Synology Active Backup for SaaS

synology.com

Free plan Self-hosted

Spec score 7.8 #9 of 25 in Storage Migration Software

What it is

Synology Active Backup for SaaS backs up Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace data to Synology NAS servers for recovery after data loss or service downtime. Microsoft 365 coverage includes OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Teams. Google Workspace coverage includes Drive, Gmail, Contacts, and Calendar, including shared drives, labels, and attachments. Microsoft 365 backups can run continuously, manually, or on a schedule; continuous intervals adjust from one to ten minutes based on detected API request rates. Both services support file versioning, and Google Workspace versions can be retained for a chosen period or kept in full. The Microsoft 365 Recovery Portal lets administrators and employees restore or export backed-up data, with self-service access dependent on configuration. The product is a free add-on for a compatible Synology NAS, with unlimited accounts subject to NAS storage capacity. Active Backup for Microsoft 365 requires DSM 6.1-15217 or later. Deduplication requires an x64 NAS using Btrfs, and neither service supports secondary backups. Google Workspace setup requires configuring the Drive SDK API and creating a service key.

Spec sheet

What it does: Synology Active Backup Suite consolidates backups of digital data and supports recovery after accidental deletion or loss.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Deployment: Active Backup for SaaS runs as a NAS add-on, with backup data stored on Synology NAS servers.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Free plan: YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · synology.com
Integrations: The suite integrates with Synology Snapshot Replication and Hyper Backup for copies to other Synology NAS devices and cloud services.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Headquarters: Banqiao District, New Taipei City, TaiwanRead 23 Sep 2026 · synology.com
Account discovery: Google Workspace account discovery can automatically select newly detected users or shared drives for backup.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
API and setup: Google Workspace setup requires configuring the Drive SDK API and creating a service key; the setup guide also names Admin SDK, People, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and Drive Labels APIs.Read 21 Oct 2026 · kb.synology.com
Backup modes: Google Workspace tasks can run on a schedule, manually, or continuously.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Backup schedules: Microsoft 365 backups can run continuously, manually, or on a schedule; continuous backup intervals are adjusted from one to ten minutes based on the detected API request rate.Read 3 Oct 2026 · kb.synology.com
Company headquarters and founding: LinkedIn lists Synology’s headquarters in New Taipei City, Taiwan, and its founding year as 2000.Read 21 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company legal name: Synology’s product and company pages identify the maker as Synology Inc.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Company size: LinkedIn lists Synology’s company size as 501–1,000 employees.Read 21 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company support: Synology lists its headquarters at 9F., No. 1, Yuandong Road, Banqiao District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.Read 3 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Deduplication requirement: Deduplication is supported only on x64 Synology NAS models using the Btrfs file system for both products.Read 3 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Deduplication requirements: Google Workspace deduplication requires an x64 NAS running the Btrfs file system.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Documentation: Synology provides technical specifications, a Google Workspace preparation guide, and a Microsoft 365 quick-start guide; the Google setup guide walks through API and service-account preparation.Read 21 Oct 2026 · kb.synology.com
Export: Google Workspace email can be exported as EML files, and selected Drive items can be exported individually.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Google Workspace coverage: Active Backup for Google Workspace backs up Drive, Gmail, Contacts, and Calendar data.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Google Workspace services: It backs up Drive, Gmail, Contacts, and Calendar data, including shared drives, email labels, and attachments.Read 3 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Google Workspace setup: Before creating a Google Workspace backup task, administrators need to configure the Drive SDK API and create a service key.Read 3 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Granular recovery: Google Workspace recovery supports restoring selected Drive files and folders, including their sharing permissions.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
License status: Synology describes the Google Workspace backup add-on as license-free, but the reviewed pages do not state whether its source code is open source.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Limit: reliability: One G2 reviewer reports recurring backup failures and difficulty completing full-machine restores, including issues with VSS and agent updates.Read 21 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: scale: A G2 reviewer says the solution cannot currently scale out to meet their enterprise deployment needs.Read 21 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Microsoft 365 coverage: Active Backup for Microsoft 365 supports backup of drives, email, contacts, calendars, sites, and Teams data.Read 21 Oct 2026 · kb.synology.com
