Quick Overview
- 1#1: Veeam Backup & Replication - Delivers agentless backup, replication, and instant recovery for VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Nutanix AHV virtual environments.
- 2#2: NAKIVO Backup & Replication - Provides fast, reliable backups and site recovery for VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix, and cloud VMs with strong automation features.
- 3#3: Altaro VM Backup - Offers straightforward, cost-effective backup and replication specifically for Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines.
- 4#4: Acronis Cyber Protect - Combines VM backup with cybersecurity features like ransomware protection for VMware, Hyper-V, and physical servers.
- 5#5: Rubrik - Secures and manages VM backups across hybrid cloud environments with policy-driven automation and threat detection.
- 6#6: Cohesity DataProtect - Unifies backup, recovery, and data management for VMs in VMware, Hyper-V, and Kubernetes with global deduplication.
- 7#7: Commvault Complete Data Protection - Provides scalable, enterprise-grade backup and recovery for virtual machines across multicloud and on-premises infrastructures.
- 8#8: Veritas NetBackup - Offers comprehensive data protection including agentless VM backups for VMware, Hyper-V, and public clouds with advanced analytics.
- 9#9: Unitrends - Delivers all-in-one backup, archiving, and instant recovery for VMs with built-in security and forever-incremental technology.
- 10#10: MSP360 Backup - Enables image-based backups and bare-metal recovery for VMware and Hyper-V VMs with cloud storage integration.
These tools were ranked based on key factors: comprehensive feature sets (including backup, replication, and recovery), consistent performance across virtual infrastructures, user-friendly design, and strong value for diverse organizational needs, ensuring they excel in modern IT landscapes.
Comparison Table
Virtual machine backup software is essential for safeguarding data and maintaining operational resilience, with a diverse range of solutions available to address varying needs. This comparison table examines leading platforms like Veeam Backup & Replication, NAKIVO Backup & Replication, Altaro VM Backup, Acronis Cyber Protect, Rubrik, and more, outlining key features, integration strengths, and practical use cases. Readers will discover how to match these tools to their specific requirements, whether prioritizing automation, scalability, or cost-efficiency.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Veeam Backup & Replication Delivers agentless backup, replication, and instant recovery for VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Nutanix AHV virtual environments. | enterprise | 9.7/10 | 9.9/10 | 9.2/10 | 9.4/10 |
| 2 | NAKIVO Backup & Replication Provides fast, reliable backups and site recovery for VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix, and cloud VMs with strong automation features. | specialized | 9.1/10 | 9.4/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.8/10 |
| 3 | Altaro VM Backup Offers straightforward, cost-effective backup and replication specifically for Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines. | specialized | 8.7/10 | 8.5/10 | 9.3/10 | 9.0/10 |
| 4 | Acronis Cyber Protect Combines VM backup with cybersecurity features like ransomware protection for VMware, Hyper-V, and physical servers. | enterprise | 8.5/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.0/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 5 | Rubrik Secures and manages VM backups across hybrid cloud environments with policy-driven automation and threat detection. | enterprise | 8.4/10 | 9.1/10 | 8.0/10 | 7.5/10 |
| 6 | Cohesity DataProtect Unifies backup, recovery, and data management for VMs in VMware, Hyper-V, and Kubernetes with global deduplication. | enterprise | 8.6/10 | 9.3/10 | 7.8/10 | 8.2/10 |
| 7 | Commvault Complete Data Protection Provides scalable, enterprise-grade backup and recovery for virtual machines across multicloud and on-premises infrastructures. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 9.1/10 | 7.0/10 | 7.4/10 |
| 8 | Veritas NetBackup Offers comprehensive data protection including agentless VM backups for VMware, Hyper-V, and public clouds with advanced analytics. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 9.3/10 | 7.1/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 9 | Unitrends Delivers all-in-one backup, archiving, and instant recovery for VMs with built-in security and forever-incremental technology. | enterprise | 8.1/10 | 8.4/10 | 7.9/10 | 7.7/10 |
| 10 | MSP360 Backup Enables image-based backups and bare-metal recovery for VMware and Hyper-V VMs with cloud storage integration. | specialized | 8.0/10 | 8.2/10 | 7.7/10 | 8.5/10 |
Delivers agentless backup, replication, and instant recovery for VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Nutanix AHV virtual environments.
Provides fast, reliable backups and site recovery for VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix, and cloud VMs with strong automation features.
