A CPA firm’s backup plan should do more than create copies of files. When a server fails, ransomware encrypts data, or someone accidentally deletes important client information, the firm needs to know how much work it could lose and how quickly employees can resume normal operations.

That makes backup frequency, retention, recovery capabilities, geographic redundancy, ransomware protection, and restore testing important when comparing providers.

This guide compares OneUp Networks, Rightworks, Verito, Axcient x360Recover, and Veeam based on their documented backup and disaster recovery capabilities and how those capabilities apply to accounting firms.

The providers do not all follow the same service model. OneUp Networks, Rightworks, and Verito offer managed services with a strong accounting and tax focus. Axcient and Veeam provide broader data-protection platforms that can be implemented and managed by MSPs or internal IT teams.

Key Takeaways

• Backup frequency matters: More frequent recovery points can reduce the amount of recent work a firm could lose after an incident.
• Retention matters: A longer retention window can help when a problem is discovered days or weeks after it first occurred.
• RPO and RTO are different: RPO addresses how much data could be lost, while RTO addresses how long recovery may take.
• Multiple locations add protection: Backups stored across separate locations reduce dependence on one physical environment. OneUp Networks, for example, documents three backup locations.
• Ransomware protection should extend to backups: Immutable or isolated copies can help prevent attackers from simply encrypting or deleting recovery data. Verito specifically documents immutable snapshots and air-gapped storage.
• A successful backup is not the same as a successful recovery: Firms should ask how often restores are tested and whether testing includes the applications and databases they actually use.
• Granular recovery can be important: Recovering one accidentally deleted file is very different from rebuilding an entire server. Rightworks documents both granular and full-environment restores.
• Managed service and backup platform are different models: CPA firms should determine whether they want a provider to manage the complete environment or whether an MSP/internal IT team will manage the backup technology.
• Accounting applications need specific attention: A recovery plan should cover the firm’s actual tax and accounting software, databases, client files, user access, and related dependencies—not just generic documents.
• The provider’s published target is not automatically a guarantee: RPO, RTO, retention, and recovery capabilities can depend on the plan, workload, licensing, and implementation. Firms should get the applicable terms in writing.

How We Compared These Backup Providers

We evaluated the providers using publicly available information covering backup frequency, retention, recovery capabilities, ransomware protection, geographic redundancy, restore testing, recovery objectives, and CPA-focused features.

We also looked at whether each provider describes specific recovery capabilities rather than simply advertising backup storage.

Features and limits can vary by plan, workload, licensing, or implementation. CPA firms should verify the current terms and recovery objectives for their specific environment before purchasing.

Quick Comparison

These figures are not directly interchangeable. A published RPO is different from a backup schedule, and a retention period does not tell you how quickly the provider can restore a complete working environment.

1. OneUp Networks

OneUp Networks combines managed cloud hosting with backup and disaster recovery for CPA firms, accounting practices, and tax professionals.

Its current CPA hosting information describes multiple backup locations, 120-day retention, disaster recovery planning, and business continuity. The company says the approach is designed to protect against hardware failures, accidental deletion, system issues, outages, and security incidents.

Its infrastructure information describes a three-location backup structure, with one onsite copy and two geographically distributed offsite copies. OneUp Networks also publishes up to 120-day backup retention.

For accounting firms, the important part is that the backup environment sits within a managed hosting service. OneUp supports applications used by accounting and tax firms, including QuickBooks, UltraTax, Thomson Reuters applications, Sage, and Drake.

OneUp also publishes an approximate 2–4 hour RPO and 3–4 hour RTO for its UltraTax CS hosting environment. Those figures should be treated as service-specific rather than assumed to apply to every OneUp workload.

What OneUp documents

• Up to 120-day rolling backup retention
• Three backup copies
• One onsite location
• Two geographically distributed offsite locations
• Disaster recovery planning
• Business continuity
• Managed accounting and tax application hosting
• 24/7 support
• Published RPO/RTO information for certain hosted environments

The main point for a CPA firm is the integration. Instead of buying a backup product separately from its hosting environment, the firm can have its applications, infrastructure, backups, and technical support managed within the same service.

However, the firm should still ask how its specific applications will be restored during a major incident.

2. Rightworks

Rightworks approaches backup from an accounting-firm perspective. Its Managed Backups service automatically backs up data every hour and stores it across multiple secure locations. Rightworks states that customers can retain data for up to three years.

The service also includes geo-redundant storage, which helps reduce dependence on a single physical location. Rightworks supports both granular and full-environment restores. That distinction matters because a CPA firm may need to recover one deleted document rather than restore its entire environment.

What Rightworks documents

• Hourly backups
• Up to three years of retention
• Geo-redundant storage
• Multiple secure locations
• Granular restores
• Full-environment restores
• User access logs
• Audit-ready reporting

Rightworks also explains why it uses hourly snapshots rather than relying on daily backups. If something happens late in the afternoon, the potential data-loss window can be considerably smaller than with a once-daily backup.

For CPA firms, this is particularly relevant during periods when employees continuously create or modify client files.

