--- title: "Hidden Costs Of Backup: Front-End Capacity" description: In the next installment of our “hidden cost of backup” series, we examine front-end backup capacity, and how some vendors use this model to boost profit. canonical_url: https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/hidden-costs-backup-front-end-capacity/ locale: en last_updated: 2026-10-27 --- [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) # Hidden Costs Of Backup: Front-End Capacity We are all too familiar with the concept of hidden costs. You work with suppliers and/or vendors, and it looks like their published pricing matches your expectations. That is until you get their quote (or worse, the invoice), and you see a very different figure. What happened? There were fees, charges or the licensing models that you have not taken into account. It could happen in every aspect of your life and work, and backup solutions are no different. Let’s talk about potential hidden costs you need to be aware of. [Learn More](https://www.acronis.com/en/products/cyber-protect/) [![Image 2: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png)](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/ "Acronis Editorial Team") [Acronis Editorial Team](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/) 2 min read Last updated 16 April 2018 We are all too familiar with the concept of _hidden costs_. You work with suppliers and/or vendors, and it looks like their published pricing matches your expectations. That is until you get their quote (or worse, the invoice), and you see a very different figure. What happened? There were fees, charges or the licensing models that you have not taken into account. It could happen in every aspect of your life and work, and [backup solutions](https://www.acronis.com/en-us/) are no different. Let’s talk about potential hidden costs you need to be aware of. ## Front-End Capacity In this model, the customer pays only for the volume of original data they submit to a data protection solution, before compression or deduplication. On the surface, it looks very attractive, and customers mistakenly believe they can save costs substantially, because the pricing is based on the data’s original file size. In reality, this licensing model is one of the most deceptive and overcharging models in the [data protection](https://www.acronis.com/en-us/) business. No wonder you will see many vendors touting this mechanism, as it, in fact, allows them to raise their profits at customer expense. How do they do it? Let’s take for example, two companies — let’s call them “X-Cell” and “C-Quell”. The “X-Cell” is old-fashioned and uses Microsoft Excel, and the “C-Quell” uses Microsoft SQL Server database. Let’s also assume that both of them serve the same number of customers, and perform same number of transactions – and have the same amount of data recorded. It would be fair to assume they should also be equal in terms of data protection, right? Not so fast. The “X-Cell” has all the data in the XLSX spreadsheet, which is _compressed_ data in XML format, and as a result — their “customer database” file size is small. The “C-Quell” will be at hands of [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.acronis.com/en-us/business/backup/sql/) database file format. While it is rather efficient when it comes to storing data, it is _not compressed_. It also comes with indices, and most importantly – database transaction logs, which may be quite sizeable. If these companies would use front-end backup capacity licensing model, they would be charged differently. Depending on the database settings, the “C-Quell” could pay many times more than “X-Cell” – backing up **the same data**. In essence, the backup vendor overcharges “C-Quell” and other companies just because they chose a different database engine. If they would use database engines, like [Oracle](https://www.acronis.com/en-us/business/backup-advanced/oracle/), designed for performance and scalability, they could pay even more. Maybe it is time for you to stop overpaying and switch to an easy, complete and affordable solution? With Acronis, there are no hidden surprises — the costs for “C-Quell” and “X-Cell” would be **absolutely the same.**Acronis does not charge for the data you back up — only for the systems you protect. Visit [Acronis website](https://www.acronis.com/en/) for more details or download [Acronis Backup 12 trial version](https://www.acronis.com/en-au/business/backup/). [Cybersecurity](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cybersecurity/) [Cyber protection](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cyber-protection/) ## Written by ![Image 3: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png) Acronis Editorial Team Acronis is a global cyber protection company that provides natively integrated cybersecurity, data protection, and endpoint management for managed service providers (MSPs), small and medium businesses (SMBs), and enterprise IT departments. [Previous post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/protecting-your-customers-systems-and-data-acronis-backup-cloud-and-labtech-rmm/) [Protecting Your Customers' Systems and Data with Acronis Backup Cloud and LabTech RMM​](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/protecting-your-customers-systems-and-data-acronis-backup-cloud-and-labtech-rmm/) [Next post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/mikhail-grachev-data-winning-force-motor-racing/) [Mikhail Grachev: Data Is the Winning Force in Motor Racing](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/mikhail-grachev-data-winning-force-motor-racing/) About Acronis Acronis is a leader in AI-native cyber protection, unifying data protection, cybersecurity, IT operations and hybrid infrastructure to deliver business continuity, security and compliance with less cost and complexity. More than 21,000 service providers trust Acronis to protect over 750,000 businesses in 150 countries. Acronis is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. [Add as a preferred source on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=acronis.com) ## Related stories Want to learn more? Read the latest stories featuring this solution on our blog. [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) ![Image 4: stc Bahrain and Acronis partner to bring advanced endpoint security to businesses in Bahrain](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/9600f3eea83b8f4e168ea6c1409c8c26.png) [stc Bahrain and Acronis partner to bring advanced endpoint security to businesses in Bahrain](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/stc-bahrain-and-acronis-partner-to-bring-endpoint-security-to-businesses/) We are proud to announce a strategic partnership with stc Bahrain, expanding access to advanced cybersecurity services for businesses across Bahrain. **October 26, 2026**3 min read ![Image 5: Introducing New Acronis CEO: Prakash Panjwani](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/30cb571f6f1aaa131733e5727a4a250c.png) [Introducing New Acronis CEO: Prakash Panjwani](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/introducing-new-acronis-ceo-prakash-panjwani/) We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new Chief Executive Officer, Prakash Panjwani. A veteran cybersecurity CEO, Panjwani previously served as CEO of WatchGuard Technologies and SafeNet. **October 15, 2026**2 min read ![Image 6: Acronis expands MDR toward broader workspace protection](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/18e90e89f5ec4ef0901f19008d4ccbf2.png) [Acronis expands MDR toward broader workspace protection](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-expands-mdr-toward-broader-workspace-protection/) Acronis is expanding the MDR service with capabilities that make this expertise easier to deliver and help partners address more risks. The developments build on a broader commitment to managed security: helping service providers protect the connected workspace while giving customers access to the expertise needed to investigate threats, respond effectively and maintain business continuity. **October 13, 2026**6 min read