Offers straightforward, cost-effective backup and replication specifically for Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines.
Combines VM backup with cybersecurity features like ransomware protection for VMware, Hyper-V, and physical servers.
Secures and manages VM backups across hybrid cloud environments with policy-driven automation and threat detection.
Unifies backup, recovery, and data management for VMs in VMware, Hyper-V, and Kubernetes with global deduplication.
Provides scalable, enterprise-grade backup and recovery for virtual machines across multicloud and on-premises infrastructures.
Offers comprehensive data protection including agentless VM backups for VMware, Hyper-V, and public clouds with advanced analytics.
Delivers all-in-one backup, archiving, and instant recovery for VMs with built-in security and forever-incremental technology.
Enables image-based backups and bare-metal recovery for VMware and Hyper-V VMs with cloud storage integration.
Veeam Backup & Replication
enterpriseDelivers agentless backup, replication, and instant recovery for VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Nutanix AHV virtual environments.
SureBackup with automated verification to ensure every backup is recoverable before disaster strikes
Veeam Backup & Replication is a leading enterprise-grade backup and replication solution optimized for virtual machine environments like VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and more. It provides agentless backups, instant recovery, replication, and advanced data management features to minimize downtime and ensure data integrity. With built-in ransomware protection, cloud integration, and automated testing via SureBackup, it delivers comprehensive protection for hybrid and multi-cloud setups.
Pros
- Agentless backups with Changed Block Tracking for minimal performance impact
- Instant VM recovery in seconds directly from backups
- Broad support for virtualization platforms and cloud tiers with ransomware-resistant immutability
Cons
- High cost for small-scale deployments
- Complex setup for advanced features requiring expertise
- Resource-intensive on backup proxies for very large environments
Best For
Enterprise IT administrators managing large-scale virtualized infrastructures needing robust, high-speed backup and disaster recovery.
Pricing
Subscription-based per VM, socket, or instance (starting ~$100/VM/year); free Community Edition for up to 10 workloads.
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
specializedProvides fast, reliable backups and site recovery for VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix, and cloud VMs with strong automation features.
Flash VM Boot for near-instantaneous VM recovery directly from compressed backups without full restoration
NAKIVO Backup & Replication is a robust backup and replication solution optimized for virtual environments, supporting VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and major cloud platforms like AWS and Azure. It delivers agentless backups, instant recovery, deduplication, compression, and ransomware protection to minimize downtime and data loss. The software excels in hybrid and multi-hypervisor setups, providing centralized management for efficient VM data protection.
Pros
- Agentless backup architecture for minimal VM overhead and performance impact
- Instant VM recovery (Flash VM Boot) enabling restoration in under 2 minutes
- Broad multi-hypervisor and cloud support in a single console
Cons
- Pricing scales per VM/core, which can add up in very large enterprises
- Advanced automation features require additional configuration
- Reporting and analytics are functional but less customizable than competitors
Best For
Mid-sized businesses and service providers managing hybrid VM environments across multiple hypervisors who need fast recovery and simplicity.
Pricing
Perpetual licenses start at $249 per VM workload or $99/year subscription; free edition for up to 2 VMs, with volume discounts available.
Altaro VM Backup
specializedOffers straightforward, cost-effective backup and replication specifically for Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines.
Forever-incremental backups that eliminate full backup chains for faster restores and reduced storage needs
Altaro VM Backup is a dedicated backup solution for Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines, providing agentless, incremental backups with deduplication, compression, and encryption. It supports features like WAN-optimized replication, offsite copies, and instant VM recovery via bootable VHDX/VMDK files. The software emphasizes simplicity and reliability for SMBs, with built-in ransomware protection through immutable backups.
Pros
- Highly intuitive interface with quick deployment
- Cost-effective perpetual and subscription licensing
- Responsive customer support and frequent updates
Cons
- Limited to Hyper-V and VMware (no multi-hypervisor support)
- Lacks native cloud provider integrations like AWS S3 or Azure Blob
- Advanced reporting and analytics are basic compared to enterprise tools
Best For
Small to medium-sized businesses needing a simple, reliable VM backup for Hyper-V or VMware environments without complex enterprise requirements.
Pricing
Free for up to 6 VM sockets; paid perpetual licenses start at ~$599 per socket, with subscription options from ~$299/year per socket.
Acronis Cyber Protect
enterpriseCombines VM backup with cybersecurity features like ransomware protection for VMware, Hyper-V, and physical servers.
