BaaS vs DRaaS: A Complete Comparison for Businesses in 2025
Backup and disaster recovery are essential parts of any data protection strategy. To protect their infrastructures, businesses can either deploy and configure hardware and software or use services and cloud infrastructure provided by a managed service provider (MSP).
Backup as a Service (BaaS) and Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) are two services organizations use for data protection. This blog post explains the differences between BaaS and DRaaS. Read this comparison to define which service should be used for each scenario.
The Key Differences Between BaaS and DRaaS
Backup as a Service is used to back up data to cloud storage or other storage supported by the backup solution used by the managed service provider (MSP). BaaS doesn’t include the cloud infrastructure where clients can store their workloads.
Disaster Recovery as a Service is used to back up or replicate data to the cloud infrastructure provided by the MSP or other infrastructure that can be connected to the data protection solution used to administer disaster recovery.
Purpose
BaaS is used to back up and recover data primarily in case of accidental deletion, corruption or other issues. The backup scope can differ since you can copy entire data sets (VMs, physical servers, databases, etc.) or specific data. Backing up entire VMs, servers and other objects allows recovering data in case of disasters, but requires more time than with DRaaS.
DRaaS protects the entire system and ensures it can be restored completely if a disaster strikes. DRaaS is used to restore normal operation as soon as possible with minimum data loss. The entire virtual environment is usually replicated in the cloud infrastructure, which the MSP can provide. DRaaS is used to provide business continuity, including running business-critical applications.
RTO and RPO
Recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO) are the two main metrics for disaster recovery planning.
- RTO defines the time it takes for data and workloads (normal operations in the disaster recovery or source environments) to be restored after a data loss event.
- RPO is the period after the latest backup or replication and before the data loss event, which defines how much data an organization can afford to lose.
The choice between BaaS and DRaaS is based on the required RTO and RPO metrics.
BaaS is usually used for longer RPOs compared to DRaaS. Backups may be performed daily, weekly and monthly. They are compressed to use storage more efficiently. Uncompressing data from backups and copying it to the destination location requires more time, depending on the amount of recovered data. If the primary infrastructure is unavailable, more time may be needed to configure the secondary infrastructure for recovery purposes. If, for example, a backup is made once a day at 00:00 and data is lost at 16:00 during the same day, you cannot restore data after 00:00.
DRaaS is used to meet shorter RPO and RTO values. Data replication can be performed with an interval of a few minutes or seconds. You can also use real-time replication to achieve an even shorter RPO. RTO is also shorter for DRaaS because data and workloads can be restored in a few hours or minutes. The recovery process is fast because switching to a replicated virtual machine, server or database stored in an uncompressed state in the cloud or in the secondary datacenter is performed quickly. DRaaS is used to quickly restore business operations after a data loss event or disaster.
Use cases
BaaS is widely used when organizations need to prevent data loss when data is corrupted, deleted or altered. Archiving backups allows organizations to recover old versions of specific data. Long-term retention for high volumes of data is optimal with backups to meet compliance requirements. BaaS is ideal for recovering files or databases, not full system environments.
DRaaS is primarily used to ensure business continuity and resume operations after a disaster. It should protect environments where downtime or service disruption is unacceptable (finance, healthcare, etc.). DRaaS can replicate the entire environment and quickly switch to a disaster recovery environment.
Technology and infrastructure
BaaS is often provided together with cloud backup storage by an MSP. Incremental backups and other space-saving technologies are supported. Physical and virtual machines, databases and cloud services are typically protected. BaaS does not provide the infrastructure for a disaster recovery site, meaning the entire infrastructure cannot be backed up without additional effort. Customers can manually configure a disaster recovery infrastructure unrelated to the BaaS provider.
DRaaS is typically used to replicate entire systems, including servers, virtual machines, databases, storage, networking, etc., to the cloud or another datacenter. An MSP usually provides disaster recovery infrastructure in the cloud, making it possible to replicate and recover the entire infrastructure or its critical components. Full system recovery can be done quickly and cloud-based resources can be used. DRaaS is especially effective when cloud disaster recovery services are needed.
Costs and complexity
BaaS is more affordable since it’s generally provided for a lower price than DRaaS. However, BaaS protects only data, while DRaaS can replicate entire systems. The setup of BaaS is usually easier and more straightforward as it involves backing up data to the cloud with minimal configuration.
DRaaS is a service that is provided at a higher price but can be used for strict RTO and RPO requirements. The requirements for DRaaS are higher and the price is higher as well. This is because the entire infrastructure or the most critical items must be completely replicated (without compression) to a disaster recovery infrastructure in the cloud or in another datacenter. Advanced technologies, such as real-time replication and higher storage requirements, can further increase prices. DRaaS providers usually offer disaster recovery infrastructure in the cloud.
The setup of DRaaS is more complex than that of BaaS. It includes a replication schedule and is set up to reflect a disaster recovery plan, taking into account specific RTO and RPO needs.
Recovery scope
BaaS primarily focuses on granular recovery (for example, recovery of particular files, databases or VMs). Full recovery is possible, but it requires more time to copy all data during the recovery process.
DRaaS enables the recovery of entire systems, including operating systems, applications, configurations and data. Full recovery is performed quickly because data is not copied during the recovery process and a failover to an existing replica is performed.
Examples
BaaS:
- A user accidentally deletes a file on a server. The organization needs to recover this file. This file is recovered from a previously made backup using the BaaS solution.
- An organization must meet the compliance requirements and store backups for 3 years. Configuring long-term retention with BaaS allows the organization to meet compliance requirements.
DRaaS:
- A business experiences a data center failure and needs to quickly restore its entire system environment in the cloud to resume operations.
- A company wants to ensure its website or critical e-commerce platform stays up during a disaster, even if its primary data center goes offline.
BaaS vs DRaaS comparison
| Feature | BaaS (Backup as a Service) | DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service) |
| Focus | Data backup (files, databases, etc.) | Full-system recovery (entire IT infrastructure) |
| Primary Use Case | Data loss protection | Business continuity and rapid recovery |
| Scope | Backing up individual data or systems | Replicating and recovering entire environments |
| RPO | Long (hours or daily backups) | Short (minutes to seconds, near-real-time replication) |
| RTO | Long (depending on backup recovery time) | Short (minutes to hours, near-instant recovery) |
| Cost | Typically lower | Typically higher due to system replication |
| Complexity | Simpler, easier to configure | More complex, requires disaster recovery planning |
| Recovery type | File-level recovery | Full system recovery, including VMs, OS and data |
Small and medium-sized businesses prefer BaaS because it is more affordable.
DRaaS is preferred by enterprises and businesses that need to protect a large infrastructure with mission-critical applications where extended downtime is not affordable.
Why Businesses Need BaaS and DRaaS in 2025
In 2025, data protection and disaster recovery are more critical than ever. The number of devastating ransomware attacks is growing. Natural disasters and hardware failures are also serious risks that cause data loss. As modern businesses rely on digital infrastructures, losing data can put them at risk. BaaS and DRaaS can help organizations protect their data, ensure business continuity and meet compliance requirements.
A large number of organizations work in multiple regions and countries. The complexity of their infrastructures and backup management increases. Multi-cloud and on-premises infrastructures are often used. Moreover, data that must be backed up is often stored across different servers and devices. BaaS and DRaaS allow organizations to protect data, no matter where it is stored.
BaaS and DRaaS are efficient services for protecting data against ransomware attacks. If ransomware corrupts an organization’s data, backups are used to recover that data and restore workloads. The replicated environment can be brought online quickly to maintain business continuity.
Regulatory and compliance requirements are important for organizations because non-compliance leads to heavy fines and penalties. Data loss and downtime are the main reasons organizations can violate compliance requirements and service level agreements. BaaS and DRaaS protect data, reduce the risk of data loss and downtime, and meet compliance requirements.
DRaaS and BaaS are used to reduce downtime. Downtime, whether caused by a natural disaster, cyberattack, or hardware failure, has a massive cost.
Key Benefits of Using BaaS or DRaaS for Your Business
Using BaaS and DRaaS reduces the time needed to deploy a data protection solution. A managed service provider deploys the solution and clients need to configure it and prepare the infrastructure for disaster recovery.
BaaS and DRaaS are effective for cloud computing. Running virtual machines in public clouds is widely used nowadays. Organizations can effectively protect their data and cloud infrastructure with BaaS and DRaaS. One of the main backup as a service benefits is that BaaS provides cloud-based backup solutions for data protection across hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures, as well as SaaS applications, such as Microsoft 365. DRaaS ensures that cloud-native and on-premises workloads are replicated and available in case of cloud outages or other disruptions.
The flexibility of BaaS and DRaaS solutions allows organizations to store as much data as needed without installing additional storage components as the amount of data grows. This way, organizations using these services don’t need to worry about running out of storage capacity.
Another benefit of protecting data in the cloud is operational efficiency. Automated backups (via BaaS) and system recovery (via DRaaS) eliminate manual intervention, which increases operational efficiency and reduces the potential for errors during recovery. Cloud-native environments provide scalability, accessibility and reliability.
The benefits of backup as a service and disaster recovery as a service are great, but you should be aware of some caveats. Keep in mind that backup and recovery speeds can be lower when using cloud services. The data transfer speed is limited by the internet connection and it is lower compared to the speed of local area networks when transferring data between the local infrastructure and the cloud. This can cause slower data transfers when protecting and recovering on-premises data and environments. Moreover, some service providers may use complex pricing models.
How to Choose Between BaaS and DRaaS for Your Business
To rationally choose between BaaS and DRaaS for your organization, you should consider factors like the nature of your business operations, recovery requirements and costs.
Data protection
BaaS is effective for backing up and recovering data for the following organizations:
- Businesses with critical data that needs to be preserved (customer information, financial records, intellectual property).
- Companies looking for simple, cost-effective backup of files, databases and other data.
- Businesses that need to meet compliance standards for data retention (healthcare, finance or legal industries).
DRaaS is effective in ensuring business continuity and protecting the entire infrastructure with the ability to recover workloads quickly. The following organizations can use DRaaS:
- Businesses where downtime directly impacts revenue, customer satisfaction or operational effectiveness.
- Organizations with complex, critical IT systems (ERP, CRM, large-scale databases) that cannot afford prolonged outages.
- Companies that require near-zero downtime and fast recovery times (for example, 24/7 businesses, organizations with strict compliance requirements, when service disruption is not applicable).
Recovery requirements: Specific data vs. full system
BaaS is preferred in the following situations
- If RPO and RTO are not very tight.
- The recovery scope includes individual files, databases, virtual machines, etc. Recovery is typically more granular than for DRaaS. Restoring the entire system can be done, but requires a longer time than when using DRaaS.
- Fast recovery of individual files and objects; focuses on specific data recovery.
DRaaS is the optimal choice in the following scenarios:
- Strict RPO and RTO requirements with minimum downtime and data loss.
- Full system and application recovery: VMs and virtual infrastructures.
- Switching to the replicated environment in case of hardware failures, ransomware attacks and other disasters with minimal downtime.
BaaS vs DRaaS cost
BaaS is more affordable and is focused on data backup rather than replication of full environments. BaaS is a cost-effective option, especially for smaller organizations or businesses with limited budgets. Organizations looking for basic data protection without the complexity of full system recovery can choose BaaS. The pricing model is typically subscription-based.
DRaaS requires a higher cost due to system replication. The cost depends on factors like the amount of storage needed, the complexity of the infrastructure and the recovery time required. DRaaS is usually chosen by larger enterprises or mission-critical businesses that can afford the high cost to ensure full business continuity and minimal downtime.
Organizations can also use both BaaS and DRaaS to protect all data and perform fast full or granular recovery. In this case, these managed services complement each other. This approach helps ensure reliable data protection in different scenarios. For example, less critical data can be backed up with BaaS and the most critical data is replicated with DRaaS and backed up with BaaS. BaaS is used for long-term retention and DRaaS is better for short-term retention.
Why NAKIVO Is the Ideal Choice for BaaS and DRaaS
Multiple BaaS and DRaaS solutions are available for customers, but they are not all the same. Different managed service providers can provide different data protection solutions. Usually, these solutions provide a web interface for management and administration. It is important to choose a convenient, reliable, functional and cost-effective solution.
Choosing a managed service provider offering NAKIVO Backup & Replication for BaaS and DRaaS is recommended since the solution provides the following advantages:
- Support for multiple platforms. The NAKIVO solution protects virtual environments (VMware vSphere VMs, Hyper-V VMs, Proxmox VMs, Nutanix, Amazon EC2 instances), physical machines (Linux and Windows servers and workstations), Microsoft 365, NAS and hybrid infrastructures.
- Support for multiple backup storage types. You can store backups on local servers, NAS devices, tape, cloud storage (Azure Blob Storage, AWS S3 and S3-compatible storage), etc. Backup repositories can be created on-premises and in the cloud.
- Flexible retention settings for backup and replication jobs. You can configure complex scheduling and retention schemes, including the GFS retention policy.
- Granular recovery options. You can recover specific files and objects, such as Active Directory objects, Microsoft Exchange objects or MS SQL databases. Recovery to source and custom locations is supported.
- Backup encryption. Source-side encryption, backup repository encryption and network encryption allow you to protect data from unauthorized access.
- Backup immutability improves ransomware protection. Immutable backups cannot be modified or deleted by ransomware.
- VM replication. Snapshot-based VM replication and VM failover help restore workloads and data quickly. Real-time replication for VMware vSphere VMs can be used to meet the tightest RPO and RTO.
- Disaster recovery. The Site Recovery feature allows you to implement disaster recovery plans for different scenarios and create complex workflows. You can also run disaster recovery testing automatically.
Additionally, disaster recovery services for small businesses are more affordable with the NAKIVO solution.
Conclusion
Backup as a service (BaaS) and disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) can enhance data protection for cloud-native and multi-cloud environments while also protecting data on-premises. BaaS is optimal for data backup with more granular recovery and long-term backup retention. DRaaS is better for disaster recovery when full environments must be restored quickly with minimum data loss and downtime. Selecting the proper data protection service depends on your business operations, recovery requirements and budget. It is recommended to choose a service provider offering NAKIVO Backup & Replication since it provides powerful data protection and is cost-efficient
