Quick Overview
- 1#1: Zerto - Provides continuous data protection and automated disaster recovery with near-zero RPO/RTO across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
- 2#2: Veeam Backup & Replication - Delivers instant VM recovery, replication, and automated failover for comprehensive backup and disaster recovery orchestration.
- 3#3: VMware Site Recovery Manager - Automates protection, testing, and orchestrated recovery of virtualized workloads in VMware vSphere environments.
- 4#4: Azure Site Recovery - Offers cloud-based replication, automated failover, and recovery for on-premises and Azure VMs with minimal downtime.
- 5#5: AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery - Enables continuous replication and automated point-in-time recovery to AWS for physical, virtual, and cloud servers.
- 6#6: Rubrik - Combines backup, recovery, and cyber resilience with automated DR orchestration across multicloud environments.
- 7#7: Cohesity DataProtect - Provides hyperconverged backup, replication, and automated disaster recovery for enterprise-scale data management.
- 8#8: Commvault Complete Data Protection - Offers unified backup, recovery, and automated DR workflows for physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructures.
- 9#9: Veritas NetBackup - Delivers enterprise-grade backup, replication, and automated recovery across heterogeneous IT environments.
- 10#10: Druva Data Resiliency Cloud - SaaS-based data protection platform with automated backup, replication, and recovery for distributed workloads.
Tools were ranked based on performance metrics (e.g., low RPO/RTO), multi-cloud and hybrid support, ease of implementation and management, and overall value, ensuring they deliver robust, future-ready protection.
Comparison Table
Automated disaster recovery software is vital for maintaining operational resilience, and choosing the right solution requires comparing key features. This table breaks down top tools like Zerto, Veeam Backup & Replication, VMware Site Recovery Manager, Azure Site Recovery, AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery, and more, equipping readers to make informed decisions.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zerto Provides continuous data protection and automated disaster recovery with near-zero RPO/RTO across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. | enterprise | 9.6/10 | 9.8/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.9/10 |
| 2 | Veeam Backup & Replication Delivers instant VM recovery, replication, and automated failover for comprehensive backup and disaster recovery orchestration. | enterprise | 9.3/10 | 9.6/10 | 8.7/10 | 8.9/10 |
| 3 | VMware Site Recovery Manager Automates protection, testing, and orchestrated recovery of virtualized workloads in VMware vSphere environments. | enterprise | 8.8/10 | 9.4/10 | 7.9/10 | 8.1/10 |
| 4 | Azure Site Recovery Offers cloud-based replication, automated failover, and recovery for on-premises and Azure VMs with minimal downtime. | enterprise | 8.6/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.0/10 | 8.4/10 |
| 5 |  AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery Enables continuous replication and automated point-in-time recovery to AWS for physical, virtual, and cloud servers. | enterprise | 8.5/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.8/10 | 8.0/10 |
| 6 | Rubrik Combines backup, recovery, and cyber resilience with automated DR orchestration across multicloud environments. | enterprise | 8.8/10 | 9.3/10 | 8.4/10 | 8.1/10 |
| 7 | Cohesity DataProtect Provides hyperconverged backup, replication, and automated disaster recovery for enterprise-scale data management. | enterprise | 8.4/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.0/10 | 7.5/10 |
| 8 | Commvault Complete Data Protection Offers unified backup, recovery, and automated DR workflows for physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructures. | enterprise | 8.1/10 | 8.7/10 | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 |
| 9 | Veritas NetBackup Delivers enterprise-grade backup, replication, and automated recovery across heterogeneous IT environments. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 8.8/10 | 7.0/10 | 7.5/10 |
| 10 | Druva Data Resiliency Cloud SaaS-based data protection platform with automated backup, replication, and recovery for distributed workloads. | enterprise | 8.1/10 | 8.4/10 | 8.6/10 | 7.7/10 |
Provides continuous data protection and automated disaster recovery with near-zero RPO/RTO across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Delivers instant VM recovery, replication, and automated failover for comprehensive backup and disaster recovery orchestration.
Automates protection, testing, and orchestrated recovery of virtualized workloads in VMware vSphere environments.
Offers cloud-based replication, automated failover, and recovery for on-premises and Azure VMs with minimal downtime.
Enables continuous replication and automated point-in-time recovery to AWS for physical, virtual, and cloud servers.
Combines backup, recovery, and cyber resilience with automated DR orchestration across multicloud environments.
