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Backup · head to head

Altaro VM Backup vs Proxmox Backup Server

Altaro VM Backup logo

Altaro VM Backup

Backup

Simple and powerful VM backup for SMBs

From
$595/perpetual
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Proxmox Backup Server logo

Proxmox Backup Server

Backup

Deduplicating backup server for virtual machines, containers and Linux hosts, with verification built in

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Proxmox Backup Server has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Altaro VM Backup limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers; Proxmox Backup Server there is no Windows client, so physical Windows machines must be backed up by something else and the estate ends up with two backup products.
  • They diverge on capability: Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup, Proxmox Backup Server covers Deduplicated chunk store.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Altaro VM Backup and Proxmox Backup Server actually diverge.

Attributes where Altaro VM Backup and Proxmox Backup Server differ
AttributeAltaro VM BackupProxmox Backup Server
Starting price$595/perpetualFree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows ServerLinux
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Backup).

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
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Only in Proxmox Backup Server

  • Deduplicated chunk store
  • Incremental guest backups
  • Client side encryption
  • Verification jobs
  • Remote sync
  • Live restore and file level restore

What people use each for

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

Altaro VM Backup

  • Data protectionnot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Disaster recoverynot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Business continuitynot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Ransomware protectionnot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Compliancenot Proxmox Backup Server

Proxmox Backup Server

  • Backing up a Proxmox VE cluster with incremental block level backups of running guestsnot Altaro VM Backup
  • Replacing a backup product whose licence is priced per socket or per terabyte on a virtualisation estatenot Altaro VM Backup
  • Proving backup integrity on a schedule rather than discovering corruption during a restorenot Altaro VM Backup
  • Keeping an encrypted second copy on a remote server or on tape without a third party servicenot 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

Proxmox Backup Server

  • There is no Windows client, so physical Windows machines must be backed up by something else and the estate ends up with two backup products.
  • The datastore is millions of small chunk files, so it needs storage with real input and output capability and performs poorly on a single spinning disk or an SMB or NFS share.
  • Deduplication is per datastore, so splitting workloads across datastores for retention or tenancy reasons multiplies the storage those workloads consume.
  • Garbage collection depends on file access time semantics on the underlying filesystem, so a datastore mounted with the wrong options can fail to reclaim space or, worse, behave unpredictably.
  • Subscriptions are priced per CPU socket per year, so a backup server consolidated onto fewer larger dual socket machines pays twice per host for the supported repository.

Pricing, plan by plan

Altaro VM Backup

$595/perpetual

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

Proxmox Backup Server

Free
  • No subscriptionFree
    • Full functionality with no capacity limit
    • Community package repository
    • Community forum support
  • Subscription$undefined/year
    • Priced per CPU socket per year
    • Access to the enterprise package repository
    • Vendor support tickets

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 Proxmox Backup Server if

  • You need deduplicated chunk store.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want incremental guest backups.
Proxmox Backup Server review

Questions people ask

Is Altaro VM Backup or Proxmox Backup Server better?
Neither clearly leads. Altaro VM Backup starts at $595/perpetual and Proxmox Backup Server at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Altaro VM Backup or Proxmox Backup Server?
Proxmox Backup Server has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $595/perpetual for Altaro VM Backup and Free for Proxmox Backup Server.
Does Altaro VM Backup or Proxmox Backup Server run on more platforms?
Altaro VM Backup runs on Windows Server. Proxmox Backup Server runs on Linux.
Can I use Proxmox Backup Server for free?
Yes. Proxmox Backup Server has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Altaro VM Backup starts at $595/perpetual.
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 Proxmox Backup Server is typically brought in for.
What can Altaro VM Backup do that Proxmox Backup Server cannot?
Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup, WAN-optimized replication, Boot from backup, Granular restore. Proxmox Backup Server covers Deduplicated chunk store, Incremental guest backups, Client side encryption, Verification jobs.

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
Proxmox Backup Server: Can it back up machines that are not on Proxmox?

Linux hosts yes, through the client, at file level. Other hypervisors and physical Windows machines are outside its scope.

Proxmox Backup Server: Is a subscription required?

No. Without one you use the community repository and forum support. The subscription buys the tested enterprise repository and vendor tickets.

Proxmox Backup Server: How do I know a backup will restore?

Run verification jobs. They re-read the stored chunks and mark snapshots verified or failed, which is stronger evidence than a successful backup log.

Proxmox Backup Server: What storage should the datastore be on?

Local disks, ideally with ZFS and enough input and output capacity for many small files. Network shares are supported but routinely disappointing.

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