Exchange Online
14 days
Items removed from Deleted Items are retained for 14 days by default. Administrators can increase deleted-item retention to a maximum of 30 days.
MICROSOFT 365 RECOVERY VS BACKUP
Microsoft 365 has recovery tools.
Backup is a separate decision.
Microsoft 365 includes retention, recycle-bin, versioning, and recovery capabilities. Microsoft also offers a separate paid Microsoft 365 Backup service. SecondSky adds an independent backup service with predictable per-user pricing and optional managed recovery support.
WHAT MICROSOFT 365 INCLUDES
Built-in recovery is valuable—but each workload has its own recovery rules.
Retention policies, legal holds, licensing, and administrator configuration can change how long content is retained.
OneDrive
30-day restore
Files Restore can roll OneDrive or a SharePoint document library back within the previous 30 days. Deleted-user OneDrive retention is configurable and defaults to 30 days before later deletion stages.
SharePoint
93 days
Deleted SharePoint items and sites use a 93-day recycle-bin/deleted-site recovery window under the standard deletion flow.
MICROSOFT'S PAID BACKUP OPTION
Microsoft 365 Backup is a separate consumption-based service.
Microsoft currently lists Microsoft 365 Backup at $0.15 per GB per month of protected content, covering supported Exchange Online mailboxes, OneDrive accounts, and SharePoint sites.
Microsoft 365 Backup list price$0.15per GB / month
Storage-based consumption pricing means monthly cost changes with protected content.
COMPARE THE APPROACHES
Three different layers of protection.
| Capability | Built into Microsoft 365 | Microsoft 365 Backup | SecondSky |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery model | Native retention, recycle bins, versions & workload recovery | Dedicated Microsoft backup service | Independent managed backup service |
| Pricing model | Included features vary by license/configuration | $0.15/GB/month list price | From $4.99/user/month |
| Microsoft 365 | Yes | Exchange, OneDrive & SharePoint | Supported Microsoft 365 workloads |
| Google Workspace | — | — | Supported |
| Managed monitoring | Customer/admin managed | Customer/admin managed | Available with Managed & Assurance |
| Recovery assistance | Native Microsoft workflows/support | Microsoft backup workflows | Available with managed service |
| Recovery testing/reporting | Customer responsibility | Customer responsibility | Available with Assurance |
Microsoft features, retention behavior, and pricing can change. Microsoft documentation and your organization's configuration remain authoritative.
DON'T ASSUME. CHECK.
Do you know how your business would recover its cloud data today?
Take the free SecondSky Backup Risk Assessment and identify gaps before you need a restore.