SmartVault vs. SpiderOak

SmartVault sends out a cover letter with the tax returns that includes a link for them to download their tax returns, avoiding the insecurity of an email attachment. It does not include a statement retrieval feature but does work very nicely with a third-party app called FileThis. The majority of the users in the office have not been able to install the Outlook plug-in due to "a certificate error." In five years, SmartVault has not addressed this issue.

Incentivized

SpiderOak is well suited for local backups of the computer the client resides on. It is well suited for local area storage backups. It is less suited for remote backups, over a VPN or wide area where the data is continually changing. For data that continually changes, like in our document management system, the client needs to be on the same network as the data.

Incentivized

• Easy navigation
• Email notifications
• Document previews

• Versions Files meaning it makes multiple copies of the same files as it is updated
• Zero Knowledge meaning our storage is complete secure and private

Incentivized

• They have cut back on support as have many SaaS companies recently.
• The documentation can sometimes be a little difficult to follow.

Incentivized

• The Software Client sometimes fails and the only resolution is to uninstall/reinstall
• Support meanig there is no number to call, you do everything over email

Incentivized

Reaching someone is more difficult than it should be. Also, they don't take possession of known issues always suggesting it is a local PC issue in initial conversations. That, of course, can be frustrating for the end-user.

Incentivized

While I gave them a 7, it is in regards to the access to support. This is a business application and not being able to call them can sometimes be a problem especially when you need immediate support. They still tend to manage their support on a consumer line model and not a business grade model. With that said, I will say they are very knowledgeable of the product and how to resolve most any issue when I contact them.

Incentivized

Sales team was responsive, price was good, functionality was acceptable

In regards to overall performance SpiderOak is not as customizable as Unitrends, but based on the annual cost for SpiderOak and how we use the product, for a "Backup" to our primary backup solution, it is a welcomed option to our backup strategy when you consider the versioning, zero knowledge, share features and unlimited data.

Incentivized

• has made sharing documents with large numbers of clients easier
• has forced us into using their service, or spending time to find a better alternative, in my experience.
• Speaking personally the product has cost us several thousand dollars over predicted budget costs for a 3-year projection

• ROI is positive when you consider unlimited data for the annual cost.
• Versioning when you consider backing up documents that continually change and need to restore a previous version.

Incentivized