What is a retention policy?
The safety net behind your backup
A retention policy defines how long Softyz keeps every version of every file you've ever backed up. It answers the question: "How far back in time can I go to restore something?"
Every time you save a file, Softyz creates a new version of that file in your backup. Your retention window determines how many of those versions we keep — and for how long. Files outside the retention window are permanently deleted from your backup storage.
Think of it as a rolling safety window. On the Personal plan with a 30-day window, you can restore any version of any file from the past 30 days. On the Business plan, that window extends to 180 days — protecting you from everything from accidental deletions to slow-burn ransomware attacks.
Retention by plan
Your plan, your retention window
Every Softyz plan includes a clearly defined retention policy. Here is exactly what you get — and what changes as you scale up.
Personal Plan
Business Plan
Enterprise Plan
How retention works
What actually happens behind the scenes
Understanding how Softyz manages your backup versions helps you make the most of your retention window — and know exactly what to expect at every stage.
All backup versions are stored as immutable copies — they cannot be modified or deleted by malware running on your device. Even if ransomware encrypts every file on your computer, your Softyz backup remains completely untouched.
You can restore not just a single file, but your entire backup as it existed at any moment in time within your retention window. This is especially powerful for recovering from ransomware or a catastrophic system event.
Deleting a file from your device does not immediately remove it from your backup. Softyz retains the deleted file and all its versions for the full duration of your retention window — giving you ample time to recover it if needed.
Your retention window rolls forward every day. On a 30-day plan, versions older than 30 days are permanently deleted each night. On a 180-day plan, only versions older than 180 days are removed — everything within the window is always available.
Softyz Inc. does not store a full copy of every version. Instead, it uses delta sync — storing only the blocks that changed between versions. This makes version history extremely storage-efficient even across hundreds of saves.
Each time you save or modify a file, Softyz’s real-time engine detects the change and stores a new version in the cloud within seconds. Versions accumulate over time without overwriting each other.
Retention timeline
What happens at each stage of retention
Here is a clear breakdown of what Softyz retains, and what it removes, at each point in your retention lifecycle — from the moment a file is backed up to after the window expires.
File backed up first version created
The moment you save a file, Softyz creates Version 1 in the cloud. This version is immutable it can never be modified or overwritten. The retention clock starts from this moment.
Full version access restore anything
Every version of every file backed up within this window is fully available for instant restore. This includes files you've deleted, overwritten, or modified multiple times. The Personal plan's full retention window covers this entire period.
Extended history Business and above
On Business and Enterprise plans, versions from Day 31 to Day 180 remain fully accessible. This is where protection from slow-burn ransomware, gradual file corruption, and long-delayed discovery of data loss becomes critical. Files accidentally deleted 90 days ago are still recoverable here.
Long-term archive Enterprise custom policies
Enterprise customers can configure retention windows of 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, or 7+ years to meet regulatory requirements. GDPR, HIPAA, financial services (SOX), and healthcare compliance often require data to be retained for specific multi-year periods — Softyz supports all of them.
Versions outside the window are permanently deleted
Once a version falls outside your retention window, it is permanently and irreversibly deleted from Softyz servers ensuring we only hold data you have consented to retain. You receive email notifications 7 days before any data is scheduled for deletion so you can act if needed.
Grace period your data is always safe after cancellation
If you cancel your Softyz plan, we never immediately delete your data. All backed-up files are retained for a 90-day grace period, giving you ample time to download, export, or reactivate your account. After 90 days without reactivation, we send a final deletion notice before permanently removing your data.
Full comparison
Retention features — plan by plan
A complete, side-by-side breakdown of every retention-related feature across all three Softyz plans.
| Retention feature | Personal | Business | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard retention window | 30 days | 180 days | Custom |
| Extended retention add-on | Not available | Up to 365 days | 1 yr 7+ yrs |
| Deleted file recovery window | 30 days | 180 days | Custom |
| Number of file versions kept | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Point-in-time restore | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Immutable backup (ransomware-proof) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ WORM-compliant |
| Delta sync (storage-efficient versions) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Custom retention policy builder | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ Full control |
| Folder-level retention rules | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ |
| Tiered retention (hot cold archive) | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ |
| Legal hold / litigation hold | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ |
| Compliance audit log for deletions | ✔ | ✔ | |
| 7-day deletion warning notifications | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Post-cancellation grace period | 90 days | 90 days | ✔ Negotiated |
| GDPR right-to-erasure tooling | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| HIPAA-compliant retention | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ BAA available |
Who needs what retention?
The right policy for every type of user
Different users have very different needs. Here is a guide to which retention policy fits each common scenario — so you can choose with confidence.
Large organisations with dozens of servers and compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions need fully custom retention — different policies for different folders, file types, and data classifications. Softyz Enterprise’s policy builder handles tiered hot/cold/archive retention at any scale.
Patient data and medical records must be retained for specific periods under HIPAA — typically 6 years from creation or last effective date. Softyz Enterprise supports HIPAA-compliant backup with Business Associate Agreements, custom retention, and audit-ready deletion logs for healthcare organisations.
Industries with strict data retention obligations — law firms, accountants, financial advisors — often need to retain client data for 5–7 years under regulatory requirements. Enterprise custom retention policies, combined with legal hold features, make Softyz fully compliant for these environments.
Protecting team files, project archives, and business records across multiple devices. The 180-day Business plan provides robust version history to protect against ransomware, accidental mass-deletion, and the slow discovery of data corruption events.
Client projects, design files, and creative work often need to be revisited months later. The 180-day Business plan window ensures you can recover any version of a client deliverable well after the project has wrapped — including recovering from a client dispute about version history.
For protecting photos, personal documents, and memories. The 30-day window on the Personal plan is ideal for most home users — covering accidental deletions, overwrites, and device failures within a month of them happening.