Last week, I got a call from an MSP owner managing 150 clients. His Datto SIRIS appliances were aging out, maintenance costs were climbing, and he was facing a $80K renewal bill. "There has to be a better way," he said. Sound familiar?
With Datto's acquisition by Kaseya and ongoing changes in their product lineup, many MSPs are evaluating their backup and disaster recovery strategies. Whether you're dealing with end-of-life hardware, rising costs, or simply wanting more flexibility, exploring Datto SIRIS alternatives has become a critical business decision for MSPs in 2026.
Why MSPs Are Moving Away from Datto SIRIS
The traditional appliance-based model that made SIRIS popular in the early 2010s is showing its age. Here's what I'm hearing from MSP owners:
Hardware dependency headaches: When a SIRIS appliance fails, you're looking at days of downtime waiting for replacement hardware. One MSP told me they lost a client because a failed appliance took 72 hours to replace during a critical period.
Scaling challenges: Each new client location often means another appliance purchase. At $3K-8K per unit, growth becomes expensive fast. Plus, managing dozens of appliances across multiple sites creates operational overhead.
Limited cloud-first capabilities: Modern MSPs need solutions that work seamlessly in hybrid and cloud-first environments. SIRIS was designed for on-premise first, cloud second.
Vendor lock-in concerns: With Kaseya's acquisition, many MSPs are worried about future product direction and pricing changes. Diversifying vendor relationships has become a risk management strategy.
Top Datto SIRIS Alternatives for MSPs
Acronis Cyber Protect
For MSPs managing diverse environments, Acronis has emerged as a leading alternative. The platform combines backup, anti-malware, and endpoint protection in a single solution.
Strengths:
- True multi-tenancy with granular client separation
- Excellent support for both physical and virtual environments
- Integrated cybersecurity reduces tool sprawl
- Competitive per-device pricing at scale
Considerations: The interface can be overwhelming initially, and the cybersecurity features require additional training for your technicians.
Veeam Backup & Replication
Veeam dominates the enterprise space and offers compelling MSP programs. Their Service Provider Console provides centralized management across all clients.
Strengths:
- Industry-leading VMware and Hyper-V support
- Excellent granular recovery options
- Strong partner program with good margins
- Proven track record in large environments
Considerations: Primarily focuses on virtualized environments. Physical machine backup requires additional licensing and complexity.
StorageCraft MSP Solutions
StorageCraft targets the SMB market that many MSPs serve. Their OneSystem platform offers both image-based backup and file-level protection.
Strengths:
- Designed specifically for MSP use cases
- Good price point for smaller clients
- Simple deployment and management
- Reliable granular file recovery
Considerations: Less robust than enterprise solutions for large or complex environments. Limited integration with advanced security tools.
Axcient x360
Positioning itself as the "anti-Datto," Axcient offers both BDR appliances and cloud-first solutions. Their x360 platform provides flexibility in deployment models.
Strengths:
- Can replicate existing SIRIS-style deployments
- Good integration with PSA and RMM tools
- Competitive pricing for MSPs
- US-based support team
Considerations: Smaller market presence means fewer integrations with third-party tools. Some features lag behind market leaders.
Migration Strategy: Moving from SIRIS
Planning a migration from SIRIS requires careful orchestration to avoid service disruptions. Here's the approach that's worked for MSPs I've consulted with:
Phase 1: Assessment and Planning
Start with a complete inventory of your SIRIS deployment. Document which clients are on which appliances, current backup schedules, retention policies, and any custom configurations. This baseline becomes your migration checklist.
Evaluate your new platform in a lab environment first. Test key scenarios: bare metal recovery, file-level restoration, and disaster recovery workflows. Your technicians need to be comfortable with the new solution before touching production environments.
Phase 2: Pilot Migration
Choose 3-5 smaller clients for your initial migration. Look for clients with straightforward environments—single server, standard applications, predictable change patterns. These pilots help you refine your migration process without risking major accounts.
Document everything during the pilot. What took longer than expected? Which configurations needed adjustment? Your pilot learnings become the playbook for larger rollouts.
