Best Entra ID Backup and Recovery Solutions for Enterprises

Microsoft Entra ID sits underneath Microsoft 365, Azure, and thousands of enterprise Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. If users, groups, app registrations, Conditional Access policies, roles, or service principals are deleted or misconfigured, the impact is not limited to the identity team. Users can lose access to core business applications, administrators can lose privileged access workflows, and security controls can stop applying as intended.

Microsoft has improved the native recovery story with Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery, a built-in service that can recover supported directory objects to a previously known good state after accidental changes or security compromises. But enterprises still need to evaluate third-party products where they require longer retention, hard-delete recovery, hybrid Active Directory integration, richer relationship recovery, isolated storage, broader Microsoft 365 backup coverage, or identity-specific cyber recovery.

Why Entra ID recovery matters

Entra ID is no longer just a user directory. It is the control plane for authentication, authorization, app access, Conditional Access, service principals, administrative roles, and increasingly device and security posture decisions. Microsoft’s native Backup and Recovery supports objects such as users, groups, apps, service principals, Conditional Access policies, named locations, authentication method policy, and authorization policy, which illustrates how many critical access controls now live in the tenant itself.

The problem is that identity failures are often relationship failures. Restoring a user or group is useful, but enterprise environments also depend on group memberships, app assignments, Conditional Access scopes, role assignments, ownership, Privileged Identity Management (PIM) configuration, Intune policies, and audit evidence. Some tools in this list are dedicated identity resilience platforms, while others are broader Microsoft 365 or SaaS backup platforms that now include meaningful Entra ID protection.

Quick picks: the best Entra ID backup and recovery solutions

Product	Best for
Cayosoft Guardian	Best overall for hybrid Microsoft identity resilience
Quest Identity Recovery for Microsoft Entra ID	Dedicated Entra ID recovery with granular restore and hybrid AD integration
Semperis Disaster Recovery for Entra Tenant	Identity attack recovery and broad Entra relationship protection
Veeam Backup for Microsoft Entra ID	Enterprises standardizing Entra protection around Veeam
Commvault Cloud	Enterprise backup teams protecting AD and Entra ID together
Rubrik Security Cloud/Identity Recovery	Hybrid identity recovery with immutable, logically air-gapped backup storage
Keepit Backup and Recovery for Microsoft Entra ID	Independent-cloud backup, sovereignty, and cross-tenant recovery
AvePoint Cloud Backup for Microsoft Entra ID	Microsoft 365 backup buyers that need Entra ID protection
Druva Microsoft Entra ID Backup & Protection	SaaS-native Entra protection with relationship-aware restore
ManageEngine RecoveryManager Plus	Practical AD, Entra ID, and Microsoft 365 backup from one platform

What to look for in an Entra ID backup and recovery solution

The best Entra ID recovery products should protect more than users and groups. Enterprise buyers should look for coverage of:

• app registrations
• enterprise applications
• service principals
• Conditional Access policies
• named locations
• administrative units
• roles and role assignments
• group memberships
• owners
• audit/sign-in logs
• Intune policies
• BitLocker recovery keys

Microsoft’s own native object support is broad but selected by object/property type, and recovery applies only to supported properties rather than implying full object rollback.

Recovery depth is the next major differentiator. Look for attribute-level recovery, object-level restore, difference reporting, rollback from change history, relationship recovery, restore to original or alternate tenant, and documented handling of soft-deleted versus hard-deleted objects.

Microsoft explicitly states that Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery does not support recovery or re-creation of hard-deleted objects, which is a key reason third-party tools remain relevant.

Security architecture also matters. Entra ID backups are valuable targets because they describe how the organization authenticates and authorizes access. Evaluate immutable or logically air-gapped storage, encryption, role-based access control (RBAC), multifactor authentication (MFA), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) integration, audit reporting, recovery testing, and whether the product is designed for identity incident response or simply for scheduled SaaS backup.

Finally, match the tool to the ownership model in your organization. Identity teams may prefer dedicated identity resilience platforms such as Cayosoft, Quest, or Semperis. Backup teams may prefer Commvault, Veeam, Rubrik, Keepit, Druva, AvePoint, or ManageEngine if Entra ID protection needs to sit alongside Microsoft 365, SaaS, endpoint, or broader enterprise data protection.

