Choose LTO backup with confidence

Plain‑English guides, compatibility charts, and TCO calculators for IT teams comparing tape, libraries, and cloud. Cut research time by 60% this week, avoid costly misbuys.

Specs are dense, vendors disagree, and you're accountable for backup choices that must survive audits. Most reviews ignore tape realities like cleaning cycles, media compatibility, offsite rotation, and real TCO at scale. TapeForce distills signal from noise, compares LTO and cold cloud clearly, and recommends gear matched to your workload.

Compare drives now Learn More
About

Why TapeForce exists

TapeForce started after a Friday restore failed at a media shop because mixed cartridges didn’t match the drive’s firmware. That scramble exposed a larger issue: tape guidance was scattered, vendor‑biased, and rarely tied to real workflows. We began compiling compatibility charts, cleaning cycles, and barcode schemes into plain English. Early readers were MSPs and archivists who needed decisions in days, not weeks. We refined calculators with their feedback and built buying checklists that passed audits. Today, TapeForce exists to give accountable teams clarity, speed, and proof—before money is spent. We’re obsessively practical and transparent about tradeoffs so your archive is boring in the best way.

Features

What We Offer

Five‑year TCO modeled to your patterns

Our calculator factors media, drives, cleaning, offsite logistics, cloud minimums, and egress. Expect a defensible spreadsheet you can attach to budgets and approvals.

LTO generation and media compatibility clarity

We cross‑reference vendor matrices and field reports, flagging caveats like write‑read limits across generations. Fewer surprises during migration and restore testing.

WORM, air‑gap, and compliance guidance

We outline WORM use, retention labeling, and chain‑of‑custody steps suitable for finance, healthcare, and public sector. Auditors get what they need, without overbuying gear.

Throughput planning for ingest and restore

We model job windows and concurrency to balance SAS, Fibre Channel, and Thunderbolt choices. Avoid bottlenecks that slip nightly backups and client deliveries.

Deal tracker with vetted seller options

We surface viable listings and flag out‑of‑date SKUs or mismatched bundles. Spend less time hunting stock, more time getting backups running.

Barcode, cleaning, and maintenance checklists

From cleaning cycles to label formats and vault rotation, checklists keep libraries healthy. Teams report fewer misloads and faster weekly maintenance.

Approval‑ready summaries for stakeholders

Turn technical comparisons into business language that wins sign‑off. Reduce back‑and‑forth and secure budgets without another meeting.

Process

How It Works

1

Answer a few workload questions

In five to eight minutes, describe size, growth, and retrieval patterns. You’ll see a baseline model immediately, with assumptions clearly labeled for easy review.

2

Compare viable architectures

We present tape, cloud, and hybrid options side‑by‑side within 10 minutes. You’ll get throughput, compliance notes, and cost ranges—plus a quick confidence score.

3

Calibrate with your constraints

Adjust retention, interfaces, and media choices in another five minutes. Watch TCO, restore time, and compliance risk update live for stakeholder-ready clarity.

4

Buy confidently and implement

Follow our checklists and deal links to procure within your window. Expect calmer approvals and a first successful restore that lowers everyone’s blood pressure.

Pricing

Pricing

Essential (Free)

0

Start with core guides, compatibility charts, and basic calculators. Ideal for a single project or quick comparisons.

  • ✓ Access core LTO buying guides and checklists
  • ✓ Use basic TCO calculator with common presets
  • ✓ View compatibility charts for current generations
  • ✓ Get occasional deal highlights via newsletter
Get Started
⭐ Most Popular

Pro Tools

79/year

Advanced calculators, exports, and early deal alerts for faster approvals and fewer surprises.

  • ✓ Custom TCO with retention, growth, and egress modeling
  • ✓ Export approval‑ready one‑pagers and spreadsheets
  • ✓ Throughput planner for ingest and restore windows
  • ✓ Early inventory and price alerts by category
  • ✓ Priority updates on firmware and media advisories
Get Started

Team Bundle

249/year

Everything in Pro plus shared projects and stakeholder views for small teams and MSPs.

  • ✓ Collaborative projects with saved assumptions
  • ✓ Team notes and versioned decision history
  • ✓ Shared exports for clients and leadership
  • ✓ Policy templates for WORM and offsite rotation
  • ✓ Email support with 2‑business‑day responses
Get Started
Testimonials

What People Say

“

We were spinning our wheels between LTO‑8 and cloud. TapeForce’s model showed a 33% five‑year savings and cleared our sign‑off in two days. It also saved us about 9 hours of back‑and‑forth.

D
Dana R.
IT Manager
“

The compatibility charts alone paid for themselves. We avoided a media mismatch that would’ve burned a week. Our team cut evaluation time by 7.6 hours on the last deployment.

A
Arjun P.
Owner & Principal
“

Their WORM guidance mapped directly to our retention policy. Audit prep went smoother, and we documented chain‑of‑custody in one afternoon. Restore testing passed on the first try.

L
Lena M.
Digital Archivist
“

We needed numbers, not vendor slides. TapeForce’s TCO export showed an 18,400 USD delta over five years and gave leadership immediate confidence.

T
Tom S.
Director of Infrastructure
“

We used their throughput planning to right‑size interfaces. Nightly backups now finish 42 minutes earlier, and the library hasn’t misfed once since adopting their checklists.

M
Maya K.
Studio Technology Lead
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TapeForce biased toward tape or cloud?
No. We model both and show where each wins based on your inputs. Some workloads clearly favor cloud cold tiers; others tilt toward LTO or hybrid. Our goal is to make tradeoffs obvious, not push a mechanism. You’ll see assumptions and can export them for review.
How accurate are the TCO calculators?
They’re as accurate as your assumptions. We include media, drives, cleaning, logistics, cloud minimums, and egress. You can tune growth and retrieval patterns to match reality. Most teams report the exports pass budget scrutiny without extra changes.
Why pay for Pro when information is free online?
Free sources exist, but they’re scattered and often outdated. Pro consolidates verified data, adds customizable models, and produces stakeholder‑ready exports in minutes. If you only need a quick refresher, Essential might be enough.
What’s the expected ROI on Pro or Team?
In our test scenarios, Pro typically saves 6–10 hours per evaluation and prevents at least one mismatch or restocking fee yearly. At common labor rates, payback usually lands within the first project.
Do you store my project data securely?
We store minimal inputs to power your saved projects. Sensitive notes are optional, and you can delete projects anytime. Exports are generated on demand and not publicly accessible. We never sell project data.
Can this help with compliance audits?
Yes. We include WORM usage notes, retention labeling guidance, and chain‑of‑custody checklists. Many teams report smoother audits after adopting the templates. Still, always validate against your specific regulatory environment.
Is this right for a small studio or solo archivist?
Likely yes—if you need to choose a drive, tapes, or an autoloader with confidence. It might NOT be for you if you’re committed to a single vendor regardless of cost or you won’t adjust assumptions.
Do you sell hardware or provide support?
We don’t sell hardware. We link to reputable resellers and partners so you can buy with confidence. For support, we provide checklists and guides; Pro and Team include email support for product questions.
How often are guides updated?
Core buying guides are reviewed every 14 days, and advisories are posted as they surface. Calculator assumptions are revisited quarterly or when significant vendor changes occur.
Will you earn a commission if I buy?
Sometimes. We use affiliate links and may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps fund updates and keeps Essential content free.

Ready to Get Started?

Plain‑English guides, compatibility charts, and TCO calculators for IT teams comparing tape, libraries, and cloud. Cut research time by 60% this week, avoid costly misbuys.

Compare drives now