SharePoint Archiving Solution for seamless user access

ShareArchiver’s SharePoint archiving solution helps organisations reduce Microsoft 365 storage costs by up to 80%.

without disrupting the way users work. By automatically moving inactive files to lower-cost storage, ShareArchiver keeps your SharePoint environment lean, compliant, and fast.

SharePoint Online Archiving Solution For Microsoft 365

Most organizations don’t realize how quickly SharePoint storage costs grow.

And that cost is just for storage.

Every document upload, version update, and collaboration workflow adds more data to your Microsoft 365 tenant. Over time, inactive content accumulates — files that are rarely accessed but still consume expensive SharePoint storage. Sharearchiver SharePoint archiving solution automatically identifies and moves inactive data to lower-cost storage, SharePoint online Archiving solutions works by freeing up primary SharePoint storage capacity while keeping every file fully accessible to users.

Microsoft typically charges about $200 per TB per month for additional SharePoint storage.

That means even a modest amount of inactive data can become surprisingly expensive.

As SharePoint data grows, it also impacts:

In many organizations, a large portion of SharePoint data hasn’t been accessed in years, yet it continues to consume premium storage.

A Smarter Way to Manage SharePoint Data

How ShareArchiver’s SharePoint Archiving Solution Works

ShareArchiver analyses your SharePoint Online environment and identifies inactive data based on policies you define — such as files not accessed in 180 days. This automated SharePoint archiving engine moves qualifying files to lower-cost storage of your choice (Amazon S3, Azure, Wasabi, or on-premises), leaving a lightweight stub in the original location. To users, nothing changes — files look and behave exactly as before, while IT gains full control over storage costs, data retention, and compliance.

When a user clicks a stub, ShareArchiver instantly retrieves the file with no delay — unlike Microsoft’s native archiving which can take up to 24 hours. All metadata is preserved, so SharePoint search and Microsoft 365 Copilot continue to find archived files normally. The result is up to 80% reduction in SharePoint storage costs with zero disruption to users or workflows.

Why Organizations  Choose ShareArchiver

Many SharePoint archiving Solutions focus on moving data into a single cloud platform.

ShareArchiver was designed to give organizations more flexibility, better insight into their data, and seamless access to archived content.

Why ShareArchiver Enterprise SharePoint
Archiving Stands Apart

SharePoint Alone

How ShareArchiver SharePoint
Archiving Software Works

01

Analyze SharePoint content and identify inactive data.

02

Apply archiving policies based on age, activity, or size.

03

Move qualifying content to the storage platform of your choice.

04

Maintain seamless access for users within SharePoint.

05

Allow administrators to browse archived data through ShareArchiver File Explorer.

The result is lower storage costs, better visibility into your data, and minimal disruption to users.

The Result

Organizations using ShareArchiver benefit from:

Lower SharePoint Storage Costs
Freedom to Choose Archive Storage
Deeper Visibility into SharePoint Data
Seamless Access for Users
Additional Archive Access through ShareArchiver File Explorer
Stronger Compliance and Governance Support

Migrating file server data to SharePoint can be slow and expensive

Migrating file server data to SharePoint can be slow and expensive—especially when SharePoint storage limits are exceeded, driving up costs fast.

ShareArchiver sits between your on-prem file servers and SharePoint Online. It ingests and stores your file server data in a secure archive, then publishes lightweight “stub” files into SharePoint on demand. These stubs mirror your existing folder structure, making adoption easy and keeping content accessible in SharePoint without the storage bloat—so you avoid escalating SharePoint costs.

Ready to See  ShareArchiver in Action?

If SharePoint storage growth is becoming a challenge, we would be happy to show you how ShareArchiver works.

See how ShareArchiver helps organizations reduce SharePoint storage costs while maintaining seamless access to archived data.

Storage Agnostic by Design

Your archive strategy should not lock you into a single cloud.

With ShareArchiver you can archive SharePoint data to:

This flexibility allows organizations to align storage with cost, compliance, and infrastructure requirements.

Advanced Analytics and Data Visuals

Before archiving data, it helps to understand what is actually consuming storage.

ShareArchiver provides analytics that help organizations identify:

These insights allow IT teams to make informed archiving decisions rather than guessing what should be moved.

Seamless Access Without Workflow Disruption

One of the biggest concerns about archiving is disrupting users.

ShareArchiver keeps user workflows intact.

Users continue accessing files through SharePoint the same way they always have, while archiving occurs quietly in the background.

Access Archived Data Outside SharePoint

ShareArchiver provides its own File Explorer interface that allows administrators and authorized users to browse archived data outside of SharePoint.

This provides:

Your archive should not depend on a single front-end application.

Built for E-Discovery and Compliance

Archiving is not just about saving storage space.

Organizations also need to support governance, audits, and compliance requirements.

ShareArchiver helps maintain visibility and control over archived content while supporting data discovery and retention policies.

ShareArchiver vs. Microsoft 365 Archive

While Microsoft 365 Archive provides a native way to move data into “cold storage,” it often introduces hidden complexities and costs that can disrupt your business operations. ShareArchiver is engineered to bypass these native limitations, offering a more flexible, cost-effective alternative for enterprise data lifecycle management.

Up to 24-hour "rehydration" delay for files older than 7 days.
Pay-as-you-go + Restoration fees ($/GB) to access your own data.
Archived sites are often hidden from standard search and Copilot.
Primarily site-based; archiving individual files can be complex.
Users encounter "Access Denied" or 423 errors on archived sites.
Driven by users, data owners, user decide what to archive.

Instant, on-demand access. No waiting for files to "wake up."
Predictable subscription. No hidden penalties for restoring files.
Full metadata preservation. Files remain searchable and discoverable.
File-level precision. Archive exactly what you need, leave the rest.
Seamless stubbing. Users open archived files as if they never moved.
Administrator lead policy driven archiving, adds to user productivity

Beyond Storage: Solving the "Rehydration" Headache

The biggest drawback of the native Microsoft 365 Archive alternative is the rehydration penalty. If a user needs a critical document for a legal audit or a client meeting, a 24-hour wait is unacceptable.

ShareArchiver eliminates this friction by utilizing advanced stubbing technology. Your data resides on low-cost tiers like Azure Blob or AWS S3, but it appears to the user as a small pointer file that retrieves the original instantly upon clicking.

Is It an Archive or Just a Backup?

Many admins confuse the two. While Microsoft provides basic site-level cold storage, it lacks the SharePoint archiving vs backup intelligence required for true compliance and storage optimization.

ShareArchiver provides the middle ground—the security and cost-savings of an archive with the accessibility of active storage.

SharePoint Stubbing & Metadata Preservation: How It Works

One of the biggest risks of traditional archiving is data silos—where archived files disappear from view or become unsearchable.
ShareArchiver utilizes advanced SharePoint stubbing technology to ensure that while the data moves to low-cost storage, the user experience remains completely unchanged.

The Mechanics of SharePoint Stubbing

Stubbing (also known as “tiering”) is the process of replacing a large file in SharePoint with a tiny “pointer” or “stub” file.

1. Policy-Based Identification

ShareArchiver identifies inactive files based on your custom rules, such as files not accessed in 180 days.

2. Secure Offloading

The actual file content is moved to secure, low-cost storage such as Azure Blob, AWS S3, or on-premise storage.

3. Stub Creation

A lightweight pointer file remains in the original SharePoint location. This file looks, feels, and behaves exactly like the original.

4. Instant Rehydration

When a user clicks the stub, ShareArchiver instantly retrieves the data from the archive and serves it immediately. To the employee, it feels just like opening a normal file.

Preserving Metadata and Searchability

Many archiving tools break the SharePoint search index because they strip away metadata during migration. ShareArchiver is specifically engineered to prevent this.

• Metadata Integrity:

We preserve all original SharePoint metadata, including Created By, Modified Date, Custom Columns, and Version History. Search Index Continuity: Because the “stub” file occupies the same location and retains the original metadata, the Microsoft 365 Search Index (and Copilot) continues to see and index the file.

• Zero User Training:

Since files remain in their original folders and appear in search results, your team doesn’t need to learn a new system or look in a separate “archive vault” to find their work.

Key Technical Advantages

Reduced Site Collection Size

Shrink your database size by up to 90% while keeping 100% of files visible.

Faster Backups & Syncs

With the heavy lifting moved to the archive, active SharePoint backups and OneDrive syncs run significantly faster.

Compliance Ready

Full audit trails are maintained for every stub access and rehydration event.

FAQs

How does SharePoint Archiving work?

ShareArchiver identifies inactive SharePoint data and moves it to lower-cost storage. A lightweight stub remains in SharePoint, so users can still access files seamlessly without changing how they work.

What storage options are supported for SharePoint Archiving?

ShareArchiver supports on-premises storage, hybrid storage, Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Wasabi, and other cost-effective object storage platforms. This gives organizations flexibility to choose storage based on cost, compliance, and infrastructure needs.

Can SharePoint Archiving be automated?

Yes. ShareArchiver allows administrators to archive SharePoint data automatically based on policies such as file age, size, type, and folder location.

Can I choose where archived SharePoint data is stored?

Yes. ShareArchiver allows you to define target storage locations and organize archived SharePoint data according to your preferred folder structure and governance requirements.

How does stubbing work in SharePoint?

When a file is archived, ShareArchiver leaves a lightweight stub in SharePoint. The stub looks like the original file, and when a user clicks it, the content opens seamlessly from the archive.

Will users notice any difference after SharePoint Archiving?

No. ShareArchiver provides seamless and transparent access to archived SharePoint files, so users continue working as normal without disruption.

How does ShareArchiver reduce SharePoint storage costs?

By moving inactive SharePoint data to lower-cost storage, ShareArchiver reduces reliance on expensive Microsoft 365 storage and can cut primary storage costs significantly.

Can ShareArchiver migrate file server data to SharePoint?

Yes. ShareArchiver provides a migration path from file servers to SharePoint by recreating folder structures with lightweight stubs while storing the actual file data in lower-cost archive storage.

How does ShareArchiver help manage data across file servers and SharePoint?

ShareArchiver provides a unified approach to archiving, migrating, and managing data across file servers and SharePoint, helping organizations reduce silos and maintain visibility and control.

Is ShareArchiver suitable for hybrid SharePoint Archiving environments?

Yes. ShareArchiver supports hybrid, cloud, and on-premises environments, giving organizations a flexible and cost-efficient SharePoint Archiving solution.