3. Verito

Verito’s managed backup service is built specifically around accounting firms and tax workloads. The company says it creates a fresh backup every six hours, or four times per day, covering client files and tax-software folders.

Verito also describes immutable snapshots and air-gapped storage. The purpose is to prevent an attacker who compromises a production environment from simply encrypting or deleting the available backup copy.

The service provides 90-day retention by default, with longer retention available on request. Verito also says it performs monthly restore testing and keeps documentation showing what was backed up and what was successfully restored. The company states that single-file restores can finish in minutes and full-server restores target under two hours, subject to the service’s stated conditions.

What Verito documents

• Four backups per day
• Six-hour recovery point
• 90-day retention by default
• Longer retention available on request
• Immutable snapshots
• Air-gapped storage
• Monthly restore testing
• Single-file restoration
• Full-server restoration
• Audit-ready backup and restore reporting
• Coverage for tax-software folders and client files

The monthly restore-testing component is especially relevant because a backup that has never been restored is not the same thing as a proven recovery process.

4. Axcient x360Recover

Axcient x360Recover follows a different model from the accounting-focused managed providers. It is a business continuity and disaster recovery platform commonly used by MSPs. Axcient states that x360Recover provides a 15-minute Recovery Point Objective and less-than-one-hour Recovery Time Objective for its disaster recovery capabilities.

The platform uses image-based, chain-free backups. Axcient describes recovery points as independent, verifiable, and bootable, which is intended to reduce dependency on a long backup chain during recovery.

Its retention model is also more configurable than providers that publish one standard retention period. Axcient supports different recovery-point schedules and longer-term retention depending on the selected configuration and storage licensing.

What Axcient documents

• 15-minute stated RPO
• Less-than-one-hour stated RTO
• Image-based backups
• Chain-free recovery points
• Cloud and appliance deployment options
• Disaster recovery capabilities
• Long-term recovery-point retention options
• Recovery and business continuity features

Because an MSP commonly manages the platform, CPA firms should evaluate the service provider and the Axcient technology separately.

A technically capable backup platform can still produce a poor recovery experience if nobody monitors failed backups, tests restores, or knows the firm’s application dependencies.

5. Veeam

Veeam takes a broader approach to data protection. Its platform supports physical, virtual, and cloud workloads and includes capabilities for backup, recovery, ransomware protection, immutable storage, and disaster recovery.

Unlike providers with a fixed advertised retention period, Veeam’s retention and backup schedule depend on the organization’s implementation. That flexibility can be useful for firms with more complex environments, but it also means the CPA firm needs to understand how its MSP or internal IT team has configured the system.

Veeam’s platform includes recovery capabilities such as instant recovery, immutable backups, and mechanisms for verifying recoverability.

What Veeam provides

• Physical, virtual, and cloud workload protection
• Instant recovery
• Immutable backup options
• Ransomware protection
• Recovery verification
• Disaster recovery capabilities
• Flexible retention
• Multicloud protection
• Recovery orchestration in applicable editions

For a CPA firm, Veeam should therefore be evaluated as part of the complete implementation rather than as a standalone product name.

What RPO and RTO Mean for a CPA Firm

Backup terminology can become confusing quickly, especially for a firm owner who does not work in IT.

Two terms matter most: RPO and RTO.

What Does RPO Mean?

Recovery Point Objective (RPO) describes the maximum amount of recent data a firm can afford to lose after an incident. In practical terms, it helps determine how frequently a firm needs to create or replicate recovery points. For example, if a backup system creates a recovery point every six hours and a server fails immediately before the next backup, the firm could potentially lose up to six hours of recent changes. A 15-minute RPO means the recovery point is intended to be no more than approximately 15 minutes behind the failure event, depending on the actual implementation. For a CPA firm, RPO matters because employees may spend hours entering client information, preparing tax returns, updating workpapers, and processing financial records. A shorter RPO can therefore reduce the amount of recent work the firm may need to recreate after an incident.

What Does RTO Mean?

Recovery Time Objective (RTO) describes the maximum amount of time a firm can allow its systems or applications to remain unavailable after an outage before normal operations need to resume. For example, a four-hour RTO means the recovery target is to restore the affected systems within four hours, while a less-than-one-hour RTO represents a shorter recovery target. However, an RTO is a target rather than an automatic guarantee of real-world recovery time. Actual recovery can depend on factors such as the infrastructure, amount of data, applications involved, network capacity, system dependencies, and the provider’s recovery process. That is why CPA firms should ask providers how they establish, measure, and test their RTO and RPO targets, rather than relying only on the numbers published in marketing materials.

A Real CPA Firm Scenario: Ransomware During Tax Season

Imagine a tax firm discovers ransomware encryption at 10:00 a.m. on April 10. The important questions are not simply whether the firm has a backup.

The firm needs answers to several practical questions:

• Can yesterday’s working environment be restored?
• How much work could have been created since the last recovery point?
• Are tax applications available after recovery?
• Can employees access client files?
• Are databases and application dependencies restored?
• Can staff continue working remotely?
• How long will the recovery take?
• Is the clean backup protected from the ransomware?