Provides hyperconverged backup, replication, and automated disaster recovery for enterprise-scale data management.
Offers unified backup, recovery, and automated DR workflows for physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructures.
Delivers enterprise-grade backup, replication, and automated recovery across heterogeneous IT environments.
SaaS-based data protection platform with automated backup, replication, and recovery for distributed workloads.
Zerto
enterpriseProvides continuous data protection and automated disaster recovery with near-zero RPO/RTO across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Journal technology for any-second point-in-time recovery within 30 days, eliminating data loss in automated DR scenarios
Zerto is a top-tier automated disaster recovery platform that provides continuous data protection (CDP) and replication for virtualized, cloud, and hybrid environments, ensuring near-zero RPO and RTO. It uses journal-based technology to capture every change at the application-consistent level, enabling point-in-time recovery to any second within a 30-day retention window. The solution includes built-in analytics for anomaly detection, ransomware resilience, and fully orchestrated automated failover and failback processes across VMware, Hyper-V, AWS, Azure, and more.
Pros
- Sub-second RPO/RTO with continuous replication and journaling for precise recovery
- Multi-cloud and hypervisor-agnostic support with seamless orchestration
- Proactive analytics and ransomware recovery capabilities
Cons
- Premium pricing that may be prohibitive for smaller organizations
- Complex initial setup in large-scale heterogeneous environments
- Limited native support for non-virtualized physical servers
Best For
Large enterprises and service providers managing mission-critical VMs and applications across hybrid/multi-cloud infrastructures requiring bulletproof DR automation.
Pricing
Subscription-based per-socket or per-VM licensing, typically $400-$1,200 per VM/year depending on scale and support tier; custom quotes required.
Veeam Backup & Replication
enterpriseDelivers instant VM recovery, replication, and automated failover for comprehensive backup and disaster recovery orchestration.
Recovery Orchestrator for fully automated, multi-site failover and failback workflows
Veeam Backup & Replication is a leading data protection platform that delivers automated backups, replication, and disaster recovery for virtual, physical, NAS, and cloud environments. It automates disaster recovery through features like instant VM recovery, failover orchestration, and SureBackup for verified recoverability. The solution minimizes RTO and RPO with continuous data protection and orchestrated recovery plans, ensuring business continuity across hybrid infrastructures.
Pros
- Comprehensive automation for failover/failback orchestration
- SureBackup for automated backup verification and testing
- Broad support for VMware, Hyper-V, cloud, and physical workloads
Cons
- High licensing costs scale with environment size
- Steep learning curve for advanced DR configurations
- Resource-intensive during replication and recovery operations
Best For
Mid-to-large enterprises with hybrid or virtualized environments needing robust, tested automated disaster recovery.
Pricing
Subscription-based per VM/workload or socket licensing, starting around $400-$500 per VM/year; community edition available for small setups.
VMware Site Recovery Manager
enterpriseAutomates protection, testing, and orchestrated recovery of virtualized workloads in VMware vSphere environments.
Universal storage-agnostic recovery orchestration supporting both array-based and software replication
VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) is an enterprise-grade disaster recovery orchestration tool designed specifically for VMware vSphere environments. It automates the failover and failback of virtual machines between primary and recovery sites using vSphere Replication or array-based replication. SRM enables the creation of customizable recovery plans that handle application dependencies, ensuring minimal recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO). It also supports non-disruptive testing to validate DR plans without affecting production workloads.
Pros
- Deep integration with vSphere and storage arrays for reliable replication
- Automated, policy-driven recovery plans with dependency mapping
- Non-disruptive DR testing and detailed reporting
Cons
- Limited to VMware environments, poor multi-hypervisor support
- Complex initial setup and steep learning curve
- High licensing costs for smaller deployments
Best For
Large enterprises with extensive VMware vSphere deployments needing automated, orchestrated DR for mission-critical VMs.
Pricing
Per-protected VM licensing model starting at ~$1,200 per VM pair (perpetual + support); subscription options via VMware by Broadcom; requires vSphere licensing.
Azure Site Recovery
enterpriseOffers cloud-based replication, automated failover, and recovery for on-premises and Azure VMs with minimal downtime.
