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Altaro VM Backup vs Bacula Enterprise

Altaro VM Backup logo

Altaro VM Backup

Backup

Simple and powerful VM backup for SMBs

From
$595/perpetual
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bacula Enterprise logo

Bacula Enterprise

Backup

Open-source enterprise backup solution

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Altaro VM Backup limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers; Bacula Enterprise pricing is not published; the vendor asks for a request rather than listing rates
  • They diverge on capability: Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup, Bacula Enterprise covers Modular architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Altaro VM Backup and Bacula Enterprise actually diverge.

Attributes where Altaro VM Backup and Bacula Enterprise differ
AttributeAltaro VM BackupBacula Enterprise
Starting price$595/perpetual$500/year
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWindows ServerWindows, Linux, Web

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Backup), founded (2009).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Altaro VM Backup

  • Augmented inline dedup
  • WAN-optimized replication
  • Boot from backup
  • Granular restore
  • Cloud management
  • Continuous CDP
  • AWS S3
  • Wasabi

Only in Bacula Enterprise

  • Modular architecture
  • Plugin framework
  • Deduplication
  • Cloud storage
  • Encryption
  • Automated recovery testing
  • AWS
  • Kubernetes

Both cover

  • VMware
  • Hyper-V
  • Azure
  • Windows support
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Altaro VM Backup

  • Data protectionnot Bacula Enterprise
  • Disaster recoverynot Bacula Enterprise
  • Business continuitynot Bacula Enterprise
  • Ransomware protectionnot Bacula Enterprise
  • Compliancenot Bacula Enterprise

Bacula Enterprise

  • Enterprise backup across virtual machines, databases and containersnot Altaro VM Backup
  • Multi-cloud and hybrid backup from one systemnot Altaro VM Backup
  • Backup where licensing by data volume would be prohibitive, since Bacula does not charge by capacitynot Altaro VM Backup
  • Long-retention archival for regulated environmentsnot Altaro VM Backup

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Altaro VM Backup

  • Limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers
  • Perpetual license model outdated compared to modern cloud-based backup solutions
  • Lacks enterprise-grade features for large-scale deployments
  • Offsite backup to cloud requires additional setup and configuration

Bacula Enterprise

  • Pricing is not published; the vendor asks for a request rather than listing rates
  • The differences between Enterprise and the open source Community edition are not set out on the product pages, so what the licence buys is unclear until you talk to sales
  • Aimed at data centre and enterprise environments rather than small deployments

Pricing, plan by plan

Altaro VM Backup

$595/perpetual

No published plan breakdown. See the Altaro VM Backup review.

Bacula Enterprise

$500/year
  • Bacula Enterprise$500/year
    • Unlimited data
    • Plugin support
    • Enterprise support

Which should you pick?

Choose Altaro VM Backup if

  • You need augmented inline dedup.
  • You work on Windows Server.
  • You also want wan-optimized replication.
Altaro VM Backup review

Choose Bacula Enterprise if

  • You need modular architecture.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want plugin framework.
Bacula Enterprise review

Questions people ask

Is Altaro VM Backup or Bacula Enterprise better?
Neither clearly leads. Altaro VM Backup starts at $595/perpetual and Bacula Enterprise at $500/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Altaro VM Backup or Bacula Enterprise?
Altaro VM Backup starts at $595/perpetual and Bacula Enterprise at $500/year.
Does Altaro VM Backup or Bacula Enterprise run on more platforms?
Altaro VM Backup runs on Windows Server. Bacula Enterprise runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
What is Altaro VM Backup best used for?
Altaro VM Backup is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what Bacula Enterprise is typically brought in for.
What can Altaro VM Backup do that Bacula Enterprise cannot?
Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup, WAN-optimized replication, Boot from backup, Granular restore. Bacula Enterprise covers Modular architecture, Plugin framework, Deduplication, Cloud storage. Both handle VMware, Hyper-V, Azure, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Altaro VM Backup: What is the price per host for Altaro VM Backup?

Altaro VM Backup pricing starts at $595 per host for the Standard Edition, with the Unlimited Edition at $695 per host and Unlimited Plus at $875 per host. Pricing includes the first year of priority support and updates.

Source
Bacula Enterprise: Does Bacula Enterprise offer a trial?

Yes. Bacula offers a trial that provides 'a streamlined version of Bacula Enterprise' with 'rapid access to an online, hosted environment'. However, no specific trial period duration is stated on the page.

Source
Bacula Enterprise: Is there a free trial available, or does it require contacting sales?

The trial is available directly online without needing to contact sales first. The page provides streamlined access to test the service with Global Endpoint Deduplication and cloud storage capabilities.

Source
Bacula Enterprise: Does Bacula charge by data volume?

No. One customer testimonial states 'we are not charged by data volume or hardware', indicating that Bacula does not use capacity-based pricing like some competitors.

Source
Bacula Enterprise: How can I get Bacula pricing information?

Bacula directs interested parties to Request Pricing through their contact page rather than displaying rates publicly.

Source
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