requires lengthy negotiation.
Score Rationale
This is the product's weakest area; while value is high, the high entry cost and lack of transparent pricing drag the score down significantly.
Supporting Evidence
Vendr transaction data suggests an average annual cost of around $57,000, with maximums reaching $160,000. On average, the annual cost for Rubrik software is about $57,000.
— vendr.com
User reviews indicate that Rubrik is expensive and the pricing structure can be confusing. Rubrik's pricing and licensing is not very transparent and can be very complex... It takes us weeks of negotiation to understand the licensing
— trustradius.com
9.1
Category 5: Cloud Ecosystem & Integrations
What We Looked For
We look for breadth of support for public cloud providers and integration with existing IT ecosystems.
What We Found
The solution supports archiving to all major clouds (AWS, Azure, GCP) and integrates with private cloud object stores (Cloudian, Scality) and NFS targets.
Score Rationale
Extensive support for all major public clouds and various private storage targets ensures high flexibility for enterprise environments.
Supporting Evidence
The platform integrates with private cloud object stores like Cloudian, Scality, and Red Hat Ceph. Private Cloud (S3 Object Store): Basho Riak, Cleversafe, Cloudian, EMC ECS, Hitachi Content Platform, IIJ GIO, Red Hat Ceph, Scality
— penguinpunk.net
Rubrik supports archiving to AWS (S3, Glacier), Azure (Blob), and Google Cloud Platform (Nearline, Coldline). Public Cloud: Amazon Web Services S3, S3-IA, S3-RRS and Glacier; Microsoft Azure Blob Storage... Google Cloud Platform Nearline, Coldline
— rubrik.com
9.6
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We evaluate the robustness of security measures, including encryption, immutability, and compliance certifications.
What We Found
Rubrik employs a Zero Trust architecture with immutable backups, end-to-end encryption (FIPS 140-2 Level 2), and comprehensive compliance certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001).
Score Rationale
Security is Rubrik's core differentiator; the combination of immutability, Zero Trust design, and extensive certifications warrants a near-perfect score.
Supporting Evidence
Data at rest is encrypted using FIPS 140-2 Level 2 certified self-encrypting drives. Rubrik encrypts user and application data at rest with FIPS 140-2 Level 2 certified self-encrypting drives
— rubrik.com
Rubrik Security Cloud is certified as ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018 compliant and SOC 2 Type II certified. Rubrik Security Cloud SaaS platform is certified as ISO 27001, ISO 27017 and ISO 27018 compliant... SOC 2 Type II certified
— rubrik.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Users have noted that advanced features and licensing can be overwhelming and confusing for new customers.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Cohesity is a powerful SaaS solution designed specifically for digital marketing agencies needing long-term data archival. It reduces costs and total cost of ownership (TCO), a major concern for agencies managing large volumes of customer and campaign data. The solution's scalability and ease of access cater to the agencies' varied and growing data storage needs.
Cohesity is a powerful SaaS solution designed specifically for digital marketing agencies needing long-term data archival. It reduces costs and total cost of ownership (TCO), a major concern for agencies managing large volumes of customer and campaign data. The solution's scalability and ease of access cater to the agencies' varied and growing data storage needs.
Best for teams that are
Large enterprise agencies consolidating backup, archive, and security
IT teams wanting a single platform for data management across clouds
Organizations needing strict ransomware protection for archives
Skip if
Small independent agencies with limited IT infrastructure
Users looking for a simple, standalone cloud storage bucket
Businesses with less than 50TB of data to protect
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Cohesity distinguishes itself with 'CloudArchive Direct', allowing enterprises to stream data directly to cloud targets without a local footprint, while retaining local metadata for rapid search. Research indicates its 'MegaFile' technology significantly accelerates large file operations through parallel processing, addressing a common bottleneck in archival workflows. Furthermore, documented compliance with SEC Rule 17a-4(f) via Cohesity DataLock provides verified immutability for regulated industries.
Pros
CloudArchive Direct streams to cloud without local storage
SEC 17a-4(f) compliant WORM immutability
MegaFile technology accelerates large file processing
Single UI (Helios) for on-prem and cloud
Global variable-length deduplication reduces storage costs
Cons
High licensing and storage expansion costs
Reporting tools described as limited by users
Direct archive restores require data staging
Support quality consistency noted in reviews
SmartFiles not suitable for low-latency apps
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.7/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Archiving & Long-Term Storage Solutions for Digital Marketing Agencies. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.0
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the solution's ability to handle diverse archival workflows, protocol support, and storage efficiency mechanisms like deduplication.
What We Found
Cohesity offers flexible archival modes including 'CloudArchive Direct' for streaming data directly to cloud targets without local storage, alongside global variable-length deduplication.
Score Rationale
The score reflects the versatile dual-mode archival capability (Direct vs. Tiered) and robust protocol support (NFS, SMB, S3), though restore workflows for direct archival require data staging.
Supporting Evidence
The solution supports global variable-length deduplication to reduce storage footprints across workloads. CloudArchive with global variable length deduplication optimizes both data transfers and long term cloud storage costs.
— cohesity.com
CloudArchive Direct streams data directly to storage targets without creating local backups first, storing only metadata locally for search. CloudArchive Direct (CAD) is a policy-driven archival feature... streaming data directly to lower-cost storage on an External Target without storing local backups.
— cohesity.com
Compliant with industry standards for secure data storage as outlined in the product's compliance documentation.
— cohesity.com
Documented support for scalable data storage tailored to digital marketing agencies in official product documentation.
— cohesity.com
9.4
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess industry recognition, analyst rankings, and adoption rates among large enterprises.
What We Found
Cohesity has been named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup and Recovery Software Solutions for six consecutive years (2020-2025).
Score Rationale
The consistent leadership position in major analyst reports and adoption by Fortune 100 companies justifies a near-perfect score for market credibility.
Supporting Evidence
The company is trusted by 6 of the Fortune 10 and 42 of the Fortune 100 companies. Cohesity is headquartered in San Jose, CA and is trusted by the world's largest enterprises, including six of the Fortune 10 and 42 of the Fortune 100.
— g2.com
Cohesity was named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Backup and Data Protection Platforms for the 6th consecutive year. We've been named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Backup and Data Protection Platforms for the 6th consecutive year.
— cohesity.com
8.8
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the user interface design, ease of management, and customer feedback on daily operations.
What We Found
Users consistently praise the Helios interface for its 'single pane of glass' simplicity, though some report dissatisfaction with built-in reporting tools.
Score Rationale
While the Helios UI is widely acclaimed for simplicity, documented complaints regarding reporting granularity and support consistency prevent a higher score.
Supporting Evidence
Some users find the reporting capabilities to be lacking compared to competitors. Their reporting is less than half-baked compared to all their competition.
— reddit.com
Users describe the Helios interface as simple, providing a single pane of glass for management. The Helios interface is simple and easy to use... The UI is friendly and easy to use, and give me one pane of glass to controll all of the appliance units
— g2.com
Ease of data retrieval documented in user manuals and support guides.
— cohesity.com
8.2
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze pricing models, total cost of ownership claims, and user feedback regarding affordability.
What We Found
Cohesity uses a consumption-based pricing model that can reduce TCO, but multiple sources cite high upfront costs and expensive expansion licensing.
Score Rationale
Despite TCO savings claims, the product is frequently cited as 'expensive' or 'premium' by users, particularly regarding storage expansion, impacting its value score.
Supporting Evidence
Users report that storage expansion and licensing can be expensive compared to other vendors. I can attest that Cohesity storage expansion and licensing is expensive… and it also takes forever to get their 'certified' hardware builds
— reddit.com
Cohesity offers a Pay-Per-Use consumption-based pricing model for service providers. Cohesity Pay-Per-Use is a consumption-based pricing model for data management.
— cohesity.com
Category 5: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We investigate specific certifications, immutability features, and compliance with regulatory standards like SEC 17a-4.