A backup that only restores individual documents may not solve the whole problem. The firm may also need its operating system, accounting applications, databases, user access, configurations, and supporting files. That is why business continuity is broader than backup.

Another Scenario: Accidental File Deletion

Another common scenario involves accidental file deletion. Suppose an employee deletes an important client document on Friday afternoon. The firm may not need to recover its entire IT environment in this situation; instead, it may simply need to restore that specific file without disrupting other systems or ongoing work.

This is where granular restoration becomes useful. Rightworks documents both granular and full-environment restores, while Verito describes single-file restoration as part of its managed backup service. CPA firms should therefore ask whether a provider can recover an individual file when needed as well as restore the complete environment after a larger incident.

Why Backup Retention Matters

Retention determines how far back a CPA firm can go when it discovers that something went wrong. For example, imagine a tax document was corrupted three weeks ago, but the firm did not notice the problem until today. A recent backup could simply contain the same corrupted version. In that situation, the firm may need to go back to a recovery point created before the corruption happened.

That is why retention should reflect the firm’s actual risk, not just the number of days a provider advertises. OneUp Networks documents up to 120 days of rolling backup retention, while Rightworks offers up to three years. Verito provides 90 days of default retention, with longer retention available on request.

So, instead of asking, “Who offers the longest retention?”, a better question is: “How far back might our firm realistically need to recover?”

Why Geographic Redundancy Matters

A backup kept in the same location as the production environment can remain exposed to the same disaster. A fire, flood, hardware failure, or physical security incident could potentially affect both the live systems and their backup copies.

OneUp Networks documents three backup locations, including one onsite location and two geographically distributed offsite locations. Rightworks describes geo-redundant storage across multiple secure locations, while Verito describes air-gapped storage that remains separated from the production environment.

These approaches address different types of risk. Therefore, CPA firms should ask exactly where their backup copies are stored, how many locations are involved, and how those copies are separated from the production environment.

Backup vs. Disaster Recovery

These two concepts are closely connected, but they describe different parts of the recovery process. Backup means creating and keeping recoverable copies of data. Disaster recovery goes further by defining how the firm restores the systems and services it needs to resume normal operations.

For a CPA firm, having thousands of backup files does not automatically mean the business can recover quickly. The firm still needs to know:

• Which recovery point to use when an incident occurs
• Which tax and accounting applications need to be restored
• Which databases and services depend on each other
• How employees regain access after systems are restored
• Who is responsible for the recovery process
• How the restored environment is validated before employees return to work

This distinction matters because accounting environments often include tax software, accounting applications, databases, client documents, and user environments that work together. A useful backup strategy therefore needs to support more than individual file recovery. It should also give the firm a practical process for restoring the working environment after a serious outage.

What CPA Firms Should Ask Before Choosing a Provider

Before signing a backup or disaster recovery agreement, ask:

Backup

• What exactly is included?
• How frequently are recovery points created?
• Are accounting and tax applications included?
• Are databases included?
• Are local files included?

Retention

• How long are recovery points available?
• Is the retention period fixed or configurable?
• Are older tax years included?
• Can retention be extended?

Recovery

• What RPO applies to our environment?
• What RTO applies?
• Can you restore one file?
• Can you restore an entire server?
• Can you restore the complete application environment?
• How is a recovery validated?

Security

• Are backups immutable?
• Is there an air-gapped copy?
• Are backup credentials separated from production?
• Is MFA required?
• How are ransomware incidents handled?

Testing

• How often are restores tested?
• Who performs the testing?
• Do you test actual accounting applications?
• Do you document successful recovery?
• Can we see recovery-test reports?

Business continuity

• Can employees continue working during recovery?
• Can they work remotely?
• What happens if the firm’s office loses power or internet access?
• Who coordinates the recovery?
• Is emergency assistance included?

Final Takeaway

For a CPA firm, backup quality is not determined by storage capacity alone.

A useful backup and disaster recovery strategy should answer five practical questions:

• How much recent work could we afford to lose?
• How far back can we recover if a problem is discovered later?
• Where are our recovery copies stored, and how are they protected?
• Can we restore the applications, databases, and data the firm actually uses?
• How quickly can employees get back to work?

These questions bring RPO, RTO, retention, geographic redundancy, immutable backups, restore testing, and business continuity into one practical framework.

The provider specifications show why firms need to consider these factors separately. OneUp Networks documents up to 120-day rolling backups and three backup locations. Rightworks documents hourly backups and up to three years of retention. Verito documents four backups per day, 90-day default retention, immutable snapshots, air-gapped storage, and monthly restore testing. Axcient publishes a 15-minute RPO and less-than-one-hour RTO for its x360Recover disaster recovery capabilities.

However, these specifications should not be treated as interchangeable promises. Plan terms, workloads, application coverage, recovery targets, testing procedures, and service responsibilities can vary, so a CPA firm should verify what actually applies to its environment before signing a contract.

The most important question is ultimately simple:

If the firm’s systems fail during the busiest week of the year, can the provider restore the environment the firm needs to keep working?

That is the difference between having backups and having a usable disaster recovery plan.