Full-stack cyber protection with automated ransomware remediation during backup and recovery
Acronis Cyber Protect is a comprehensive cyber protection platform that provides backup, disaster recovery, and integrated cybersecurity for virtual machines on hypervisors like VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and others. It supports agentless backups, replication, continuous data protection, and instant VM recovery to minimize downtime. The solution uniquely bundles anti-malware scanning and ransomware remediation directly into the backup process, offering holistic protection for VM environments.
Pros
- Agentless VM backup with support for multiple hypervisors
- Integrated cybersecurity features like ransomware protection
- Fast recovery options including instant VM boot from backup
Cons
- Higher pricing compared to backup-only solutions
- Complex interface for beginners due to extensive features
- Performance can lag in very large-scale environments
Best For
Mid-sized enterprises and service providers seeking integrated backup and cyber protection for diverse VM infrastructures.
Pricing
Subscription-based starting at $69 per VM/year (billed annually), with tiers scaling by features and volume discounts for larger deployments.
Rubrik
enterpriseSecures and manages VM backups across hybrid cloud environments with policy-driven automation and threat detection.
Live Mount for instant, non-disruptive VM recovery directly from backups
Rubrik is an enterprise-grade data management platform specializing in backup, recovery, and resilience for virtual machines in VMware, Hyper-V, and Nutanix environments. It offers policy-based automation, instant VM recovery through Live Mount technology, and immutable backups to combat ransomware. Rubrik's scale-out architecture enables efficient deduplication, replication, and multi-site management across hybrid and multi-cloud setups.
Pros
- Immutable backups and AI-driven threat detection for superior ransomware protection
- Instant VM recovery with Live Mount minimizing downtime
- Unified policy management across on-prem, cloud, and SaaS environments
Cons
- High enterprise-level pricing that may not suit SMBs
- Complex initial setup and configuration for non-experts
- Opaque pricing model requiring custom quotes
Best For
Large enterprises with complex, hybrid VM infrastructures prioritizing cyber resilience and scalability.
Pricing
Subscription-based capacity licensing; typically starts at $5,000+ annually for small deployments, scaling with protected data (custom quotes required).
Cohesity DataProtect
enterpriseUnifies backup, recovery, and data management for VMs in VMware, Hyper-V, and Kubernetes with global deduplication.
Machine learning-powered ransomware detection and automated recovery workflows
Cohesity DataProtect is an enterprise-grade backup and recovery platform optimized for virtual machine protection in VMware, Hyper-V, and multi-cloud environments. It delivers agentless backups, global deduplication, replication, and instant recovery capabilities to minimize downtime. The solution emphasizes security with immutable snapshots, ransomware detection via machine learning, and a unified interface for policy management across distributed infrastructures.
Pros
- Advanced deduplication and compression for massive storage savings
- Robust ransomware resilience with ML-based anomaly detection
- Scalable architecture supporting thousands of VMs across hybrid environments
Cons
- Complex initial deployment and configuration
- High enterprise-level pricing
- Steeper learning curve for non-expert admins
Best For
Large enterprises with extensive VM deployments needing scalable, secure backup solutions integrated with modern data management.
Pricing
Capacity-based subscription licensing, custom-quoted per TB or node; starts at enterprise scale (contact sales).
Commvault Complete Data Protection
enterpriseProvides scalable, enterprise-grade backup and recovery for virtual machines across multicloud and on-premises infrastructures.
AI-powered Cyber Resilience for automated threat detection, response, and isolated recovery workflows
Commvault Complete Data Protection is an enterprise-class platform offering comprehensive backup, recovery, and management for virtual machines in VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and cloud environments like AWS and Azure. It leverages advanced deduplication, replication, and snapshot technologies for efficient VM protection with low RTO/RPO. The solution includes cyber resilience features such as AI-powered threat detection and immutable storage to safeguard against ransomware and data loss.
Pros
- Enterprise-scale VM backup with support for multiple hypervisors and hybrid clouds
- Advanced cyber recovery tools including AI anomaly detection and air-gapped recovery
- Efficient storage optimization via global deduplication and compression
Cons
- Complex configuration and steep learning curve for non-experts
- High licensing costs unsuitable for SMBs
- Resource-heavy agent deployment in large environments
Best For
Large enterprises managing complex, multi-hypervisor VM fleets with stringent compliance and cyber threat requirements.