Where Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery fits

Before we get to third-party tools, let’s address the native option. Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery is a built-in Microsoft capability for recovering critical directory objects to a previously known good state after accidental changes or security compromises. It automatically backs up supported objects once per day, retains up to seven days of backup history, and lets administrators view backups, create difference reports, recover supported objects, and review recovery history.

That makes Microsoft’s native service an important baseline. It covers supported users, groups, apps, service principals, Conditional Access policies, named locations, authentication method policy, authorization policy, and selected related properties. It also provides difference reports that compare a selected backup with the current tenant state and show changes to supported properties and links.

But it is not a complete replacement for third-party tools in every enterprise environment. Recovery applies only to supported properties, and it does not support recovery or re-creation of hard-deleted objects. And organizations using hybrid identity should use an alternative solution to back up and recover objects managed in Active Directory (AD) Domain Services.

Petri.com’s recommendation: treat Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery as a native short-retention recovery layer for supported Entra objects. For hard-delete recovery, hybrid AD recovery, longer retention, richer identity relationship repair, cross-tenant recovery, dedicated cyber recovery, or broader Microsoft 365 backup integration, third-party products remain highly relevant.

1. Cayosoft Guardian

Cayosoft Guardian is the strongest overall pick for enterprises that need comprehensive backup and recovery across Microsoft Entra ID, M365, and Intune. Beyond traditional object recovery, Guardian focuses on restoring identity configurations, access relationships, and policy dependencies that are often overlooked during cloud recovery operations.

Key strengths

• Captures and tracks changes across Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Intune, Exchange Online, Teams, and hybrid identity environments.
• Provides one-click rollback of unwanted changes and granular recovery of users, groups, memberships, attributes, policies, and configuration settings.
• Restores hard-deleted Entra ID Users, groups, and named locations.
• Repairs dependent relationships such as Conditional Access policies, Privileged Identity Management, (PIM) assignments, and application role assignments that can break when objects are deleted and recreated.
• Uses continuous change monitoring and recovery point to accelerate recovery from accidental changes, administrative mistakes, and malicious activity

Differentiator

Cayosoft’s differentiator is that it combines change monitoring, rollback, hybrid identity recovery, and hard-delete relationship repair. That makes it particularly relevant when the problem is not just “restore an object,” but “restore the object and the access configuration that depended on it.”

Ideal use case

Cayosoft is best for enterprises with hybrid AD and Entra ID environments, especially where identity teams need fast rollback from accidental or malicious changes, recovery of objects that bypass native recycle-bin workflows, and repair of Conditional Access, app role, and PIM relationships after hard-delete events.

2. Quest Identity Recovery for Microsoft Entra ID

Quest Identity Recovery for Microsoft Entra ID is a dedicated Entra ID recovery product with strong coverage across directory objects and a clear hybrid AD story. It backs up and restores Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft 365 objects with granular recovery, difference reporting, and integration with Quest Recovery Manager for Active Directory.

Key strengths

• Backs up users, groups, service principals, devices, applications, administrative units, Conditional Access policies, Application Proxy settings, named locations, and tenant-level settings.
• Restores users, groups, service principals, devices, applications, administrative units, Conditional Access policies, Application Proxy settings, named locations, and tenant-level settings.
• Restores group membership and ownership for Microsoft 365 groups and security groups, while noting it does not restore Microsoft 365 group or Teams resources such as conversations, Planner tasks, or plans.
• Provides difference reporting between backups and live Entra ID / Microsoft 365 data and supports reverting unwanted changes.
• Integrates with Quest Recovery Manager for Active Directory to restore on-premises AD objects.

Differentiator

Quest’s differentiator is its focused identity recovery approach: granular Entra ID recovery plus hybrid integration with a long-established AD recovery portfolio.

Ideal use case

Quest is a strong fit for enterprises that want a dedicated Entra recovery product and already use, or plan to use, Quest for broader AD recovery.

3. Semperis Disaster Recovery for Entra Tenant (DRET)

Semperis Disaster Recovery for Entra Tenant is purpose-built to protect and recover critical Entra ID resources after cyberattacks, misconfiguration, or deletion. DRET backs up and recovers users, groups, roles and attributes, soft-deleted objects, hard-deleted users, security groups, hybrid group relationships, group owners, service principal owners, application owners, PIM configurations, and built-in/custom roles with assignments.

Key strengths

• Recovers users, groups, roles, attributes, soft-deleted objects, and hard-deleted users removed from the Entra recycle bin.
• Recovers security groups, cloud relationships for hybrid groups, group owners, service principal owners, application owners, PIM configurations, and custom/built-in roles with assignments.
• Backs up and recovers Conditional Access policies, named locations, external identities policies, authentication flow policies, and authorization policies.
• Backs up and recovers app registrations, service principals, and their associations.
• Provides backup comparison, dashboards, restore reports, and secure managed storage with encryption and regional options.

Differentiator

Semperis is differentiated by its identity-attack recovery focus and unusually broad Entra relationship coverage, especially around PIM, ownership, roles, Conditional Access, and hard-deleted users.

Ideal use case

Semperis is best for security-driven enterprises that view Entra ID as a cyber recovery priority and need to recover identity relationships, policies, and app access after malicious activity.

4. Veeam Backup for Microsoft Entra ID

Veeam Backup for Microsoft Entra ID is a natural fit for enterprises that already use Veeam as a strategic backup platform. It can back up Entra ID tenants, audit logs, and sign-in logs, then restore supported objects and properties back to Entra ID.

Key strengths

• Creates backups of Entra ID tenants and stores them in PostgreSQL-based Entra ID repositories.
• Backs up Entra ID audit and sign-in logs.
• Restores users, groups, administrative units, roles, applications, service principals, Conditional Access policies, and Intune policies.
• Restores properties of those objects and policies.
• Exports properties and metadata for users, groups, roles, administrative units, applications, Conditional Access policies, Intune policies, contacts, and devices to JSON.

Differentiator

Veeam’s differentiator is operational familiarity. Enterprises already using Veeam can extend existing backup processes to Entra ID rather than introducing a completely separate backup discipline.

Ideal use case

Veeam is a strong fit for Veeam-standardized enterprises that need Entra tenant, policy, object, Intune policy, and log protection within a familiar data-protection ecosystem.

5. Commvault Cloud

Commvault Cloud is built for enterprises that want identity backup to sit inside a broader data protection and cyber resilience platform. It automates frequent daily backups of Entra ID data including users, groups, roles, Conditional Access policies, app registrations, and more, while supporting change visibility and rapid recovery of deleted or modified objects.

Key strengths

• Backs up Entra ID users, groups, Conditional Access policies, enterprise applications, app registrations, roles, app registrations, Conditional Access components, enterprise applications, groups, Intune device compliance/configuration policies, device management scripts, scope tags, roles/admins, administrative units, and users.
• Backs up object attributes and relationships such as group memberships, owners, and permissions.
• Supports full and incremental backups, scheduled backups, and on-demand backups.
• Primary backups are stored in cloud storage managed by Commvault Cloud and automatically provisioned in the country selected at signup.

Differentiator

Commvault’s differentiator is enterprise backup alignment. It is a good fit where AD and Entra ID recovery must be managed by the same teams and processes that already own cyber recovery and enterprise data protection.

Ideal use case

Commvault is best for large enterprises that want unified AD and Entra ID backup, relationship-aware recovery, and integration into an enterprise backup operating model.

6. Rubrik Security Cloud/Identity Recovery

Rubrik Identity Recovery is focused on hybrid identity recovery for Active Directory and Entra ID. Rubrik Security Cloud protects Entra users, groups, and roles, while Rubrik Identity Recovery adds protection for enterprise apps, app registrations, Conditional Access policies, administrative units, devices, BitLocker recovery keys, and local admin passwords for Entra-joined computers.

Key strengths

• Provides managed Entra backup storage in an Azure cloud tenant managed by Rubrik, creating a logical air gap between the customer Entra tenant and the backups.
• Protects Entra users, groups, and roles in Rubrik Security Cloud Foundation, Business, and Enterprise editions.
• Adds protection for enterprise apps, app registrations, Conditional Access policies, administrative units, devices, BitLocker recovery keys, and local admin passwords with Identity Recovery.
• Includes hybrid recovery workflows for objects synchronized from AD into Entra ID, where objects may need to be recovered into AD first before Entra-specific attributes are recovered.
• Provides orchestrated AD forest recovery and object attribute comparison/rollback for Active Directory scenarios.

Differentiator

Rubrik’s differentiator is hybrid identity recovery with logically air-gapped, immutable backup architecture and AD-to-Entra recovery orchestration.

Ideal use case

Rubrik is best for enterprises already investing in Rubrik Security Cloud or those prioritizing hybrid identity recovery, clean recovery workflows, and protected backup separation from the production tenant.

7. Keepit Backup and Recovery for Microsoft Entra ID

Keepit Backup and Recovery for Microsoft Entra ID is a strong option for organizations that want Entra ID backups stored outside Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem. Its Entra ID service covers users, groups, admin units, roles, enterprise apps, app registrations, Conditional Access policies, Intune device compliance and configuration policies, BitLocker recovery keys, and activity logs.

Key strengths

• Protects Entra users, groups, admin units, roles, enterprise apps, app registrations, Conditional Access policies, Intune policies, BitLocker recovery keys, and activity logs.
• Stores backup data in Keepit’s independent cloud infrastructure, using two mirrored data centers in the selected region to support availability and sovereignty.
• Supports in-place restore, cross-tenant restore, bulk restore, subobject restore, download, and secure sharing links.
• Provides immutable backup and retention, automatic backups, monitoring, and compliance-oriented controls.
• Can be combined with Keepit services for Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Dynamics, Zendesk, Power BI, and other SaaS services.

Differentiator

Keepit’s differentiator is data independence. Its vendor-independent cloud model is attractive for enterprises that do not want the backup copy dependent on the same cloud ecosystem as the production tenant.

Ideal use case

Keepit is best for regulated, sovereignty-sensitive, and global organizations that want independent-cloud Entra ID backup with cross-tenant recovery options.

8. AvePoint Cloud Backup for Microsoft Entra ID

AvePoint Cloud Backup for Microsoft Entra ID is especially relevant for enterprises already using AvePoint for Microsoft 365 or multi-SaaS backup. Its Entra ID backup service protects app registrations, enterprise applications, administrative units, roles and administrators, groups, users, device BitLocker recovery keys, audit logs, and sign-in logs.

Key strengths

• Protects app registrations, enterprise applications, administrative units, roles and administrators, groups, users, BitLocker recovery keys, audit logs, and sign-in logs.
• Restores app registrations, enterprise applications, administrative units, and roles/administrators to the original location.
• Restores groups and users to the original location or a new location.
• Supports extension attributes for users, groups, administrative units, app registrations, and devices.
• Restores app registration secrets and key IDs being regenerated and some properties requiring full backup not detected by API change tracking.

Differentiator

AvePoint’s differentiator is Microsoft cloud breadth. It is a practical choice when Entra ID protection is part of a larger Microsoft 365, Azure, or multi-SaaS backup program.

Ideal use case

AvePoint is best for enterprises that already use AvePoint Cloud Backup or want Entra ID coverage alongside a broader Microsoft 365 backup strategy.

9. Druva Microsoft Entra ID Backup & Protection

Druva Microsoft Entra ID Backup & Protection is a SaaS-native option for enterprises that want Entra ID protection without managing backup infrastructure. It protects common Entra ID objects such as users, groups, roles, devices, enterprise applications, app registrations, administrative units, and Conditional Access policies.

Key strengths

• Protects users, groups, roles and permissions, devices, enterprise applications, app registrations, administrative units, and Conditional Access policies.
• Provides detailed backup coverage for Entra user, group, role, enterprise application, app registration, device, administrative unit, and Conditional Access attributes.
• Supports PIM backup and restore for tenants licensed with Microsoft Entra ID P2.
• Restores object settings and relationships, including relationships such as group memberships.
• Supports in-place restore, recycle-bin-first restore where available, relationship restore, permanently deleted item restore, granular restore, snapshot comparison, and JSON download.