Microsoft 365 services: It protects OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Microsoft Teams data.Read 3 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Notable limit: Secondary backups are not supported by Active Backup for Google Workspace or Active Backup for Microsoft 365.Read 3 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Notable product news: Synology’s August 20, 2026 release notes say Microsoft 365 personal mail, calendar, and contacts were migrated to Microsoft Graph API ahead of Microsoft’s planned October 2026 EWS deprecation.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Platform requirement: Active Backup for Microsoft 365 requires a compatible Synology NAS running DSM 6.1-15217 or later, according to the product page.Read 3 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Praise: cost: G2 reviewers describe the suite as cost-effective, with some citing its inclusion with compatible NAS hardware.Read 21 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: ease of setup: G2 reviewers repeatedly praise Active Backup’s straightforward setup and user-friendly management.Read 21 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on G2: 4.5 out of 5 from 36 reviews for Synology Data Protection Solutions; the listing covers the broader data protection portfolio.Read 21 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on TrustRadius: 8.7 out of 10 from 18 reviews for Synology Active Backup Suite, the broader suite rather than SaaS backup alone.Read 21 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Recovery: The Microsoft 365 Recovery Portal lets administrators and employees restore or export backed-up data, with available self-service access depending on configuration.Read 3 Oct 2026 · kb.synology.com
Restore portal: Google Workspace administrators can restore or export all users’ backup data, while end users can access their own data through the recovery portal.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Retention: Google Workspace backup tasks can keep versions for a specified period or retain all versions.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
SaaS services: The suite’s SaaS backup products support Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
SDKs and extensions: The reviewed product and documentation pages describe API setup but do not identify a public product SDK or extension system.Read 21 Oct 2026 · kb.synology.com
Search and preview: The Google Workspace portal supports Drive file-name searches and email preview before restore or export.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Secondary backup limitation: Synology states that secondary backups are not supported by Active Backup for Google Workspace or Active Backup for Microsoft 365.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Security claim: Synology presents the suite as protection against ransomware and other threats, with recovery intended to support business continuity.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Storage efficiency: Google Workspace backup uses single instancing for repeated Gmail, Calendar, and Drive content and block-level deduplication.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
System requirements: The Google Workspace product page lists DSM 6.1-15217 or later as a requirement.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Technical limitation: Google Drive files and folders may be skipped when their DSM path exceeds 4,016 characters.Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com
Versioning and retention: Both products offer file versioning, and Google Workspace backups can retain versions for a specified period or keep all versions.Read 3 Oct 2026 · synology.com

Plans and prices

Active Backup for SaaS Free License-free · Google Workspace account count limited by available NAS storage · Requires compatible Synology NAS Read 21 Oct 2026 · synology.com

Active Backup for SaaS (Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace) Free Free add-on for Synology NAS; no software license required. Unlimited accounts, subject to NAS storage capacity; compatible Synology NAS required Read 3 Oct 2026 · synology.com

Every Synology Active Backup for SaaS plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

Free add-on; no software license required
Supports Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
Microsoft 365 supports continuous backups
File versioning is available

Limits

Requires a compatible Synology NAS
Microsoft 365 requires DSM 6.1-15217 or later
Deduplication requires x64 NAS and Btrfs
Secondary backups are not supported

Who it suits

It suits Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace users who have a compatible Synology NAS and want backups stored there. Administrators who need restore or export access should account for the configuration-dependent self-service option.

Verdict

The product covers key Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace data and includes versioning, with Microsoft 365 recovery and export through a portal. Check NAS, DSM, and Btrfs requirements, as well as the lack of secondary backups, before relying on it.