Pricing
Capacity- or socket-based subscription licensing; custom quotes typically start at $5,000+ annually for small VM deployments, scaling with environment size.
Veritas NetBackup
enterpriseOffers comprehensive data protection including agentless VM backups for VMware, Hyper-V, and public clouds with advanced analytics.
Instant VM recovery from backups without full restore staging, enabling rapid failover in production environments
Veritas NetBackup is an enterprise-class data protection platform specializing in backup, recovery, and replication for virtual machines across VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and other hypervisors. It provides agentless VM backups using changed block tracking (CBT), instant recovery capabilities, and policy-driven automation to manage large-scale environments efficiently. The solution integrates with cloud storage, deduplication appliances, and offers granular recovery for VMs and applications.
Pros
- Exceptional scalability and support for multi-hypervisor environments
- Advanced deduplication, compression, and optimized duplication reduce storage needs
- Instant VM recovery and granular application-consistent backups
Cons
- Steep learning curve with complex policy configuration
- High enterprise licensing costs that may not suit SMBs
- Resource-intensive setup requiring dedicated infrastructure
Best For
Large enterprises managing thousands of VMs in heterogeneous, mission-critical environments needing robust disaster recovery.
Pricing
Capacity-based licensing starting at tens of thousands annually for enterprise-scale deployments; custom quotes required via Veritas sales.
Unitrends
enterpriseDelivers all-in-one backup, archiving, and instant recovery for VMs with built-in security and forever-incremental technology.
Forever Capacity Expansion – perpetual incremental backups with no capacity limits or rehydration needed
Unitrends is a comprehensive backup and recovery platform specializing in virtual machine protection for environments like VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Nutanix AHV. It delivers agentless image-level backups, replication, and automated recovery testing through its all-in-one appliances that integrate hardware, software, and cloud tiering. The solution emphasizes data resilience with deduplication, encryption, and 'Forever' capacity expansion to handle growing VM workloads without hardware upgrades.
Pros
- Agentless VM backups with deep integration for VMware and Hyper-V
- Automated recovery testing and orchestration for assured RTO/RPO
- Forever Capacity Expansion allowing unlimited data growth on fixed hardware
Cons
- Primarily appliance-based model limits flexibility in cloud-native setups
- Premium pricing with upfront hardware costs
- User interface can feel dated compared to modern SaaS competitors
Best For
Mid-market enterprises with on-premises virtualized data centers seeking reliable, turnkey appliances for VM backup and rapid recovery.
Pricing
Appliance-based with perpetual licenses starting at $10,000-$60,000+ based on capacity (4TB to 1PB+), plus 20% annual support and optional cloud subscription fees.
MSP360 Backup
specializedEnables image-based backups and bare-metal recovery for VMware and Hyper-V VMs with cloud storage integration.
Multi-tenant centralized management console for efficient oversight of backups across numerous client VM environments
MSP360 Backup is a robust backup solution tailored for virtual machine protection in VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V environments, offering agentless backups via Changed Block Tracking (CBT) for efficient data capture. It supports image-level backups, application-aware processing, deduplication, encryption, and integration with numerous cloud storage providers like AWS, Azure, and Backblaze. Designed primarily for MSPs, it features multi-tenant management, ransomware protection through immutable backups, and flexible recovery options including granular file restore from VM images.
Pros
- Agentless VM backups with CBT minimize performance impact
- Multi-tenant dashboard ideal for MSPs managing multiple clients
- Broad cloud storage compatibility and cost-effective pricing
Cons
- Web console interface feels dated compared to competitors
- Setup for advanced features like VSS can be complex initially
- Limited built-in reporting and analytics depth
Best For
MSPs and SMBs needing affordable, scalable VM backup with strong multi-tenant support and cloud flexibility.
Pricing
Subscription-based starting at $10/server/month for cloud destinations; volume discounts and storage-only plans from $1.99/TB/month available.
Conclusion
Across the reviewed tools, Veeam Backup & Replication emerged as the top choice, leading with agentless protection, reliable replication, and instant recovery across key virtual environments. NAKIVO Backup & Replication followed closely, offering fast, automated backups and strong site recovery, while Altaro VM Backup stood out as a cost-effective option for specific virtual setups. Each tool caters to distinct needs, ensuring robust protection regardless of environment or requirements.
Begin your virtual machine backup journey with Veeam Backup & Replication to unlock seamless, comprehensive protection and keep critical data secure.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison