Salesforce offers multiple backup and disaster recovery options to protect critical business data from loss, corruption, or cyber threats. The platform provides both native solutions and supports third-party integrations to ensure comprehensive data protection. Key offerings include automated daily backups through Salesforce Backup & Recover, manual export tools like Data Export Service, and advanced third-party solutions such as OwnBackup, SpinBackup, and HYCU. These options address different needs, from basic compliance requirements to enterprise-grade disaster recovery with granular restore capabilities.

• Native Salesforce solutions include Backup & Recover (automated backups, smart alerts, and metadata protection) and Data Export Service (manual exports every 7-29 days) ^[1][9]
• Third-party tools like OwnBackup and SpinBackup offer off-platform storage, encryption, and advanced recovery features for complex scenarios ^[2][10]
• Best practices emphasize the 3-2-1 backup rule (3 copies, 2 media types, 1 offsite), automation, and regular testing of recovery processes ^[3][4]
• Compliance and security are central, with solutions designed to meet GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 requirements through encryption and access controls ^[1][8]

Salesforce Backup and Disaster Recovery Solutions

Native Salesforce Backup Options

Salesforce provides built-in tools to protect data, though their capabilities vary by edition and configuration. The most robust native solution is Backup & Recover, an add-on service that automates daily backups and enables precise data restoration. For organizations not using this add-on, the Data Export Service and Data Loader serve as manual alternatives, while Sandbox environments can act as secondary backups for development and testing.

• Backup & Recover add-on:
• Automates daily backups of data and metadata with continuous data protection ^[1]
• Includes a backup dashboard for monitoring, smart alerts for anomalies, and tools for comparing data versions ^[1]
• Supports granular recovery (single records or mass restores) and compliance with GDPR/HIPAA ^[9]
• Requires Professional, Enterprise, Performance, or Unlimited editions with the paid add-on ^[9]
• Allows centralized management across multiple Salesforce orgs ^[1]

• Data Export Service:
• Enables manual exports of data (excluding metadata) every 7 days (weekly) or 29 days (monthly) ^[6]
• Exports are stored as CSV files, which can be imported back via Data Loader if needed ^[4]
• Limited to 5 GB per export file, with larger datasets requiring multiple files ^[6]
• Does not capture real-time changes or provide versioning ^[3]

• Data Loader and Bulk API:
• Tools for manual backup via exports, suitable for one-time or scheduled backups ^[6]
• Data Loader supports up to 5 million records per operation, while Bulk API handles larger volumes ^[6]
• Requires technical expertise to configure and maintain backup scripts ^[4]

• Sandbox environments:
• Full or partial copies of production data can serve as backups, though not designed for this purpose ^[10]
• Refreshes overwrite existing sandbox data, making them unreliable as sole backups ^[7]
• Useful for testing recovery processes but lack automation and versioning ^[3]

Third-Party Backup and Disaster Recovery Solutions

For enterprises requiring advanced protection, third-party solutions extend beyond native Salesforce capabilities. These tools offer off-platform storage, automated backup scheduling, encryption, and specialized recovery features for complex scenarios like ransomware attacks or mass data corruption. Leading providers include OwnBackup, SpinBackup, Gearset, and HYCU, each with distinct strengths in security, compliance, or DevOps integration.

• OwnBackup:
• Provides automated, incremental backups with point-in-time recovery for data and metadata ^[2]
• Features include data comparison tools, sandbox seeding, and compliance reporting for GDPR/HIPAA ^[10]
• Offers "Compare & Restore" functionality to identify and recover from data corruption ^[2]
• Pricing starts at $1,200/year for basic plans, scaling with data volume and features ^[10]

• SpinBackup (by Spin.AI):
• Combines backup with cybersecurity features like ransomware detection and anomaly monitoring ^[10]
• Supports automated daily backups with unlimited storage and 1-year retention ^[10]
• Includes granular restore for individual records or full datasets ^[10]
• Compliant with SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR, with encryption for data in transit/at rest ^[10]

• Gearset:
• Focuses on DevOps workflows with backup capabilities for data and metadata ^[2]
• Enables comparison between orgs to detect unintended changes ^[7]
• Integrates with CI/CD pipelines for pre-deployment backups ^[2]
• Pricing starts at $2,000/year for teams, with enterprise plans available ^[10]

• HYCU:
• Enterprise-grade solution with automated backups and instant recovery options ^[4]
• Supports cross-platform backups (Salesforce, SAP, Oracle) from a single interface ^[4]
• Features include role-based access control and air-gapped storage for security ^[4]
• Emphasizes compliance with financial and healthcare regulations ^[4]

• Key differentiators of third-party tools:
• Off-platform storage: Data is stored independently of Salesforce, protecting against platform-wide outages ^[5]
• Advanced encryption: AES-256 or equivalent for data in transit and at rest ^[8]
• Automated testing: Some tools verify backup integrity automatically ^[4]
• Disaster recovery planning: Includes runbooks and failover testing ^[5]
• Cost considerations: Pricing varies from $500/year for basic plans to $50,000+/year for enterprise solutions ^[10]