Agentless replication for VMware VMs using vSphere APIs, enabling near-zero RPO without software agents on guest VMs
Azure Site Recovery (ASR) is a comprehensive disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) solution from Microsoft that enables replication, failover, and failback of on-premises and Azure workloads to Azure for business continuity. It supports automated protection for VMware, Hyper-V, physical servers, and Azure VMs, with customizable recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO). ASR integrates seamlessly with Azure services like Recovery Services vaults for orchestration and testing of recovery plans without disrupting production environments.
Pros
- Seamless integration with Azure ecosystem for hybrid and multi-cloud DR
- Agentless replication for VMware and broad workload support including apps and databases
- Advanced automation for recovery plans, testing, and compliance reporting
Cons
- Vendor lock-in to Azure platform limits flexibility for non-Azure users
- Complex pricing model with additional costs for storage, egress, and compute during failover
- Steep learning curve for initial setup in diverse on-premises environments
Best For
Enterprises with existing Azure investments seeking robust, scalable hybrid disaster recovery for critical workloads.
Pricing
Pay-as-you-go: ~$25 per protected instance/month (varies by tier) plus storage (~$0.023/GB/month), data transfer, and compute costs during failovers.
AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery
enterpriseEnables continuous replication and automated point-in-time recovery to AWS for physical, virtual, and cloud servers.
Continuous block-level replication enabling near-zero RPO and point-in-time recovery without application agents
AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS) is a fully managed service that enables continuous replication of physical, virtual, or cloud-based servers to AWS for fast, automated disaster recovery. It supports low recovery point objectives (RPO) near zero through block-level replication and recovery time objectives (RTO) in minutes by launching pre-configured EC2 instances. The service allows non-disruptive DR testing, point-in-time recovery, and automated failover/failback across AWS regions or accounts.
Pros
- Seamless integration with AWS ecosystem for easy scaling and management
- Achieves near-zero RPO with continuous block-level replication
- Supports non-disruptive testing and automated failover/failback
Cons
- Best suited for AWS-centric environments, limiting multi-cloud flexibility
- Pricing can escalate with large-scale replication and data volumes
- Requires familiarity with AWS console and services for optimal setup
Best For
Enterprises with AWS infrastructure seeking automated, low-downtime DR for critical workloads across hybrid environments.
Pricing
Pay-as-you-go: charged per source server replicated (~$0.028/hour), storage (~$0.05/GB-month), and data transfer; no upfront fees.
Rubrik
enterpriseCombines backup, recovery, and cyber resilience with automated DR orchestration across multicloud environments.
SLA Domains for policy-driven, automated recovery orchestration that guarantees RTO/RPO compliance across applications
Rubrik is a leading data resilience platform that delivers automated disaster recovery through policy-driven backups, instant recovery, and orchestrated application recovery across on-premises, multi-cloud, and SaaS environments. It emphasizes cyber resilience with immutable backups, AI-powered threat detection, and automated ransomware recovery workflows to minimize downtime. Rubrik's SLA Domain feature enables users to define and automate recovery objectives, ensuring compliance with business continuity requirements.
Pros
- Powerful SLA-based automation for orchestrated multi-tier application recovery
- Advanced ransomware protection with immutable backups and threat hunting
- Seamless scalability across hybrid and multi-cloud environments
Cons
- High enterprise-level pricing not ideal for SMBs
- Steep learning curve for complex policy configuration
- Deployment requires significant initial resources and expertise
Best For
Large enterprises with hybrid/multi-cloud infrastructures needing robust, automated DR and cyber recovery capabilities.
Pricing
Custom subscription pricing, typically per TB of protected data annually (e.g., $200-500/TB/year); quote-based for enterprises.
Cohesity DataProtect
enterpriseProvides hyperconverged backup, replication, and automated disaster recovery for enterprise-scale data management.
Runbooks for policy-based, automated disaster recovery orchestration across applications and infrastructure
Cohesity DataProtect is a unified data management platform designed for enterprise-grade backup, recovery, and automated disaster recovery across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments. It leverages policy-driven automation, multi-site replication, and Runbooks to orchestrate complex recovery workflows, enabling rapid failover and minimal RTO/RPO. The solution integrates ransomware protection through immutable snapshots and air-gapped storage, ensuring resilient business continuity.
Pros
- Advanced Runbooks for automated, orchestrated multi-step DR workflows
- Strong ransomware detection and immutable backups for resilience
- Scalable multi-cluster management via Helios for global operations
Cons
- High enterprise-level pricing can be prohibitive for SMBs
- Steep learning curve for initial configuration and policy setup
- Limited flexibility in non-Cohesity hardware ecosystems
Best For
Large enterprises with distributed, multi-cloud infrastructures requiring sophisticated automated DR orchestration.
Pricing
Subscription-based per TiB capacity; typically $50-100/TiB/year, with custom enterprise quotes required.
Commvault Complete Data Protection
enterpriseOffers unified backup, recovery, and automated DR workflows for physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructures.
Orchestrated Recovery Plans for automated, sequenced failover across applications and dependencies
Commvault Complete Data Protection is a comprehensive enterprise platform for backup, recovery, and cyber resilience across on-premises, cloud, and SaaS environments. It enables automated disaster recovery through orchestrated recovery plans, live failover, and one-click restore capabilities that minimize downtime. The solution integrates AI-driven threat detection and immutable storage to enhance DR reliability against ransomware and other threats.
Pros
- Powerful automation for multi-site failover and recovery orchestration
- Strong support for hybrid/multi-cloud DR scenarios
- Advanced cyber recovery with AI anomaly detection and air-gapped vaults
Cons
- Steep learning curve and complex initial setup
- High enterprise-level pricing
- Resource-heavy deployment requiring significant infrastructure
Best For
Large enterprises with complex hybrid environments seeking robust, scalable automated DR alongside full data protection.
Pricing
Subscription-based capacity licensing; custom quotes starting around $10-20/TB/month, with enterprise tiers scaling by features and volume.
Veritas NetBackup
enterpriseDelivers enterprise-grade backup, replication, and automated recovery across heterogeneous IT environments.
Auto Image Replication (AIR) for fully automated, policy-driven off-site backup duplication and non-disruptive DR validation.
Veritas NetBackup is a comprehensive enterprise data protection solution that provides automated backup, replication, and disaster recovery across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. It leverages features like Storage Lifecycle Policies (SLP) and Auto Image Replication (AIR) to automate data duplication, off-site replication, and recovery orchestration for minimal downtime. Supporting diverse workloads including VMs, databases, containers, and SaaS apps, it enables policy-driven automation for failover testing and rapid recovery in large-scale deployments.
Pros
- Scalable automation for petabyte-scale DR across multi-cloud and hybrid setups
- Policy-based replication and instant recovery for diverse workloads
- Integrated resiliency platform for orchestrated failover and testing
Cons
- Complex setup and steep learning curve requiring skilled admins
- High capacity-based licensing costs
- Resource-intensive management for smaller environments
Best For
Large enterprises with complex, heterogeneous IT infrastructures seeking robust, automated DR for mission-critical data.
Pricing
Capacity-based licensing starting at ~$5,000/TB/year for core editions, with enterprise bundles and subscriptions scaling up for advanced DR features.
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
enterpriseSaaS-based data protection platform with automated backup, replication, and recovery for distributed workloads.
AI r-gapped, immutable 'SkyStore' cloud vault for ransomware-resilient automated recovery
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud is a SaaS-based platform delivering automated backup, recovery, and disaster recovery for workloads including VMs, databases, endpoints, and SaaS apps like Microsoft 365. It leverages policy-driven automation, global deduplication, and air-gapped immutability to ensure rapid recovery and ransomware protection across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. While strong in data-centric resiliency, it focuses more on backup/recovery than full failover orchestration.
Pros
- Cloud-native SaaS model with zero infrastructure management
- Advanced security including immutable backups and AI-driven threat detection
- Fast, self-service recovery with global deduplication for efficiency
Cons
- Pricing can be high for smaller organizations
- Limited native support for complex application-consistent DR orchestration
- Customization options may require professional services
Best For
Mid-market enterprises seeking automated data protection and recovery for hybrid cloud workloads without managing backup infrastructure.
Pricing
Subscription-based, quote-driven pricing starting around $5-15 per user/device/month or per TB; scales with data volume and features.
Conclusion
Selecting the best automated disaster recovery software hinges on balancing features, environment support, and reliability. Zerto leads as the top choice, offering continuous protection with near-zero RPO/RTO across hybrid and multi-cloud setups. Veeam Backup & Replication and VMware Site Recovery Manager stand as strong alternatives, with Veeam excelling in instant VM recovery and VMware tailored for virtualized workloads in vSphere environments. Each tool addresses distinct needs, ensuring users can find the ideal fit for their infrastructure.
Ready to safeguard your data? Start with Zerto to experience seamless, automated disaster recovery that keeps operations running smoothly, no matter the challenge.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison