Salesforce is the heartbeat of modern businesses, tracking sales deals, customer conversations, marketing efforts, and support tickets. But here’s the truth no one talks about: the more your org grows, the more your data becomes a silent liability.
At some point, every Salesforce user hits that moment.
“Wait… am I overpaying for storage?”
“If something goes wrong, can I really recover the data I need, fast?”
That’s when the fork in the road appears:
Should you back it up? Archive it? Or do both?
The answer isn’t always obvious. Backups help you recover lost data. Archiving helps you reduce storage costs and stay compliant. The right strategy depends on what matters most to your business: fast recovery, long-term retention, audit-readiness, or all of the above.
So, if Salesforce is central to your business (and let’s face it, it probably is), it might be time to rethink your data management game plan.
Understanding the Basics Of Salesforce Data Archiving & Backup
Data backup and data archiving serve different purposes, and understanding this distinction is the first step in making an informed choice.
In contrast, data archiving is about optimizing your storage by moving old or less frequently accessed data out of your primary Salesforce environment to a secondary storage system. The goal here isn’t instant recovery but long-term retention, storage cost reduction, and better performance. Archiving is particularly helpful when you need to retain records for regulatory compliance, such as HIPAA or GDPR, or when inactive data begins to slow down your org.
Archive & Backup for Compliance with European Data Privacy Regulations
Salesforce Data Archive vs Data Backup
| Parameter | Salesforce Data Backup | Salesforce Data Archiving |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | To create a copy of Salesforce data to enable fast recovery in case of loss or corruption. | To move older, infrequently accessed data from live storage to long-term, cost-efficient storage. |
| Data Type | Current and frequently updated data (active records) | Inactive, historical, and legacy data (e.g., closed cases, completed opportunities). |
| Data Access | Fast, near-instant access to backed-up data when restored into Salesforce. | Archived data is accessible via custom UI, external systems, or APIs (but not live in org). |
| Cost Efficiency | Backup storage is typically more expensive due to performance and access speed. | More cost-effective—optimized for long-term storage with minimal access. |
| Frequency | Frequent (daily, hourly, or real-time) depending on business needs and data criticality. | Periodic (monthly, quarterly, or custom) based on data lifecycle and policies. |
| Retention Duration | Short to medium term, until next backup or for a set retention period (e.g., 30-90 days). | Long-term—months or years, often based on industry compliance needs. |
| Compliance Use | Limited, helps with operational recovery, but is not sufficient for long-term regulatory audits. | Strong relevance, used to retain data to meet legal/regulatory retention mandates. |
| User Visibility | Not typically visible to end users unless restored; usually accessed by admin teams. | Can be made searchable/readable using archive viewer apps or custom interfaces. |
| Salesforce Storage Impact | Does not reduce Salesforce storage usage; it only provides a recovery point outside the system. | Frees up native Salesforce storage by moving data out of the active org. |
| Use Cases | Accidental deletions, system failures, sandbox refreshes, and integration errors. | Data bloat, rising storage costs, regulatory audits, performance lags. |
When to Choose Salesforce Data Archiving vs Salesforce Data Backup?
What you choose for your business depends on your needs. While most organizations that use Salesforce require both backup and archiving, it is not necessary to employ both. Here’s how you can decide what is worth your time and effort.
When Does Your Business Need a Salesforce Backup?
If your Salesforce strategy demands fast recovery and protection from data loss, backup should be your first line of defense. Businesses that frequently undergo sandbox refreshes, complex data migrations, or integrations with third-party tools are more vulnerable to data corruption and accidental deletions. In these cases, maintaining a daily or even real-time backup can significantly reduce risk and downtime.
Moreover, backup is critical when you have specific Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) to meet. If your SLAs require operations to resume within a few hours of a failure, a reliable backup system is non-negotiable.
When Should You Consider Salesforce Data Archiving?
A Smarter Strategy is to Have Both in Place!
Many organizations find that a hybrid strategy delivers the most value. Backup and archiving are not mutually exclusive, they complement each other perfectly. While backups protect your live, mission-critical data for short-term restoration, archives preserve older, compliance-sensitive data for long-term access.
Imagine a growing enterprise that needs to retain healthcare data for seven years due to HIPAA compliance, but also runs daily campaigns that generate thousands of new records. In this case, backup ensures continuity of live operations, while archiving ensures regulatory compliance and cost efficiency.
A Real-World Example: How DataArchiva Helped a Healthcare Client
One of DataArchiva’s clients, a U.S.-based healthcare provider, was struggling with over 200 GB of Salesforce data, which was 126% over their storage limits. They were faced with two pressing issues: rising storage costs and the need to retain patient-related data for over seven years to meet HIPAA standards.
DataArchiva implemented a dual solution, archiving 80 GB of older case and contact records to AWS, while also setting up an automated daily backup of their live Salesforce org. The result? A significant drop in storage costs, improved performance across their Salesforce instance, and full compliance with healthcare data retention regulations. This strategic approach turned a reactive problem into a proactive data management win.
American Healthcare Claims Immunity For 80 GB Of Salesforce Data With DataArchiva On AWS Cloud
Read more of these cases here: Customer Success Stories
If you’re unsure about the answers or where to begin, DataArchiva offers a free consultation to help assess your current setup and recommend a tailored approach that aligns with your business goals.
How DataArchiva Fits In
At DataArchiva, we empower Salesforce-driven enterprises to take full control of their data by moving beyond reactive data management. Our robust native and external archiving solutions are designed to optimize your Salesforce storage, significantly reduce costs, and ensure long-term data retention, all while maintaining smooth access to historical records directly within Salesforce.
Key Features Our Customers Value:
- Native & External Archiving: Choose the model that fits your IT strategy and compliance needs.
- Multi-Cloud Compatibility: Archive data to AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud with full control and flexibility.
- Seamless Salesforce Integration: Continue accessing archived records from the Salesforce UI.
- Automated Backup & Recovery: Schedule daily backups and restore data with precision.
- Compliance-Ready Architecture: Support for HIPAA, GDPR, FedRAMP, and other standards.
- Massive Cost Savings: Reduce Salesforce storage costs by up to 80% and achieve 10X ROI.
- No Data Lock-in: Maintain full ownership and access to your archived and backed-up data.
- Future-Proof Scalability: Archive terabytes of data while preserving CRM performance.
We believe a modern data strategy should do more than just store information, it should enable business growth, reduce risk, and deliver actionable insights. That’s why we partner closely with our clients to deliver customized, future-ready solutions that grow with their evolving needs.
