Although many businesses may choose to backup live versions of their data by mirroring to off-site storage systems - either on-premise at other locations or in the public cloud, this practice is separate to the backing up of older data.

Backing-up data using HDDs and SSDs or cloud storage isn’t practical as the cost quickly spirals out of control. In addition, even the best server HDDs and SSDs only have a six-year warranty. In contrast, despite its slow performance, tape remains the best format for backup as it offers much lower cost per terabyte and most tapes are rated for up to 30 years. In this guide we’ll look at the common types of tape technology available today and why you should consider them, so you are sure to make the best decisions when choosing a back-up or archiving solution.

Example introduction image

Why use tape backup?

Tape storage works by way of two components - a tape drive that writes and reads information, and a magnetic tape that has the data written to it or read from it. Rather than an alternative to HDDs and SSDs technologies is it used to compliment them, providing a very specific function - backup and archiving. Tape technology usually sits at the edge of the core network connected to the HDD and SSD storage systems so that a duplicate copy of them can be made for long-term storage.

Example introduction image

Tape is a much older technology and works differently to HDDs and SSDs in that it must be sequentially written and read - meaning you can only write to blank sections that follow already written sections. This means you can only read one section by reading the others before it – although later generations of tape use LTFS (Linear Tape File System) to improve access.

Although magnetic tape media may seem old and clunky next to HDDs, SSDs and the cloud, it does have numerous advantages that make it ideal for backup. Firstly, once data is written to the tape it is usually removed from the drive, creating an ‘air-gap’ and making it un-hackable, an extremely valuable property, providing another level of ransomware resilience. Even archive HDD and SSD systems, whether on-premise or in the cloud need to be connected to a network so they remain vulnerable. Secondly, tapes are much cheaper than cloud storage, so prove very cost-effective for keeping a copy of critical data long-term with minimal overhead cost and risk.

This table compares the four mains types of storage which are most suitable for backing up data.

Type Tape HDD SSD Cloud
Scalability High Medium Low High
Lifespan Up to 30 years Up to 6 years Up to 5 years Unlimited
Performance Low Medium High Low
Cost (100TB over 5 years) £7,600 £4,700 £61,000 £8,000*
Cost (100TB over 10 years) £7,600 £9,500 £122,000 £16,000*
Cost (100TB over 30 years) £7,600 £23,700 £366,500 £48,000*
Best For Archive Local Backup Hot Data Archive
* Plus an additional £7,000 each time for transferring 100TB out of the cloud, such as restoring a backup

It’s also worth noting that you are fully in control of your tape, HDD and SSD archive. In contrast, while you will have a contract with a cloud provider, you’re at the mercy of changing government regulations and global events. For example, during the 2026 war in the Middle East, several cloud providers experienced extended downtime.

Backup tape formats

Although all tape solutions use magnetic tape to record the data, much like in most areas of technology there was no one standard tape format, with the options including DDS (Digital Data Storage), AIT (Advanced Intelligent Tape) and SDLT (Super Digital Linear Tape). Over the years each of these standards had multiple generations to provide additional capacity, however only a single type remains widely in use today - LTO or Linear Tape Open, often called by the brand name Ultrium.

Example introduction image

LTO or Ultrium technology was first invented in 2000 and has since progressed through ten generations as of 2026, with a further four in the pipeline - it is supported by major storage brands including HPE, IBM and Quantum. These generations mainly differ in the capacities of an individual tape. The original LTO-1 versions had a capacity of 100GB uncompressed or 200GB compressed, and the latest versions 18TB and 45TB respectively. Compression offers the ability to fit more data onto a tape at a ratio of either 2:1 or 2.5:1 theoretically, but the ratio will differ with the type of data being written. The below table summarises the various LTO generations.

