--- title: "Firevault vs Quantum Tape Storage by Firevault - offline wi…" description: "Compare Firevault Offline Secure Storage with Quantum LTO tape on recovery speed, chain of custody, operational overhead and audit evidence." lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization", "name": "Firevault", "legalName": "Firevault Limited", "url": "https://fire-vault.com", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/logo.png", "width": 200, "height": 60 }, "foundingDate": "2025-03", "description": "Firevault has rewritten the rules for data protection & storage via its offline secure storage (OSS) platform, for users to vault everything that matters.", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressCountry": "GB", "addressLocality": "United Kingdom" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "contactType": "customer service", "email": "hello@fire-vault.com", "availableLanguage": "English", "areaServed": "GB" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/firevault", "https://x.com/firevaultuk" ], "slogan": "Disconnect to Protect", "knowsAbout": [ "Offline Secure Storage", "Physical Air Gap Data Protection", "Ransomware Protection", "Data Sovereignty", "GDPR Compliance", "NIS2 Compliance" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#website", "name": "Firevault", "alternateName": [ "Firevault", "Firevault UK", "Firevault Limited" ], "url": "https://fire-vault.com", "publisher": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB", "description": "Firevault has rewritten the rules for data protection & storage via its offline secure storage (OSS) platform, for users to vault everything that matters.", "potentialAction": { "@type": "SearchAction", "target": { "@type": "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate": "https://fire-vault.com/learn?q={search_term_string}" }, "query-input": "required name=search_term_string" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/compare/firevault-vs-quantum-tape#webpage", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/compare/firevault-vs-quantum-tape", "name": "Firevault vs Quantum Tape Storage by Firevault - 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offline secure storage, physically disconnected from the internet](/assets/logo-color-DBVl0KCg.png)](/) Products Solutions [Why OSS](/why-oss) More [Help](/help)[Get started](/get-started) Why OSS # Firevault vs Quantum Tape Tape gives you a real air gap when the cartridge is out of the library. Firevault keeps the same physical disconnection but removes the rotation, the offsite retrieval delay and the manual chain of custody. Book a demo ![Corridor of offline storage racks inside a Firevault bunker](/assets/hero-square-bunker-BC9Flanh.jpg) vs Head To Head ## Both Are Offline. One Is Operationally Lighter. The architectural choice is not air gap or no air gap. It is how that air gap is operated, audited and restored from. 01 Removable media, ejected for air gap ### Quantum LTO Tape LTO tape provides a genuine physical air gap when the cartridge is ejected from the library and stored offsite. WORM cartridges add write-once assurance. The trade-offs are operational handling, manual chain of custody and recovery speed. - Real air gap when ejected - WORM cartridges available - Manual handling and rotation 02 Layer 1 disconnect, scheduled access ### Firevault Offline Secure Storage Firevault holds the gold copy on dedicated hardware in carefully selected colocation bunkers, physically disconnected at OSI Layer 1. Connection windows are scheduled and identity-verified, with every event recorded on a tamper-evident audit trail. - Layer 1 physical disconnect - Identity-verified access windows - Tamper-evident audit trail Four Dimensions ## Where the Choice Actually Bites Recovery speed, chain of custody, operational overhead and audit evidence. The places customers feel the difference in a real incident. 01 Hours to days vs scheduled connection window ### Recovery Speed Tape recovery depends on retrieval from offsite storage, cartridge load, sequential read and any required re-tensioning. Firevault recovery uses a scheduled identity-verified connection window directly to a high-speed link, with no physical media transport in the critical path. - No offsite retrieval delay - No sequential read penalty - Predictable restore time 02 Manual handling vs documented automation ### Chain of Custody Tape custody depends on the people who pick, transport and file cartridges. Firevault custody is documented end to end inside the bunker, with out of band switching controlled from a separate management plane that does not share the data path. - No manual cartridge handling - Out of band switching - Documented bunker custody 03 Rotation, slots and library health vs subscription ### Operational Overhead Tape requires library maintenance, drive cleaning, slot allocation, rotation schedules and periodic media refresh. Firevault is delivered as a flat monthly subscription. The physical infrastructure, refresh and verification are handled by Firevault. - No library to maintain - No rotation to schedule - Refresh handled by Firevault 04 Logbooks vs tamper-evident event log ### Audit and Evidence Tape audit typically relies on backup application logs and physical movement records. Firevault produces a tamper-evident event log of every connection, disconnection and identity check, suitable for regulators, insurers and board reporting. - Per-event tamper-evident log - Identity captured at access - Insurance and board ready Want to see how this compares against cold cloud and other architectures. [Firevault vs AWS Glacier](/compare/firevault-vs-aws-glacier) [Compare five storage architectures](/compare/oss-vs-everything) [Vault Buddy break-glass access](/succession-access#break-glass) Questions ## Firevault vs Quantum Tape, Common Questions Straight answers on how Offline Secure Storage® behaves in practice. ### Is LTO tape still a valid offline copy? ### Why pick Firevault over Quantum tape? ### Does Firevault use tape under the bonnet? ### Can I run tape and Firevault together? ### How is Firevault audited compared with a tape vault? ### What about WORM compliance for legal hold? ![Mark Fermor](/assets/mark-fermor-C-vy1NeN.jpg) ![David Bailey](/assets/david-bailey-CnLw95Ao.jpg) ![Kenny Phipps](/assets/kenny-phipps-DxIqwaIL.jpg) Online Now Concierge ## Keep the air gap, drop the rotation Talk to Firevault about replacing or complementing a tape rotation with a Layer 1 offline copy. Takes about 2 minutes. No account needed. Find Out Free 2 mins No sign-up