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N-able Cove Data Protection vs iDrive comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

iDrive
Ranking in Cloud Backup
23rd
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
N-able Cove Data Protection
Ranking in Cloud Backup
19th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
Backup and Recovery (30th), SaaS Backup (8th), MSP Backup (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Cloud Backup category, the mindshare of iDrive is 0.8%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of N-able Cove Data Protection is 2.1%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud Backup Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
N-able Cove Data Protection2.1%
iDrive0.8%
Other97.1%
Cloud Backup
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2539458 - PeerSpot reviewer
President at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
Offers lot of storage space, and you can set up several different types of backups
I’ve had some issues with iDrive. I don’t have an updated version of Windows, so that might have something to do with it. I’m running a 2018 version of Windows 10, and I haven’t had any issues with Acronis. But I have had issues with iDrive, though they do seem to fix issues, but more slowly. It would be nice if iDrive could do what Acronis does and be able to do local disk images. Instead, the only local backup they do is a file backup. I’ve had issues like the scheduler mysteriously erasing my settings. I have to babysit it and make sure it’s doing the backups regularly because sometimes when they do updates, it scrambles my backup settings. I found out later that it hasn’t been doing backups for a few days, which is annoying. The email updates were another issue I had. It was giving me email updates for successful backups, and I don’t need my inbox full of those messages. And now I told them, I need an email message when the thing’s not running. But it doesn’t work that way.
Per MøllerJacobsen - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior consultant at Azend A/S
Delivers cost-effective data backup with room for search improvements
The challenges I face especially are those I've mentioned, that finding some specific data in N-able Cove Data Protection is not as easy as it is in some other systems. You cannot just search for something—you need to know where it was and when it was there to restore it, plus it would be nice to take out data from Microsoft 365 in some portable format, which is currently not an option. I would like to extract the data from Microsoft 365 in a portable format, something like a database or maybe just to take out a PST file or SharePoint and Teams files to the file system. Especially in these times, where we discuss potential risks with the Microsoft cloud for European companies, companies would want to know how to access their data from the backup if they suddenly don't have a tenant. I believe there should be the ability to take out data from Microsoft 365 in a portable format. I know that Cohesity is working on making such a thing. It's not there yet; I asked last week for something for forensics, and the support team said it's not possible yet, but I know from our technical account manager they are working on some solutions.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The encryption process is the most useful part of using iDrive for data security. I also use the background backup feature which helps me to clone and conduct computer backup. These features are very reliable, especially when restoring images from damaged servers. But I don't use the real-time backup feature; I always use the scheduled backup."
"iDrive will keep up to 30 versions of a file."
"Cove Data Protection has streamlined how we handle data protection, as an MSP, saving me time with a single console to administer all client backups and dramatically improving the service levels I can offer customers while giving me confidence in reselling a trustworthy service and company."
"For servers, first and foremost, it's just a rock-solid solution."
"The most valuables feature is the alerts and monitoring that catches the failed backups."
"N-Able, as a whole, has given me the RMM solution that I desire and the backup solutions that I desire."
"The initial setup of N-able Cove Data Protection was very easy."
"Overall, our team is much more satisfied, I don't have to bite my fingernails every morning wondering "What happened here?" and pretty much when things don't back up, it's usually either a machine failure or their network went down or something else is screwed up."
"The ability to back up, restore, and do different types of testing for the preventative maintenance has really increased our importance to these clients because they see the value in how fast we can get them back up and running. We're saving them money in that way."
"Of all the IT companies that we deal with as suppliers, I'm pretty sure they are the best that we have ever dealt with."
 

Cons

"I’ve had issues like the scheduler mysteriously erasing my settings. I have to babysit it."
"The disadvantage of using real-time backup in iDrive is that it significantly impacts server performance, causing considerable speed issues. The archiving process needs improvement along with the management of bandwidth and CPU. There should also be more options for creating conditions to manage the workload of the environment, making the system easier to balance."
"We don't use the solution’s automated recovery testing because SolarWinds made me cross."
"Currently you can't dump the files that were backed up. You have to use the web interface and you can only see 30 files at a crack."
"During the other 10% of the time when I have a problem, it's a mess."
"A feature I'd like to see would be a more customizable admin console."
"Having the licensing available for partners to be able to take advantage of testing without paying would make a big difference."
"There aren’t any challenges. Regarding the additional features, Cove is limited to disaster recovery with Azure. It would be great to make disaster recovery compatible with AWS."
"I have some issues with the agent failing on workstations. I've had to completely uninstall several of them, delete everything, and start over to get them to work."
"We would like to have better reporting."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"According to our evaluation done five to seven years ago, iDrive is cheap and it covers a lot of our needs."
"The pricing of SolarWinds seems to be fair compared to the rest of the industry."
"The pricing is very competitive and it's well worth the price."
"N-able Cove Data Protection is an averagely-priced product."
"The only option I would like to see is an adjustable scale. Right now we have 250 seats and we're not using all of them. It would be nice to be able to save that little bit of money by being able to buy just what we need."
"The pricing, for now, is good. The package that they gave us recently is pretty good. It depends on how many clients you have, and you pay for certain terabytes per license. These terabytes, if not used, are pooled together."
"The price isn't extreme, but I'd love to pay less."
"Cove only takes the data you have on the physical server. I can back that up for long periods of time, and I don't accrue high charges to have the data in the cloud. It stays at one rate. This allows me to forecast payment for the next one or two years and show clients their estimated growth."
"The pricing is affordable. N-able Cove Data Protection has a direct-to-cloud architecture, but it also allows saving backups locally without extra storage costs."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
14%
Construction Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Non Tech Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Construction Company
9%
Real Estate/Law Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iDrive?
The pricing’s really good for the amount of backup space you get. I get five terabytes. I think it’s, like, eighty bucks a year, something like that.
What needs improvement with iDrive?
I’ve had some issues with iDrive. I don’t have an updated version of Windows, so that might have something to do with it. I’m running a 2018 version of Windows 10, and I haven’t had any issues with...
What is your primary use case for iDrive?
We have a wide variation of use cases.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for N-able Backup?
In terms of pricing, N-able Cove Data Protection is neither cheap nor expensive compared to other competitors.
What needs improvement with N-able Backup?
The challenges I face especially are those I've mentioned, that finding some specific data in N-able Cove Data Protection is not as easy as it is in some other systems. You cannot just search for s...
What is your primary use case for N-able Backup?
Our main use cases for enabling N-able Cove Data Protection include backing up our customers' data on servers hosted in data centers and servers hosted in our own data center, as well as a few onsi...
 

Also Known As

No data available
N-able Backup, SolarWinds Backup, SolarWinds MSP Backup & Recovery, SolarWinds MSP Backup
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

1. BMW  2. Audi  3. Mercedes-Benz  4. Volkswagen  5. Ford  6. General Motors  7. Toyota 8. Honda  9. Nissan  10. Hyundai  11. Kia  12. Volvo  13. Jaguar Land Rover  14. Porsche  15. Subaru  16. Mazda  17. Mitsubishi  18. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles  19. Tesla  20. Peugeot  21. Renault  22. Citroën  23. Skoda  24. Seat  25. Mini  26. Bentley  27. Rolls-Royce  28. Lamborghini 29. Aston Martin  30. Ferrari  31. Maserati  32. Alfa Romeo
Computer Depot, Leading Edge Computers, IT Logic Australia
Find out what your peers are saying about N-able Cove Data Protection vs. iDrive and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.