Phase 3: Client Communication
Transparency builds trust during migrations. Create a communication template explaining the business reasons for the change, timeline, and what clients can expect. Many MSPs bundle the migration with other service improvements to create positive messaging.
Consider offering enhanced services during the migration period—extended monitoring, additional testing, or temporary redundancy. This demonstrates your commitment to their business continuity.
Phase 4: Production Migration
Roll out in waves based on client criticality and complexity. Start with less critical systems during off-hours and maintenance windows. Keep SIRIS running in parallel until you've verified the new solution is working correctly.
Plan for extended cutover windows. What looks like a 2-hour migration in the lab often becomes 4-6 hours in production when you account for data verification and testing.
Managing Backup Operations Post-Migration
One challenge MSPs face with any backup solution—including Datto SIRIS alternatives—is operational oversight. With hundreds of backup jobs across dozens of clients, how do you ensure everything is working correctly?
Manual monitoring doesn't scale. Even with centralized dashboards, distinguishing between critical failures and benign warnings becomes a full-time job. Failed backups slip through, SLAs get violated, and clients lose confidence.
This is where specialized monitoring platforms like ShieldPulse add value. Instead of logging into multiple consoles each morning, you get intelligent triage of backup issues across all your clients, regardless of which backup platform you're using.
Cost Considerations and ROI
When evaluating Datto SIRIS alternatives, look beyond initial licensing costs. Factor in:
Hardware requirements: Cloud-first solutions reduce your hardware footprint and associated maintenance costs. One MSP saved $40K annually by eliminating appliance refresh cycles.
Operational efficiency: How much time do your technicians spend managing the backup environment? Solutions with better automation and centralized management free up billable hours.
Client retention impact: Backup failures damage client relationships. More reliable solutions with better monitoring reduce churn and support the premium pricing your MSP deserves.
Scaling costs: Linear per-device pricing is predictable, but percentage-based models can become expensive as clients grow. Understand how costs scale with your business.
Making the Final Decision
Choose your Datto SIRIS alternative based on your MSP's specific profile:
If you manage primarily virtualized environments with enterprise clients, Veeam offers the most robust feature set and market credibility.
If you need an all-in-one solution that combines backup with cybersecurity, Acronis Cyber Protect reduces tool complexity while providing comprehensive protection.
If you're focused on SMB clients and need simple, reliable backup, StorageCraft provides good value with MSP-specific features.
If you want to maintain appliance-based deployments while gaining more vendor choice, Axcient x360 offers familiar deployment models with competitive pricing.
Whatever alternative you choose, ensure you have proper monitoring and alerting in place. The best backup solution is worthless if failures go undetected. Consider platforms like ShieldPulse that provide intelligent backup monitoring across multiple vendors and environments.
The backup and disaster recovery landscape continues evolving. By 2026, successful MSPs will be those who chose solutions that adapt to changing client needs while maintaining operational excellence. The move away from Datto SIRIS alternatives might feel disruptive, but it's also an opportunity to build a more resilient and profitable service offering.
FAQ
How long does it typically take to migrate from Datto SIRIS to an alternative solution?
Migration timelines vary based on your environment size and complexity. For a typical MSP with 50-100 clients, expect 3-6 months for a complete migration. This includes planning (4-6 weeks), pilot testing (2-4 weeks), and phased production rollout (8-12 weeks). Smaller MSPs can often complete migrations in 6-8 weeks, while larger operations may need 6-12 months.
Can I run multiple backup solutions during the transition period?
Yes, and it's actually recommended. Most MSPs run SIRIS in parallel with their new solution for 30-60 days to ensure data integrity and recovery capabilities. This dual-running approach adds temporary costs but provides crucial peace of mind during the transition. Budget for overlap costs in your migration planning.
What's the biggest operational challenge when switching from SIRIS?
The biggest challenge is usually retraining your technical team on new recovery procedures. SIRIS has specific workflows for bare metal recovery and file restoration that your team knows by heart. New platforms have different processes, and muscle memory can lead to mistakes during critical recovery situations. Plan for extensive lab testing and documentation updates before going live.