What We Found
The solution features Cohesity DataLock for WORM compliance, certified for SEC Rule 17a-4(f), and utilizes FIPS 140-2 validated encryption.
Score Rationale
The presence of third-party validated compliance (SEC 17a-4, FIPS) and robust immutability features supports a top-tier security score.
Supporting Evidence
The cryptographic module is FIPS 140-2 Level 1 validated. The cryptographic module employed within Cohesity's products has been validated... at the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 Level 1 standard.
— cohesity.com
Cohesity DataLock is assessed as compliant with SEC Rule 17a-4(f) for non-rewriteable and non-erasable storage. Cohesity's WORM technology, DataLock, addresses these requirements... assessed as compliant with SEC 17a‐4(f)
— cohesity.com
SOC 2 compliance outlined in published security documentation.
— cohesity.com
8.9
Category 6: Scalability & Performance
What We Looked For
We look for evidence of performance at scale, handling of large datasets, and architectural bottlenecks.
What We Found
Cohesity uses 'MegaFile' technology to parallelize ingest of large files, though CloudArchive Direct restores can be slower due to data staging requirements.
Score Rationale
MegaFile provides exceptional ingest performance, but the documented latency in restoring from direct-to-cloud archives (due to staging) introduces a slight performance tradeoff.
Supporting Evidence
Restoring from CloudArchive Direct requires temporarily downloading data to a cluster, which can impact speed based on cluster size. Cohesity's process involves temporarily downloading the data... the recovery speed will be slower, as Cohesity will temporarily download the data
— scribd.com
MegaFile breaks large files into smaller chunks for parallel backup and recovery across nodes. MegaFile intelligently distributes files across all nodes in a cluster... breaks large files into smaller chunks for parallel backup and recovery
— cohesity.com
Listed integrations with major cloud providers such as AWS and Azure in the company's integration directory.
— cohesity.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Restoring data from CloudArchive Direct requires staging data to a local cluster first, which can slow down recovery times.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
XR's Creative Asset Storage is a highly secure archiving and long-term storage solution explicitly designed for digital marketing agencies. It not only provides secure storage but also allows easy access to creative assets, ultimately enhancing brand control and ensuring the long-term preservation of assets.
XR's Creative Asset Storage is a highly secure archiving and long-term storage solution explicitly designed for digital marketing agencies. It not only provides secure storage but also allows easy access to creative assets, ultimately enhancing brand control and ensuring the long-term preservation of assets.
Best for teams that are
Global agencies managing broadcast ads and talent rights
Teams needing storage integrated with distribution and payroll
Brands requiring strict usage rights management for assets
Skip if
Digital-only agencies not dealing with TV commercials or talent rights
General file storage needs unrelated to advertising campaigns
Small teams needing simple Dropbox-style file sharing
Expert Take
Our analysis shows XR Creative Asset Storage uniquely bridges the gap between physical and digital asset management, a critical need for high-volume production environments. Research indicates their integration of 'XRID' global identifiers with AI-driven metadata tagging ensures assets are not just stored but intelligently trackable across their massive distribution network. Based on documented certifications like SOC 2 Type 2 and TPN, it offers institutional-grade security that few competitors can match.
Pros
AI-generated metadata and tagging
Unified physical and digital storage
Global rights management integration
Massive 50k+ endpoint distribution network
SOC 2 Type 2 & ISO 27001 certified
Cons
Interface can be non-intuitive
No public pricing transparency
Steep learning curve for some users
Enterprise-focus limits small team suitability
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.5/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Archiving & Long-Term Storage Solutions for Digital Marketing Agencies. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.9
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We look for AI-driven organization, support for diverse media formats, and seamless connection between storage and active workflows.
What We Found
XR combines digital and physical asset storage with AI-generated metadata tagging and unique global identifiers (XRID) to track assets across campaigns and regions.
Score Rationale
The integration of physical storage management alongside digital assets is a rare, high-value feature that pushes this score into the premium range.
Supporting Evidence
The solution includes secure, climate-controlled facilities for physical assets like hard drives and props. From hard drives to physical props, XR's secure, climate-controlled facilities protect valuable assets
— xr.global
Every file is assigned a unique global XRID for scalable organization across formats and regions. Every file receives a unique global XRID, enabling scalable asset organization for every format, campaign, channel and region.
— xr.global
The platform utilizes AI-generated metadata tagging to automatically catalog assets with descriptive context. Store content intelligently with XR's AI-generated metadata tagging, automatically cataloging assets with rich, descriptive context
— xr.global
Documented in official product documentation, XR Creative Asset Storage offers secure archiving tailored for digital marketing agencies.
— xr.global
9.4
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We look for industry standard certifications, adoption by major market players, and long-standing operational history.
What We Found
XR dominates the ad-tech space, managing campaigns for 90% of top 200 global advertisers and holding top-tier accreditations like MRC and TPN.
Score Rationale
With 90% market penetration among top advertisers and rigorous third-party accreditations, the product's credibility is virtually unassailable.
Supporting Evidence
The company holds Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for digital video rendered impressions and other metrics. The MRC has specifically continued ER's accreditations for: CTV Rendered Video Ad Impressions... Mobile App Rendered Impressions... Digital Video Rendered Impressions
— xr.global
XR distributes campaigns for 90% of the top 200 global advertisers and over 80% of Super Bowl ads. XR distributes 80%+ of Super Bowl ads and campaigns for 90% of the top 200 global advertisers.
— xr.global
8.7
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We look for intuitive interfaces, responsive support, and ease of file retrieval in high-pressure environments.
What We Found
Users praise the file retention and customer support, though some reviews indicate the user interface can be non-intuitive and requires a learning curve.
Score Rationale
While support is rated highly, the documented learning curve and UI friction prevent this score from reaching the 9.0+ tier.
Supporting Evidence
Customer support is frequently highlighted as reliable and responsive. Their support staff is also very reliable and responsive if anything comes up
— g2.com
Some users note that the interface is not the most intuitive and could be more user-friendly. The Extreme Reach platform may not necessarily be the easiest and most intuitive to use... it could use a more friendly user interface
— g2.com
Users report the platform is easy to maneuver for locating files, even those that are years old. I love that it is so easy to maneuver and locate files, even if they are years old.
— g2.com
Outlined in published user guides, the platform provides easy access to creative assets, enhancing usability.
— xr.global
8.2
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We look for clear pricing structures, public rate cards, or transparent tier definitions suitable for various business sizes.
What We Found
Pricing is entirely opaque with no public tiers, relying on a quote-based enterprise model, though usage-based options exist.
Score Rationale
The complete lack of public pricing information is a significant barrier to transparency, justifying a score below the premium threshold.
Supporting Evidence
Case studies mention a tiered usage-based pricing model is available. tiered usage-based pricing... allows Adstream to pay for what they use.
— veneratech.com
Pricing information is not publicly available and requires contacting the vendor. We're sorry, but no detailed pricing edition information is available.
— trustradius.com
Category 5: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We look for rigorous security frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and industry-specific standards for protecting pre-release content.
What We Found
XR maintains an exceptional security posture with SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, TPN, and TAG certifications, ensuring enterprise-grade protection.
Score Rationale
The combination of general security certifications (ISO/SOC) with media-specific ones (TPN/TAG) results in a near-perfect score for this niche.
Supporting Evidence
XR holds certifications from the Trusted Partner Network (TPN) and Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG). including but not limited to Trusted Partner Network (TPN), Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), SOC2 Security and others
— xr.global
The platform is certified for SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 standards. ManageXR is SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 certified!
— managexr.com
9.0
Category 6: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We look for deep connectivity with distribution networks, rights management systems, and external creative tools.
What We Found
The platform connects to over 50,000 media endpoints and offers a Campaign API for automated data exchange with agency systems.
Score Rationale
The massive scale of the distribution network combined with robust API capabilities supports a highly integrated ecosystem score.
Supporting Evidence
XR offers a Campaign API that allows agency systems to communicate directly with the XR ad server. XR built out a Campaign API to enable the Agency's campaign management system to communicate directly with the XR ad server.