Differentiator

Druva’s differentiator is SaaS simplicity combined with relationship-aware Entra recovery. It is a strong fit for cloud-first organizations that want Entra protection within a broader data security platform.

Ideal use case

Druva is best for SaaS-first enterprises that want managed Entra ID backup, relationship-aware restore, and broader Microsoft workload protection without deploying backup infrastructure.

10. ManageEngine RecoveryManager Plus

ManageEngine RecoveryManager Plus is a practical backup and recovery platform covering Entra ID, AD, Microsoft 365, Exchange, Google Workspace, and Zoho WorkDrive. For Entra ID, ManageEngine backs up users, groups, devices, enterprise apps, app registrations, directory roles, subscribed SKUs, administrative units, domains, and Entra ID policies.

Key strengths

• Backs up users, groups, devices, enterprise apps, app registrations, directory roles, subscribed SKUs, administrative units, domains, and Entra ID policies.
• Protects Conditional Access and related policy types including authentication method, device registration, authentication strength, named location, and registration campaign policies.
• Provides attribute-level restore, object-level restore, rollback to a previous backup point, retention, archive, full backup, and incremental backup.
• Supports SIEM integration for backup and recovery audit logs.
• Backs up and retrieves BitLocker recovery keys stored in Microsoft Entra ID.

Differentiator

ManageEngine’s differentiator is operational breadth at a practical IT administration level. It combines Entra ID, Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Exchange, Google Workspace, and Zoho WorkDrive backup in one product family.

Ideal use case

ManageEngine is best for IT operations teams that want granular Entra ID recovery, rollback, SIEM integration, and broader Microsoft 365/AD backup coverage without adopting a specialized identity resilience platform.

Petri.com’s final recommendations by buyer profile

For hybrid Microsoft identity environments, start with Cayosoft Guardian, Quest Identity Recovery, Semperis DRET, Rubrik Identity Recovery, and Commvault Cloud. These products have the strongest identity-specific or hybrid AD/Entra evidence in the official documentation reviewed here.

For security-led identity recovery, prioritize Cayosoft, Semperis, Rubrik, and Quest. Cayosoft supports hard-deleted user, group, and named-location recovery with relationship repair for Conditional Access, app role assignments, and PIM assignments; Semperis documents broad recovery of PIM, roles, owners, service principals, app registrations, Conditional Access, and hard-deleted users;

For backup-team-led enterprise recovery, shortlist Veeam, Commvault, Rubrik, Keepit, Druva, AvePoint, and ManageEngine. These tools fit better where Entra ID protection needs to sit alongside Microsoft 365, SaaS, Active Directory, endpoint, or enterprise backup workflows.

For data sovereignty and independent-cloud backup, Keepit stands out because it stores data in its own independent cloud infrastructure with mirrored data centers in the selected region. Rubrik and Commvault also document logically separated or managed cloud backup architectures that may appeal to cyber recovery teams.

For organizations that want Microsoft-native recovery first, Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery should be enabled and operationalized as a baseline. But enterprises should still assess whether seven days of native backup history, supported-property recovery, and no hard-delete re-creation are sufficient for their risk profile.

Entra ID backup is now part of enterprise identity resilience

The bottom line: Entra ID backup and recovery should no longer be treated as a niche administrative feature. Entra ID controls access to Microsoft 365, Azure, enterprise applications, privileged roles, Conditional Access, and service principals. Microsoft’s native Entra Backup and Recovery is an important step forward, but enterprise buyers should still evaluate third-party tools where they need deeper recovery, broader retention, hybrid AD integration, relationship repair, cyber-resilient storage, or centralized recovery operations.

For most large organizations, the right answer will not be “native or third-party.” It will be a layered strategy: Microsoft’s native backup for supported short-term recovery, plus the right third-party platform for the risks Microsoft’s baseline does not fully cover.