This paper presents the results of a four-month testing period with ArchivesDirect, the hosted Archivematica + DuraCloud digital preservation service launched in February 2015. A discussion of the challenges that small or midsized institutions face when preserving their digital assets is followed by a contextualization of the new platform within the evolving ecosystem of web-based digital preservation services. The paper closes with a candid and critical analysis of the ArchivesDirect service itself as it stands at initial release. This presentation aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion of digital preservation challenges at under-resourced institutions while providing new and critical information on the web-based solutions emerging to serve this community.