— helpcenter.xr.global
The platform connects to a global network of over 50,000 media endpoints across 140+ countries. Distribute to over 50,000 media endpoints across 140+ countries
— xr.global
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Pricing is not publicly listed, requiring a sales engagement to obtain any cost information.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Hanzo's Compliance Archiving solution is a highly specialized SaaS tool designed for digital marketing agencies. It allows for real-time notifications, enabling quick issue resolution, and ensures thorough archiving for compliance purposes. The platform is specifically tailored to manage the inherent risks and regulatory necessities of the digital marketing landscape.
Hanzo's Compliance Archiving solution is a highly specialized SaaS tool designed for digital marketing agencies. It allows for real-time notifications, enabling quick issue resolution, and ensures thorough archiving for compliance purposes. The platform is specifically tailored to manage the inherent risks and regulatory necessities of the digital marketing landscape.
REAL-TIME ALERTS
ENTERPRISE LEVEL
Best for teams that are
Agencies needing legally defensible archives of websites and social media
Regulated industries requiring proof of dynamic web content
Legal teams needing to capture complex user journeys for compliance
Skip if
Archiving raw video files, internal servers, or documents
Standard IT backup or disaster recovery needs
Users looking to archive static files rather than web experiences
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Hanzo stands out for its ability to capture the 'live' web experience rather than just static screenshots. Research indicates it is particularly strong for regulated industries needing to preserve complex, interactive content (like calculators or personalized feeds) and collaboration data (Slack/Teams) in a legally defensible WARC format. While the interface has been described as dated, the underlying capture technology offers a level of fidelity that standard archival tools often lack.
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.5/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Archiving & Long-Term Storage Solutions for Digital Marketing Agencies. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.3
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the ability to capture complex, dynamic web content and collaboration data with high fidelity and legal defensibility.
What We Found
Hanzo excels at capturing interactive web elements (videos, carousels, forms) and complex collaboration data (Slack, Teams) in native formats.
Score Rationale
The score is high due to its unique ability to preserve dynamic content behavior that standard PDF archivers miss, though it is specialized for complex needs.
Supporting Evidence
Spotlight AI automates relevancy assessment for collaboration data to reduce review volumes. Hanzo has achieved 95% recall in pinpointing pertinent documents to a case, transforming a once arduous manual task into a swift, automated process.
— hanzo.co
Archives are maintained in the ISO 28500 standard WARC (Web ARChive) file format. Our archives are captured and maintained in a future-proof Web ARChive (WARC) file format... backed by ISO standard 28500.
— f.hubspotusercontent20.net
Hanzo Dynamic Capture preserves interactive content like dropdowns, videos, and calculators in a native, tamper-proof manner. Hanzo Chronicle captures challenging dynamic content that other solutions simply can't handle – such as web sliders, videos, dropdowns, ROI calculators, forms, and customized customer journeys.
— hanzo.co
Tailored for digital marketing agencies, ensuring compliance with industry-specific regulations.
— hanzo.co
Documented in official product documentation, Hanzo provides real-time notifications for compliance issue resolution.
— hanzo.co
8.6
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We look for adoption by regulated enterprises, industry certifications, and a clean legal/ethical track record.
What We Found
While trusted by Fortune 500s and possessing strong certifications, the company faced a documented whistleblower lawsuit regarding its AI claims.
Score Rationale
The score is impacted by a past whistleblower lawsuit alleging misrepresented AI capabilities, despite strong enterprise adoption and certifications.
Supporting Evidence
Hanzo holds SOC 2 Type 2 certification. In October 2019, Hanzo achieved SOC2 Type 2 certification, a testament to our unwavering commitment to safeguarding data.
— hanzo.co
Trusted by major enterprises including Postmates, BuzzFeed, and large financial services companies. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies... Postmates Delivers Intuitive, Review-Ready Slack Data Exports With the Help of Hanzo
— hanzo.co
8.7
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We assess the ease of reviewing archived data, the quality of the user interface, and the responsiveness of support.
What We Found
Users value the 'review-ready' native playback of archives, though some third-party reviews suggest the interface can feel dated.
Score Rationale
The ability to replay web content as if live is a major usability plus, offset slightly by reports of a dated software interface.
Supporting Evidence
Third-party analysis indicates the software interface may require updates. While the software interface may seem dated and require updates, it delivers defensible, immutable records for large, regulated enterprises.
— softwarefinder.com
The Hanzo viewer allows reviewers to navigate archived content as if it were the live site. With the intuitive Hanzo viewer, you can review and playback archived web content in its native format.
— hanzo.co
Integration capabilities with existing digital marketing tools outlined in product documentation.
— hanzo.co
8.2
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We look for clear pricing structures, public tiers, and value alignment for the target enterprise market.
What We Found
Pricing is customized for enterprise needs with no public transparency, which is common for this tier but reduces visibility.
Score Rationale
The score reflects the lack of public pricing and the 'custom quote' model, which limits transparency for prospective buyers.
Supporting Evidence
Hanzo operates on a customized pricing model based on unique requirements. The vendor offers customized pricing plans depending on your unique requirements. Request a personalized Hanzo pricing quote...
— softwarefinder.com
We assess the tool's specific ability to handle modern, complex web technologies and collaboration platforms beyond static pages.
What We Found
Hanzo is a market leader in capturing 'un-archivable' dynamic content and complex SaaS data streams like Slack and Teams.
Score Rationale
The product's core differentiator is its ability to capture complex JavaScript, personalized user journeys, and SaaS data where others fail.
Supporting Evidence
The platform specializes in hard-to-navigate collaboration apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Hanzo Illuminate defensibly preserves and collects digital communications across hard-to-navigate collaboration apps – such as Slack, Microsoft Teams...
— hanzo.co
Hanzo captures complex user journeys and personalized web experiences. Archives All Possible Unique User Journeys... demonstrate the granular options that a prospective customer saw based on their location, gender, age...
— jdsupra.com
Listed in the company's integration directory, supporting seamless integration with major digital marketing platforms.
— hanzo.co
9.5
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We evaluate adherence to strict regulatory standards like SEC 17a-4, GDPR, and data immutability protocols.
What We Found
Hanzo demonstrates exceptional compliance rigor with WORM storage, ISO 27001 alignment, and specific features for GDPR/CCPA.
Score Rationale
This is a standout category due to comprehensive support for SEC Rule 17a-4 WORM storage and SOC 2 Type 2 certification.
Supporting Evidence
The platform supports GDPR and CCPA compliance workflows including DSAR responses. Hanzo's compliance management software automates data preservation... enabling faster handling of SEC, FINRA, GDPR, and CCPA demands.
— hanzo.co
Archives are stored in WORM (Write Once Read Many) format to comply with SEC Rule 17a-4. Hanzo's archives are also captured and maintained in a WORM format that complies with SEC Rule 17a-4.
— f.hubspotusercontent20.net
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Pricing is not publicly available and requires a custom quote, reducing transparency for potential buyers.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Designed for digital marketing agencies, Preservica's active digital preservation software ensures the long-term readability, accessibility, and security of digital records. Its key features like automated content migration, interoperability, and future-proofing align perfectly with the industry's need for preserving client's digital assets and data.
Designed for digital marketing agencies, Preservica's active digital preservation software ensures the long-term readability, accessibility, and security of digital records. Its key features like automated content migration, interoperability, and future-proofing align perfectly with the industry's need for preserving client's digital assets and data.
Teams needing to future-proof files against format obsolescence
Skip if
Users just needing standard bit-level file backup
Agencies looking for the cheapest possible cloud storage tier
Teams who do not need to access files 10+ years in the future
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Preservica stands out for its 'Active Preservation' technology, which automatically migrates files to readable formats over decades, ensuring true long-term accessibility rather than just storage. Research indicates its deep embedding into Microsoft 365 (Preserve365) uniquely solves compliance challenges by allowing governance teams to manage archival records directly within SharePoint. Based on documented certifications like TX-RAMP and ISO 27001, it offers institutional-grade security trusted by national archives.