Format Year Released Native Capacity Compressed Capacity Max Speed (Native) Max Speed (Compressed)
LTO-1 2000 100GB 200GB 20MB/sec 40MB/sec
LTO-2 2003 200GB 400GB 40MB/sec 80MB/sec
LTO-3 2005 400GB 800GB 80MB/sec 160MB/sec
LTO-4 2007 800GB 1.6TB 120MB/sec 240MB/sec
LTO-5 2010 1.5TB 3TB 140MB/sec 280MB/sec
LTO-6 2012 2.5TB 6.25TB 160MB/sec 400MB/sec
LTO-7 2015 6TB 15TB 300MB/sec 750MB/sec
LTO-8 2017 12TB 30TB 360MB/sec 900MB/sec
LTO-9 2021 18TB 45TB 400MB/sec 1.0GB/sec
LTO-10 2025 40TB 100TB 1.1GB/sec 2.7GB/sec
LTO-11 TBC 72TB 180TB TBC TBC
LTO-12 TBC 144TB 360TB TBC TBC
LTO-13 TBC 288TB 720TB TBC TBC
LTO-14 TBC 576TB 1.44PB TBC TBC
Capacities shown assume the standard 2.5:1 compression ratio used by the LTO roadmap. Future LTO generations (11–14) are projected specifications and may be subject to change.

As with most technology, it is clear to see that with each generation the capacity increases and the speeds increase too. However, it must be pointed out that backwards compatibility is not a given. A general rule is that any generation of tape drive is compatible with the two previous tape generations, but not the ones prior to this - for example an LTO-9 drive will read and write to tapes from LT-9, LTO-8 and LTO-7 standards but not from LTO-6 or earlier. This means that if you have standardised on an LTO generation you either need to keep an older drive to read the older tapes or upgrade your whole archive. For this reason, older tapes right back to the original LTO-1 versions are still available to buy, and the drives are usually not superseded instantly by the new generation either. It is also worth mentioning that it is still possible to get tapes from the defunct DDS, AIT and SDLT standards too, as much like LTO there will be significant install bases out there.

Ready to buy?

Browse our range of tape drives

TAPE DRIVES TAPES
Example full-width CTA product image

Help Choosing Section

If you still have questions on how to select the right backup setup don't hesitate to contact one of our friendly advisors on

01204 474747 [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about backup tape, tape backup technology, and long-term data archiving.

A backup tape is a physical, magnetic storage medium used to store copies of computer data for long-term retention, archiving, and disaster recovery. It acts as a secure, offline, and cost-effective alternative to HDD or SSDs, frequently used to protect against ransomware and for regulatory compliance due to its ability to be stored offsite.

Tape backup is a data storage method that involves copying digital data onto magnetic tape cartridges for long-term retention, archiving, and disaster recovery. It is a highly cost-effective, durable, and secure solution for storing large volumes of data, often used to create offline, ‘air-gapped’ backups that are protected against ransomware and cyberattacks.

Tape backup is primarily used for cost-effective, long-term, and secure data archiving, offering the lowest price per gigabyte compared to disk or cloud storage. Its key advantages include extreme longevity (up to 30 years), high energy efficiency, and immunity to ransomware via a physical ‘air gap’. It is ideal for large datasets and compliance-driven retention.

Tape backup works by way of two components - a tape drive that writes and reads information, and a magnetic tape that has the data written to it or read from it. Rather than an alternative to HDDs and SSDs technologies is it used to complement them, providing a very specific function - backup and archiving. Tape technology usually sits at the edge of the core network connected to the HDD and SSD storage systems so that a duplicate copy of them can be made for long-term storage.

LTO is better for long term archival storage than HDD as it’s more cost effective per TB of storage and most tapes are rated for up to 30 years, versus six years for an HDD.

The 3/2/1 rule is a strategy for keeping your data safe:

  1. Keep three copies of your data – live data on servers and at least two other copies.
  2. Use different storage types for each of these copies, i.e. another server, NAS, external drive, cloud and tape backup.
  3. Keep one of these copies off-site – protecting your data in case of a break-in, fire, natural disaster etc

Tape backup’s primary drawbacks over HDDs and SDDs is that data must be sequentially written and read - meaning you can only write to blank sections that follow already written sections. This means you can only read one section by reading the others before it – although later generations of tape use LTFS (Linear Tape File System) to improve access. In addition, tape backup has much lower read and write speeds than HDDs and SSDs.

Most backup tapes are rated to last up to 30 years.

Yes, most backup tapes are rated to last up to 30 years, versus six years for an HDD.