We want to leave our SaaS or MSP vendor, how do we get our backup and data out?

Vendor lock-in on backups is real: tools write proprietary formats, MSPs hold credentials, and exit clauses in contracts are vague. Plan the exit before you cancel, not after.

Try this first

1. 1Read the contract on exit: what data do you get back, in which format, in what timeframe, who pays for the export? Default is vague, make it explicit before cancelling.
2. 2Request a test export before you cancel. Have the vendor return one backup set in a format you can open elsewhere. That's how you find out it actually works.
3. 3For MSPs running Veeam, NAKIVO, Acronis: ask for a 'naked' restore export to standard formats (vmdk, vhdx, raw files). Not their proprietary repository format only they can read.
4. 4For M365 backup tools (Veeam M365, AvePoint, Dropsuite): most export to pst/eml for mail and standard files for Drive/SharePoint. Test this for real before cancelling.
5. 5Keep credentials, encryption keys and list exports in parallel with yourself, not only with the vendor. A vendor that stops responding can hold your data hostage.
6. 6Document the migration to the new vendor: data mapping, retention conversion, restore test on the new stack. Without mapping you lose structure and metadata.

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