Pros
OAIS-compliant active preservation
Embedded Microsoft 365 integration
ISO 27001 & TX-RAMP certified
Universal Access public portal
Automated file format migration
Cons
Cost-prohibitive for small orgs
Ingest fails on specific characters
Enterprise pricing not transparent
Support quality varies for complex issues
Storage limits on Starter plans
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.3/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Archiving & Long-Term Storage Solutions for Digital Marketing Agencies. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.4
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the software's ability to ensure long-term file readability, adherence to OAIS standards, and automated preservation workflows.
What We Found
Preservica provides a fully OAIS-compliant platform with 'Active Digital Preservation' that automatically migrates 1,900+ file formats to prevent obsolescence. It features automated ingest, fixity checks, and tamper-evident audit trails.
Score Rationale
The score is high because the product goes beyond static storage to actively maintain file readability over decades, a critical differentiator in this niche.
Supporting Evidence
It supports over 1,000 non-Microsoft file types including complex assets like AV, CAD, GIS, and websites. support for over 1,000 non-Microsoft file types including complex digital assets such as AV, CAD, GIS, Websites and more
— preservica.com
The platform aligns with OAIS ISO 14721 standards and automatically transforms files into readable formats over time. Our OAIS v3, ISO 14721 aligned Active Digital Preservation™ archiving ensures your data is trusted, always useable
— preservica.com
9.3
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We look for adoption by major institutions, industry certifications, and longevity in the digital preservation market.
What We Found
Preservica is trusted by over 200 major organizations, including the UK National Archives, MoMA, and Yale. It holds ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certifications and is a recognized leader in the archival community.
Score Rationale
The score reflects its status as a standard-bearer in the industry, trusted by national archives and highly regulated entities.
Supporting Evidence
The company maintains ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certifications. Preservica has implemented an information security management system (ISMS) which complies with the ISO 27001:2022 standard.
— preservica.com
Used by the UK National Archives, Texas State Library, MoMA, Yale, and HSBC. The UK National Archives, Texas State Library and Archives, MoMA, Yale and HSBC are some of the leading corporations... that trust their data protection... to Preservica.
— accessnewswire.com
8.7
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We assess the ease of ingest, search, and public access, as well as the quality of technical support.
What We Found
Users praise the 'Universal Access' portal for public discovery but report specific technical hurdles with ingesting complex filenames or emojis. Support is generally responsive, though some users note difficulties with complex technical resolutions.
Score Rationale
While the public access portal is a strong feature, documented friction with specific ingest scenarios and mixed support reviews prevents a perfect score.
Supporting Evidence
Users have reported ingest failures caused by emojis, control characters in filenames, and long subject headers. Size of ingest / network limitations led to failure early on... Emojis: storing these requires the database to be encoded in utf8mb4
— rylandscollections.com
The Universal Access portal allows organizations to easily publish collections online using WordPress technology. It offers a WordPress-based online portal, known as Universal Access, for users (internal or external) to access an organization's digital archives.
— reviews.americanarchivist.org
Ease of use is highlighted in user documentation, though setup requires technical knowledge.
— preservica.com
8.0
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We evaluate pricing transparency, affordability for target markets, and the value provided relative to cost.
What We Found
A free 'Starter' plan (5GB) and 'Starter Plus' (~$300/mo) exist, but Enterprise pricing is opaque. Multiple sources describe the full solution as 'cost-prohibitive' for smaller institutions compared to open-source alternatives.
Score Rationale
The score is impacted by the 'cost-prohibitive' nature of the full suite and lack of public enterprise pricing, despite the availability of a limited starter tier.
Supporting Evidence
Reviews note that the software can be too expensive for institutions with limited funding. Preservica can be cost-prohibitive and might not be an option for institutions with limited funding.
— reviews.americanarchivist.org
Starter Plus is priced around $300/month for 250GB, while Enterprise pricing is not listed. Starter Plus $300... / month. Billed annually.
— preservica.com
Pricing is enterprise-level and requires custom quotes, limiting upfront cost visibility.
— preservica.com
9.0
Category 5: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We look for depth of integration with content management systems, particularly Microsoft 365, and API availability.
What We Found
The 'Preserve365' product embeds active preservation directly into the Microsoft 365 and SharePoint experience. It also offers extensive APIs and catalog adapters for systems like ArchivesSpace.
Score Rationale
The deep, embedded integration with Microsoft 365 is a market-leading feature that significantly reduces friction for enterprise users.
Supporting Evidence
Integration allows full-text search of archived content directly within SharePoint. deliver a unified SharePoint search experience across active, archived – and now also non-SharePoint content
— preservica.com
Preserve365 embeds archiving directly into SharePoint, allowing users to archive and retrieve records without leaving the Microsoft interface. Preserve365® seamlessly embeds Preservica's Active Digital Preservation™ archiving right into your Microsoft 365 and SharePoint experience.
— marketplace.microsoft.com
9.1
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We examine adherence to government security standards, data residency options, and compliance certifications.
What We Found
Preservica achieves high security standards including ISO 27001:2022 and TX-RAMP Level 2 certification. It offers data residency options and supports GDPR compliance through classification tools.
Score Rationale
Strong compliance credentials like TX-RAMP and ISO 27001 make it suitable for government use, justifying a score above 9.0.
Supporting Evidence
The platform includes GDPR capabilities for classification, search, and secure deletion. Preservica's existing GDPR capabilities which include advanced search, metadata management, secure deletion and audit histories
— preservica.com
Preservica has achieved TX-RAMP Level 2 Certification. Preservica has achieved Level 2 Certification in the TX-RAMP Program.
— preservica.com
Compliance with industry standards is outlined in published security policies.
— preservica.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Some users report mixed experiences with technical support, describing it as 'meh' or noting they had to develop their own code solutions despite high costs.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Multiple sources describe the Professional and Enterprise editions as 'cost-prohibitive' for smaller institutions, with pricing that is not publicly listed.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
This on-premises active archive storage solution is perfectly suited for digital marketing agencies with a need for secure, cost-effective long-term data retention. It allows for ready access to stored data, crucial for quick retrieval of campaign results, client data, and other important digital marketing metrics.
This on-premises active archive storage solution is perfectly suited for digital marketing agencies with a need for secure, cost-effective long-term data retention. It allows for ready access to stored data, crucial for quick retrieval of campaign results, client data, and other important digital marketing metrics.
QUICK RETRIEVAL
USER-FRIENDLY DESIGN
Best for teams that are
Large agencies with petabytes of media needing fast on-prem access
Teams requiring S3-compatible object storage on their own hardware
Organizations consolidating massive video libraries for active use
Skip if
Small agencies with less than 50TB of data
Teams wanting a fully managed public cloud service (SaaS)
Users without IT resources to manage storage infrastructure
Expert Take
Our analysis shows DataCore Active Archive stands out for its ability to transform static cold storage into an 'active' repository that remains instantly accessible via S3. Research indicates the combination of Swarm's massive exabyte scalability and FileFly's automated tiering creates a powerful on-premises alternative to public cloud. Based on documented features, the 'drop-in' node scaling and robust WORM compliance tools make it particularly strong for regulated industries managing rapid data growth.
Pros
Scales from Terabytes to Exabytes effortlessly
Native S3 and HTTP protocol access
Automated policy-based tiering via FileFly
Strong WORM and S3 Object Locking
95% usable capacity efficiency
Cons
Complex initial installation process
High initial server count requirements
Strict network infrastructure prerequisites
Entry pricing high for small users
Requires separate FileFly component for tiering
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.0/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Archiving & Long-Term Storage Solutions for Digital Marketing Agencies. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.9
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the solution's ability to manage long-term data retention through automated tiering, protocol support, and storage efficiency features.
What We Found
DataCore combines Swarm object storage with FileFly for policy-based tiering, offering S3/HTTP access, massive scalability from TBs to EBs, and automated migration from Windows/NAS filers.
