Software · head to head
Amanda Enterprise vs Apple Time Machine
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Amanda Enterprise amanda Community Edition is genuinely open source, released under a mix of BSD, GPLv2, LGPL and Apache licenses with source on GitHub, but the Enterprise edition that adds central management and paid support is a separate proprietary product sold by Zmanda (a Betsol company since its 2018 acquisition); Zmanda's own pricing page returned 403 to direct fetch, so no current per-client or per-agent figure could be confirmed from the vendor directly.; Apple Time Machine apple states the Time Machine backup disk should be used only for Time Machine backups and not for storing other files, unless you split it into a separate APFS volume
- They diverge on capability: Amanda Enterprise covers Cross-platform backup, Apple Time Machine covers Automatic backup.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Amanda Enterprise and Apple Time Machine actually diverge.
| Attribute | Amanda Enterprise | Apple Time Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | free |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, Web | Mac |
| Founded | 2005 | 1976 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Amanda Enterprise
- Cross-platform backup
- Cloud integration
- Disk staging
- Web-based management
- Bare metal recovery
- AWS S3
- Azure
- Google Cloud
Only in Apple Time Machine
- Automatic backup
- Hourly snapshots
- Visual restore interface
- Network backup
- System restore
- macOS
- AirPort Time Capsule
- NAS devices
Both cover
- Encryption
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Amanda Enterprise
- Data protectionnot Apple Time Machine
- Disaster recoverynot Apple Time Machine
- Business continuitynot Apple Time Machine
- Ransomware protectionnot Apple Time Machine
- Compliancenot Apple Time Machine
Apple Time Machine
- Automatic versioned local backups of a Mac to an external drivenot Amanda Enterprise
- Restoring a Mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup historynot Amanda Enterprise
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Amanda Enterprise
- Amanda Community Edition is genuinely open source, released under a mix of BSD, GPLv2, LGPL and Apache licenses with source on GitHub, but the Enterprise edition that adds central management and paid support is a separate proprietary product sold by Zmanda (a Betsol company since its 2018 acquisition); Zmanda's own pricing page returned 403 to direct fetch, so no current per-client or per-agent figure could be confirmed from the vendor directly.
Apple Time Machine
- Apple states the Time Machine backup disk should be used only for Time Machine backups and not for storing other files, unless you split it into a separate APFS volume
- Apple recommends the Time Machine volume be twice the storage capacity of the Mac being backed up
- It requires an attached external storage device or network disk; there is no built-in cloud destination
- It backs up Macs only
Pricing, plan by plan
Amanda Enterprise
Free- Amanda Enterprise$30/month
- Cross-platform
- Cloud backup
- Web console
Apple Time Machine
Free- Built-inFree
- Automatic backup
- Visual restore
- Network backup
Which should you pick?
Choose Amanda Enterprise if
- You need cross-platform backup.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
- You also want cloud integration.
Choose Apple Time Machine if
- You need automatic backup.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Mac.
- You also want hourly snapshots.
Questions people ask
- Is Amanda Enterprise or Apple Time Machine better?
- Neither clearly leads. Amanda Enterprise starts at Free and Apple Time Machine at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Amanda Enterprise or Apple Time Machine?
- Amanda Enterprise starts at Free and Apple Time Machine at Free.
- Does Amanda Enterprise or Apple Time Machine run on more platforms?
- Amanda Enterprise runs on Windows, Linux, Web. Apple Time Machine runs on Mac.
- Can I use Amanda Enterprise for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Amanda Enterprise best used for?
- Amanda Enterprise is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what Apple Time Machine is typically brought in for.
- What can Amanda Enterprise do that Apple Time Machine cannot?
- Amanda Enterprise covers Cross-platform backup, Cloud integration, Disk staging, Web-based management. Apple Time Machine covers Automatic backup, Hourly snapshots, Visual restore interface, Network backup. Both handle Encryption.