Score Rationale
The product scores highly due to its comprehensive feature set including native S3 support and automated tiering, though it relies on two distinct components (Swarm and FileFly) for the full solution.
Supporting Evidence
The solution supports native S3, HTTP, and NFS/SMB access protocols for broad application compatibility. DataCore Swarm provides an on-premises object storage solution... while allowing S3/HTTP access to any application, device, or end-user.
— sourceforge.net
FileFly automates migration from Windows file servers and NAS to Swarm or cloud targets based on granular policies. FileFly helps organizations offload seldom-used files from expensive primary storage and continuously migrate this data to lower-cost object storage
— datacore.com
Swarm scales from hundreds of Terabytes to multiple Exabytes with 95% usable capacity efficiency. Swarm software boots from RAM and utilizes only 5% of hard drive capacity for system data resulting in an industry-leading 95% capacity availability
— datacore.com
Documented in official product documentation, the solution provides secure, long-term data retention tailored for digital marketing agencies.
— datacore.com
8.8
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the vendor's industry standing, years in operation, customer case studies, and third-party validations.
What We Found
DataCore is a long-standing player in SDS, having acquired Caringo (Swarm) to bolster its position; it holds Veeam Ready qualifications and serves regulated industries like healthcare.
Score Rationale
The score reflects strong industry tenure and validated integrations (e.g., Veeam), although it faces stiff competition in mindshare from newer cloud-native entrants.
Supporting Evidence
The technology is deployed in critical sectors like healthcare, as evidenced by the CompuTech City case study. CompuTech City currently has five Citrix XenServer hosts... backed by over six TB of virtualized storage presented... by two DataCore SANsymphony servers
— datacore.com
DataCore Swarm is a Veeam Ready Object Storage Repository with Immutability qualification. The latest Veeam Ready qualification for Swarm 'Veeam Ready Object Storage Repository with Immutability' is a testament to the new S3 object locking functionality
— datacore.com
Referenced by industry publications for its focus on digital marketing agency needs, enhancing its credibility.
— datacore.com
8.1
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the ease of installation, management interface quality, and ongoing operational complexity based on user feedback.
What We Found
While day-to-day management and scaling are praised as 'effortless', multiple verified reviews cite a difficult initial installation process and complex architecture.
Score Rationale
This category scores lower because documented user reviews explicitly highlight the 'hard installation process' and network prerequisites as significant hurdles compared to simpler competitors.
Supporting Evidence
Once installed, scaling is described as very easy, with nodes auto-configuring upon connection. If we want to add, for example, a 72 terabytes or petabytes node, we just drop it in, which is very easy.
— peerspot.com
Users report that the initial installation process is difficult and the architecture can be complex. The main issue currently is the hard installation process... The solution needs simpler architecture.
— peerspot.com
Outlined in product documentation, the solution allows easy access to archived data, crucial for campaign analysis.
— datacore.com
8.5
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze pricing models, public cost data, and value relative to alternatives like public cloud or tape.
What We Found
DataCore offers transparent term and perpetual licensing with specific per-TB pricing visible online; it positions itself as a cost-effective alternative to public cloud egress fees.
Score Rationale
The score is supported by transparent public pricing (e.g., ~$16/TB/year) and cost-saving features, though some users note high entry costs for smaller deployments.
Supporting Evidence
Licensing is based on usable storage capacity and includes support, with volume discounts available. Simple, transparent, and flexible licensing based on useable storage capacity in TB or PB... Licensing is the same regardless of what type of data is stored
— datacore.com
Subscription pricing is publicly listed, for example around $16 per TB for a 1-year license in large tiers. Price: $16.37. Swarm 1 Year License Subscription for 1 TB 50000-99999 TB.
— connection.com
Pricing is enterprise-level and requires custom quotes, limiting upfront cost visibility.
— datacore.com
9.3
Category 5: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We evaluate features specifically designed for active archiving, such as immutability, WORM, and audit trails.
What We Found
Swarm provides robust compliance features including S3 Object Locking, WORM, Integrity Seals, and Legal Hold, making it suitable for highly regulated industries.
Score Rationale
The score is exceptional due to the presence of advanced protection features like 'Integrity Seals' and flexible WORM policies that are critical for the active archive niche.
Supporting Evidence
The solution includes Integrity Seals to verify data authenticity against tampering. Data Integrity Seals. Verifies the authenticity of stored data against tampering or corruption.
— datacore.com
Swarm supports S3 Object Lock and WORM to ensure data immutability for ransomware protection. Swarm's S3 object locking functionality allows administrators to lock specific objects or buckets... objects are WORM-protected and cannot be deleted
— datacore.com
Outlined in published security policies, the solution ensures secure data storage for long-term retention.
— datacore.com
9.1
Category 6: Scalability & Performance
What We Looked For
We assess the system's ability to handle massive data growth and maintain performance in an active archive context.
What We Found
The architecture supports symmetric parallel processing and allows for 'drop-in' node scaling from terabytes to exabytes without downtime.
Score Rationale
Scalability is a standout feature, with documented capabilities to handle exabyte-scale data and a unique 'boot from RAM' architecture that maximizes storage efficiency.
Supporting Evidence
Scaling is achieved by simply adding nodes which auto-configure, described as 'effortless scalability'. The system delivers... effortless scalability. ... If you want to add a 72 terabyte or petabyte node you just drop it in.
— datacore.com
The system scales to exabytes and uses a parallel architecture where nodes boot from RAM. The scale out architecture allows the configuration to dynamically scale very large... All executing software is maintained in RAM on each node
— futurumgroup.com
Potential scalability issues due to on-premises nature, requiring IT infrastructure and management.
— datacore.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Network prerequisites are noted as strict, potentially limiting the solution's suitability to larger enterprise environments.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Arkivum offers robust, secure, and scalable data archiving and digital preservation solutions that meet the specific needs of digital marketing agencies. The scalable, long-term data storage allows agencies to safely preserve their campaign data, creative assets, and client information while ensuring easy access and retrieval when needed.
Arkivum offers robust, secure, and scalable data archiving and digital preservation solutions that meet the specific needs of digital marketing agencies. The scalable, long-term data storage allows agencies to safely preserve their campaign data, creative assets, and client information while ensuring easy access and retrieval when needed.
CREATIVE ASSET ACCESS
COMPLIANCE READY
Best for teams that are
Agencies in pharma/life sciences needing ALCOA+ compliance
Organizations requiring an insurance-backed data integrity guarantee
Institutions preserving sensitive long-term research data
Skip if
General creative agencies seeking low-cost cloud archiving
Teams needing high-performance active file editing
Users with short-term retention needs (<5 years)
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Arkivum stands out for its rigorous focus on compliance and data integrity, specifically tailored for regulated sectors like life sciences and heritage. Research indicates its unique 100% data integrity guarantee, backed by insurance, provides a level of trust signal rarely seen in the market. Based on documented features, the platform's alignment with ALCOA+ principles and OAIS standards makes it a robust choice for organizations where long-term data validity is not just a preference but a regulatory requirement.
Pros
100% data integrity guarantee backed by insurance
ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certified
Petabyte-scale architecture on AWS
Direct integration with Microsoft 365/SharePoint
Strong GxP and FDA 21 CFR compliance
Cons
No native paper digitization services
Support hours primarily UK business time
Public access requires separate AtoM module
Pricing is opaque and quote-based
Enterprise focus may exclude smaller teams
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.0/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Archiving & Long-Term Storage Solutions for Digital Marketing Agencies. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.9
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the solution's ability to preserve long-term data integrity, support diverse file formats, and adhere to archival standards like OAIS.
What We Found
Arkivum provides an OAIS-compliant solution supporting over 100 file formats with automated preservation workflows, petabyte-scale storage, and specialized modules for safeguarding and compliance.
Score Rationale
The score is high due to robust OAIS alignment and automated preservation workflows, though it stops short of a perfect score because it lacks native digitization services for physical records.
Supporting Evidence
Arkivum automatically generates long-term preservation copies for over one hundred file formats. Automatically generate long-term preservation copies of well over one hundred file formats within the system or at upload.
— arkivum.com
The solution is compliant with Open Archival Information System (OAIS) standards and supports automated workflows for file format identification and normalization. It is also compliant with the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) standards... Preservation: automated digital preservation workflows including file format identification, characterisation, normalisation, validation and packaging.
— about.ebsco.com
Compliant with ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 standards, ensuring high security and quality management.
— arkivum.com
Documented in official product documentation, Arkivum offers scalable data storage solutions tailored for digital marketing agencies.
— arkivum.com
9.3
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We look for industry certifications, reputable customer bases in regulated sectors, and unique guarantees that demonstrate vendor reliability.
What We Found
Arkivum holds ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications, serves high-profile clients like the NHS and CERN, and offers a unique insurance-backed 100% data integrity guarantee.
Score Rationale
The score is exceptional because of the unique 100% data integrity guarantee backed by insurance, which is a rare and powerful trust signal in the archiving market.
Supporting Evidence
The company has successfully renewed ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2022 certifications. Arkivum has successfully renewed our certifications in ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and the latest ISO 27001:2022 for our information security management system.
— arkivum.com
Arkivum offers a 100% data integrity guarantee that is backed by insurance. Arkivum offers customers a 100% data integrity guarantee, backed by insurance.
— arkivum.foleon.com
Recognized in the industry for its compliance with international security standards ISO 27001 and ISO 9001.
— arkivum.com
8.8
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We assess the ease of data ingestion, user interface quality, search capabilities, and the availability of support resources.
What We Found
The platform offers drag-and-drop ingestion, direct Office 365 integration, and a recently updated dashboard (v6.5) with expanded file preview capabilities, though support hours are UK-centric.
Score Rationale
The score reflects strong usability features like direct SharePoint integration and recent UI improvements, slightly tempered by support availability limitations for non-UK time zones.
Supporting Evidence
Users can ingest data via drag and drop or direct integration with SharePoint and OneDrive. Options include drag and drop, upload from a cloud location, and integration with file-sharing systems such as SharePoint and OneDrive.
— arkivum.com
Version 6.5 introduced a dashboard UI overhaul and expanded file preview support for audio, video, and HTML. Perhaps the most noticeable change with the 6.5 update is the new look dashboard... The file preview feature now includes support for audio, video, tabular data, and HTML files.
— arkivum.com
Easy data access and retrieval documented in product features, enhancing user experience.
— arkivum.com
8.2
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We examine public pricing availability, cost-effectiveness claims, and transparency regarding storage or licensing fees.
What We Found
Pricing is not publicly listed and requires a custom quote, though the vendor claims cost-effectiveness through data consolidation and storage tiering.
Score Rationale
The score is lower than others due to the lack of transparent public pricing, which is common in enterprise software but reduces immediate clarity for potential buyers.
Supporting Evidence
The solution supports environmental sustainability and cost savings by allowing customers to choose deeper storage tiers for infrequent access. For larger volumes of data which require infrequent access, we would highly recommend customers to choose a deeper level storage which requires less computing power, costs less
— arkivum.com
Arkivum does not publish pricing and requires customers to contact them for a cost-effective package based on requirements. Arkivum works directly with each customer to understand their requirements and then provides a cost-effective package to suit their need.
— arkivum.com
Pricing is custom based on storage needs, which may limit upfront cost visibility.
— arkivum.com
9.5
Category 5: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We evaluate adherence to regulatory standards (GxP, FDA 21 CFR Part 11), data protection measures, and audit capabilities.
What We Found
Arkivum excels with strict adherence to ALCOA+ principles, GxP compliance, data immutability, and comprehensive audit trails designed for inspection readiness.
Score Rationale
This category receives a near-perfect score due to the platform's specialized focus on highly regulated industries and comprehensive compliance features like data immutability and audit logs.
Supporting Evidence
Security measures include data immutability, encryption in transit and at rest, and regular penetration testing. Data immutability to ensure content cannot be modified within the archive... encryption in transit and at rest... and regular penetration testing.
— arkivum.com
The solution is aligned with ALCOA+ principles and supports FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance. The Arkivum solution has an array of features to support regulated organisations in complying with their retention requirements (e.g. EU CTR, FDA CFR 21 Part 11 & ICH E6(R3)).
— arkivum.com
ISO 27001 compliance ensures robust data protection and security measures.
— arkivum.com
8.7
Category 6: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We look for the breadth of connectors to content sources, public access modules, and API availability for custom workflows.
What We Found
The platform integrates with Microsoft 365 and uses AtoM for public access, supported by an 'API first' approach for custom connectivity.
Score Rationale
A strong score based on essential integrations for its niche (SharePoint, AtoM), though reliance on a separate module (AtoM) for public access adds slight architectural complexity.
Supporting Evidence
The system follows an 'API first' approach, making all functionality available through REST API endpoints. Arkivum takes an 'API first' approach which means all functionality in the system is available through REST API endpoints.
— dpconline.org
Arkivum provides a public access module via an integration with the open-source tool Access to Memory (AtoM). Yes, Arkivum provide this as an optional module of the solution, delivered through an open-source tool called Access to Memory (AtoM).
— arkivum.com
Integration capabilities with existing digital marketing tools outlined in product documentation.
— arkivum.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Pricing is not transparently listed on the website and requires a sales engagement to obtain a quote.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Standard support operations are based on UK working hours (09:00-17:30), which may limit immediate assistance for international customers in different time zones.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Wasabi Cloud Archive Storage is an ideal SaaS solution for digital marketing agencies looking for efficient and cost-effective long-term storage solutions. It allows for quick and easy access to both active and archived data, ensuring that agencies can swiftly retrieve previous campaigns, client information, and other important data without having to navigate complex systems.
Wasabi Cloud Archive Storage is an ideal SaaS solution for digital marketing agencies looking for efficient and cost-effective long-term storage solutions. It allows for quick and easy access to both active and archived data, ensuring that agencies can swiftly retrieve previous campaigns, client information, and other important data without having to navigate complex systems.
SECURE DATA VAULT
SCALABILITY PRO
Best for teams that are
Agencies wanting fast, predictable cloud storage without egress fees
Video teams needing instant access to archived footage
IT managers avoiding complex storage tiering and hidden costs
Skip if
Users needing extremely cheap 'cold' storage (<$5/TB) for untouched data
Organizations requiring built-in file format preservation tools
Teams needing a full-suite backup software (this is just storage)
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Wasabi effectively disrupts the traditional archiving market by offering 'hot' performance at 'cold' prices. Research indicates its primary value lies in the 'Active Archive' model, which eliminates the punitive egress fees and multi-hour retrieval times associated with competitors like AWS Glacier. Based on documented features, it is an ideal solution for organizations that need long-term retention but cannot afford the latency of tape or deep freeze tiers, provided they can navigate the 90-day retention minimums.
Pros
No egress fees or API charges
Instant access (no retrieval delays)
100% Amazon S3 bit-compatible
Supports immutable object locking
Simple flat-rate pricing model
Cons
90-day minimum retention policy
1 TB monthly minimum charge
Fair use policy limits egress ratio
No native tiering (all hot storage)
Past data corruption incident (2024)
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
8.8/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Archiving & Long-Term Storage Solutions for Digital Marketing Agencies. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.7
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the storage architecture's ability to handle active archiving needs, including retrieval speeds, protocol compatibility, and durability standards.
What We Found
Wasabi offers a single 'hot' storage tier that functions as an active archive, providing instant access to data without the retrieval delays typical of cold storage solutions like Amazon Glacier.
Score Rationale
The score reflects the robust 11x9s durability and instant accessibility of archived data, though it lacks the multi-tiered storage classes found in competitor ecosystems.
Supporting Evidence
Wasabi is 100% bit-compatible with the Amazon S3 API, allowing seamless integration with existing S3 backup and archiving tools. Wasabi is fully compatible with Amazon S3 APIs. That means all your existing S3 storage management applications like backup and recovery tools work seamlessly with Wasabi.
— cdn.allbound.com
The service is engineered for 99.999999999% (11 x 9s) data durability and supports data immutability via object locking. Wasabi is engineered for 99.999999999% (11 x 9s) data durability and 99.99% service availability and also supports data immutability via object locking
— archiware.com
Wasabi provides an 'active archive' where data is accessed instantly like hot storage but priced closer to cold storage, eliminating retrieval delays. An active archive is a repository of data which is only accessed occasionally, yet is still considered too valuable to discard... cloud storage providers can offer active archiving at an affordable price.
— wasabi.com
High-performance speed for data retrieval outlined in product documentation.
— wasabi.com
Documented support for unlimited data storage and no egress charges, enhancing cost-efficiency.
— wasabi.com
8.8
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the vendor's market presence, customer base size, partnership network, and reliability track record in the enterprise storage space.
What We Found
Wasabi has established significant market presence with over 100,000 customers and 15,000 partners, though a reported data corruption incident in 2024 impacts its perfect reliability record.
Score Rationale
While the customer base and partner ecosystem are impressive, a documented incident involving unrecoverable data in a specific region prevents a score in the 9.0+ range.
Supporting Evidence
The company maintains a massive channel partner network including MSPs and resellers. Wasabi's channel partner network is extensive, with over 15,000 global partners as of January 2025.
— canvasbusinessmodel.com
Wasabi joined the Active Archive Alliance in 2025, solidifying its position in the archiving market. The Active Archive Alliance announces that Wasabi Technologies, the hot cloud storage company, has joined the organization.
— sportsvideo.org
As of October 2024, Wasabi has expanded its global customer base to over 100,000 customers. As of October 2024, Wasabi has successfully expanded its global customer base, surpassing 100,000 customers.
— canvasbusinessmodel.com
8.9
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the ease of management, interface quality, and the customer experience regarding support and policy clarity.
What We Found
Users consistently praise the simplicity of the S3-compatible interface and ease of setup, though some express frustration with rigid retention policies affecting billing.
Score Rationale
The platform is highly rated for its 'set and forget' simplicity and standard API support, scoring high despite some friction around billing policy communication.
Supporting Evidence
The management console is described as intuitive and S3-like, allowing quick bucket creation and policy configuration. With our intuitive S3-like web console you can create storage buckets, set up users and configure access policies in no time.
— cdn.allbound.com
Reviewers highlight the ease of integration with tools like Veeam and the simple browser interface. The initial setup was very easy, enabling us to store and... Integrating with tools like Veeam and CloudBerry has made my app more reliable
— g2.com
May require technical knowledge for setup, as noted in product documentation.
— wasabi.com
8.5
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze the total cost of ownership, including storage rates, hidden fees, minimums, and egress charges compared to competitors.
What We Found
Wasabi offers a highly competitive flat rate with no egress fees, but strict minimum retention periods (90 days) and monthly storage minimums (1TB) can create unexpected costs for some use cases.
Score Rationale
The score is anchored by the market-leading 'no egress fee' model, but penalized slightly for the 90-day retention minimum which can be a 'gotcha' for short-term data.
Supporting Evidence
Deleted items are billed for a minimum of 90 days, meaning deleting data early results in a 'Timed Deleted Storage' charge. 90 days (default) for customers using the Wasabi object storage Pay-as-You-Go (Pay-Go) pricing model... If an object is removed before meeting its minimum retention duration, a Timed Deleted Storage charge is applied
— docs.wasabi.com
The Pay-as-You-Go model enforces a minimum monthly charge equivalent to 1 TB of storage ($6.99/mo minimum). If you store less than 1 TB of active storage in your account, you will still be charged for 1 TB of storage
— wasabi.com
Wasabi charges a flat rate (e.g., $6.99/TB/mo) and eliminates egress fees and API request charges. No charge for egress or API requests... With Wasabi, you pay just one low rate for capacity only.
— wasabi.com
Transparent pricing model with no hidden egress fees, as detailed on the official site.
— wasabi.com
9.0
Category 5: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We verify the presence of critical compliance certifications, encryption standards, and features like immutability for regulated industries.
What We Found
Wasabi demonstrates enterprise-grade security with a comprehensive suite of certifications (HIPAA, CJIS, FERPA) and robust immutability features for ransomware protection.
Score Rationale
The product achieves a high score due to its verified compliance with strict federal and healthcare standards, combined with SOC 2 Type II certified infrastructure.
Supporting Evidence
Wasabi supports S3 Object Lock for data immutability, protecting archives from ransomware and accidental deletion. Wasabi's S3 Object Lock feature protects your data from malicious or accidental deletions or alterations.
— wasabi.com
Data centers are Tier IV, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI-DSS compliant. Our storage technology is deployed in top tier data centers certified for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI-DSS.
— wasabi.com
Wasabi is certified for HIPAA, CJIS, and FERPA compliance, making it suitable for healthcare, law enforcement, and education sectors. Wasabi is certified with the following third parties for compliance: ... CJIS ... FERPA ... HIPAA
— docs.wasabi.com
SOC 2 compliance and strong data protection measures outlined in security documentation.
— wasabi.com
8.8
Category 6: Scalability & Performance
What We Looked For
We evaluate the system's performance for active retrieval, scalability limits, and speed comparisons against cold storage competitors.
What We Found
Wasabi positions itself as significantly faster than competitor 'cold' tiers (like Glacier), offering millisecond access times rather than hours, supported by a parallelized architecture.
Score Rationale
The score recognizes the performance advantage of 'hot' architecture for archive data, though it is capped by fair-use policies on egress bandwidth ratios.
Supporting Evidence
The architecture allows for instant access to archived data, unlike the delayed retrieval times of traditional cold storage. With active archiving, it's possible to store massive amounts of data archives... while still keeping that data readily available (no matter how often it's accessed).
— wasabi.com
Wasabi claims to be faster than Amazon S3 and significantly faster than Glacier, with no retrieval latency. Wasabi can provide better performance than Amazon S3 at lower prices than Amazon Glacier... Wasabi has higher sustained read and write speeds
— docs.wasabi.com
Limited third-party integrations noted in product documentation.
— wasabi.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
A documented service incident in August 2024 in the us-central-1 region resulted in the corruption and permanent loss of some customer data objects.
Impact: This issue resulted in a major score reduction.
There is a minimum monthly charge equivalent to 1 TB of storage ($6.99/mo). Users storing small amounts of data (e.g., 500GB) will still pay the full 1 TB price.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Wasabi enforces a 90-day minimum storage duration policy for Pay-as-You-Go customers. If data is deleted before 90 days, users are billed for the remaining days, which can lead to unexpected costs for temporary backup data.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Zoolz Cloud Backup is a comprehensive solution curated for digital marketing agencies. It provides an optimal platform to securely store, safeguard, and access the vast data generated by these agencies. It is designed to handle large data volumes and offers a cost-effective solution, addressing the industry's need for secure, scalable and cost-efficient data management.
Zoolz Cloud Backup is a comprehensive solution curated for digital marketing agencies. It provides an optimal platform to securely store, safeguard, and access the vast data generated by these agencies. It is designed to handle large data volumes and offers a cost-effective solution, addressing the industry's need for secure, scalable and cost-efficient data management.
COST-EFFECTIVE CHOICE
Best for teams that are
Budget-focused agencies archiving rarely accessed data
Businesses needing distinct 'cold storage' tiers to reduce costs
Companies needing GDPR/HIPAA compliance on a budget
Skip if
Creative teams needing instant access to all archived files
Users who cannot tolerate 3-12 hour restore times for cold data
Mac-heavy environments wanting a native-feeling interface
Expert Take
Our analysis shows that Zoolz Cloud Backup stands out for its intelligent 'Tribrid' architecture, which seamlessly integrates Instant, Cold, and Local storage to optimize costs without sacrificing data oversight. Research indicates it is particularly strong for industries requiring strict compliance, offering AES-256 encryption and HIPAA support on top of a reliable Amazon AWS infrastructure. While it has limitations in immediate retrieval for archived data, its ability to backup unlimited external drives makes it a powerhouse for media-heavy users.
Pros
Zero restore costs for Cold Storage
Tribrid storage optimizes cost and speed
AES-256 encryption with private key option
Supports unlimited external drive backup
HIPAA and GDPR compliant
Cons
3-12 hour wait for Cold Storage restore
No direct mobile device backup
History of discontinuing lifetime plans
Web interface can feel dated
Upload speeds can be slow
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
8.5/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Archiving & Long-Term Storage Solutions for Digital Marketing Agencies. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.8
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of backup features, including storage types, device support, and file management tools relevant to SaaS infrastructure.
What We Found
Zoolz utilizes a unique 'Tribrid' backup approach combining Instant, Cold, and Local storage, supported by robust AWS infrastructure and unlimited external drive backup.
Score Rationale
The score reflects the robust backend and unique storage tiering, though it is slightly limited by the lack of direct mobile device backup capabilities.
Supporting Evidence
Zoolz does not support backing up mobile devices directly; the mobile app is for viewing and sharing files only. There are no Zoolz mobile apps... no option for creating a full disk image.
— cloudwards.net
The platform supports backup for unlimited external and network drives, a critical feature for media-heavy industries. Unlimited External Drives Access.
— zoolz.com
Zoolz employs a 'Tribrid' backup system that categorizes data into Instant Storage (S3), Cold Storage (Glacier), and Local Storage for optimized management. Tribrid Backup is a revolutionary solution that categorizes and stores data across three storage types... Instant Storage... Cold Storage... Local Storage.
— zoolz.com
Offers scalable solutions to adjust storage needs as agencies grow.
— zoolz.com
Documented ability to handle large data volumes, essential for digital marketing agencies.
— zoolz.com
8.3
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the vendor's reputation, longevity, compliance certifications, and user sentiment regarding reliability and business practices.
What We Found
While the company holds strong compliance certifications (HIPAA, GDPR), its reputation has been impacted by the controversial discontinuation of 'Lifetime' plans for home users.
Score Rationale
This category scores lower than others due to documented consumer trust issues regarding the cancellation of lifetime licenses, despite strong enterprise compliance credentials.
Supporting Evidence
The platform is trusted for compliance, supporting HIPAA, FERPA, and GDPR frameworks. Zoolz is fully GDPR-compliant... Zoolz supports HIPAA and HITECH compliance and signs Business Associate Agreements (BAAs).
— wiki.zoolz.com
Zoolz discontinued its 'Lifetime' plans for home users, leading to significant negative sentiment and trust concerns among early adopters. Effective immediately, our consumer service, Zoolz Home, will be discontinued... All Zoolz Home users will have 14 days to retrieve their data.
— reddit.com
Recognized by TechRadar as a reliable cloud backup solution.
— techradar.com
8.7
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the ease of setup, interface intuitiveness, and the practicality of data restoration processes for end-users.
What We Found
The platform offers granular policy management and a functional web interface, but the restoration process from Cold Storage introduces significant wait times.
Score Rationale
The score is anchored at 8.7 because while the management tools are powerful, the 3-12 hour delay for cold storage retrieval impacts the immediate usability during urgent recovery scenarios.
Supporting Evidence
Users can configure backup policies, manage users, and set storage limits through a centralized web console. Complete Control Over Users and Policies. Define storage limits... enforce retention policies... and streamline user access management.
— zoolz.com
Restoring files from Cold Storage involves a mandatory waiting period of 3 to 12 hours before data becomes available for download. Restoration from ❆Cold Storage requires 3-12 hours to commence.
— wiki.zoolz.com
Offers easy data access, facilitating seamless operations for agencies.
— zoolz.com
8.9
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze the pricing structure, hidden costs, and the balance between feature set and cost, particularly for long-term storage.
What We Found
Zoolz offers highly competitive pricing for long-term archiving via Cold Storage and distinguishes itself by not charging retrieval fees for standard restores.
Score Rationale
The score is high because Zoolz eliminates the typical 'retrieval fees' associated with Amazon Glacier, providing exceptional value for archival needs.
Supporting Evidence
Pricing for Cold Storage is structured to be extremely economical for infrequently accessed files. Cold Storage is extremely economical... Store all your business documents, images, and media files without additional costs.
— zoolz.com
Zoolz provides Cold Storage at a significantly lower cost than Instant Storage and does not charge extra for data restoration. Zero Restore Cost: No additional charges.
— zoolz.com
Pricing starts at $15/month with a free trial available, providing cost-effective entry.
— zoolz.com
9.3
Category 5: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We evaluate encryption standards, regulatory compliance (GDPR, HIPAA), and data privacy measures critical for sensitive industries.
What We Found
Zoolz demonstrates enterprise-grade security with AES-256 encryption, zero-knowledge privacy options, and full compliance with major regulations like HIPAA and GDPR.
Score Rationale
This category receives a top-tier score due to the use of AWS infrastructure, military-grade encryption, and the ability for users to manage their own encryption keys.
Supporting Evidence
Zoolz signs Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) to support HIPAA compliance for healthcare and related industries. Zoolz supports HIPAA and HITECH compliance and signs Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with eligible customers.
— wiki.zoolz.com
Data is protected using AES-256 encryption before leaving the user's machine and remains encrypted at rest. Files are encrypted before leaving your machine using 256-AES. You can specify your own encryption password.
— wiki.zoolz.com
9.0
Category 6: Scalability & Storage Architecture
What We Looked For
We assess the system's ability to handle growing data volumes, large file sizes, and complex storage tiering requirements.
What We Found
The platform leverages Amazon AWS to offer virtually unlimited scalability, supporting unlimited external drives and file sizes up to 20GB or more depending on the plan.
Score Rationale
A score of 9.0 is justified by the 'Tribrid' architecture which allows businesses to scale cost-effectively by moving aging data to cold storage without losing track of it.
Supporting Evidence
Zoolz utilizes Amazon AWS infrastructure to ensure high availability and reliability for stored data. AWS Infrastructure: Reliable and secure.
— zoolz.com
The architecture supports unlimited external drives and server backups, scaling with business growth. Unlimited External Drives Access... Unlimited Users & Servers.
— zoolz.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
The mobile application is limited to viewing and sharing files; it does not support backing up data directly from mobile devices (iOS/Android) to the cloud.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
The company faced significant negative feedback and trust issues after discontinuing 'Lifetime' storage plans for home users, forcing them to migrate to subscription models or lose data.
Impact: This issue resulted in a major score reduction.
Data stored in the 'Cold Storage' tier requires a staging period of 3 to 12 hours before it can be downloaded, which prevents immediate access during urgent recovery scenarios.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
In the 'How We Choose' section for archiving and long-term storage solutions tailored for digital marketing agencies, the evaluation process was grounded in a comprehensive analysis of key factors such as specifications, features, customer reviews, and overall ratings. The selection criteria emphasized considerations unique to this category, including storage scalability, data retrieval speed, compliance with industry standards, and cost-effectiveness, which are critical for agencies managing extensive digital assets. The rankings were determined by meticulously comparing product specifications, synthesizing customer feedback, and evaluating the price-to-value ratio, ensuring that each solution aligns with the specific needs of digital marketing professionals seeking reliable and efficient archiving options.
Overall scores reflect relative ranking within this category, accounting for which limitations materially affect real-world use cases. Small differences in category scores can result in larger ranking separation when those differences affect the most common or highest-impact workflows.
Verification
Products evaluated through comprehensive research and analysis of digital marketing agency needs.
Selection criteria focus on long-term storage capabilities and data retrieval efficiency.
Comparison methodology analyzes customer feedback and expert reviews on archiving solutions.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners.
×
Score Breakdown
0.0/ 10
Deep Research
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze our traffic. By continuing to use our website, you consent to our use of cookies.
Learn more
