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Backup · head to head

Amanda Enterprise vs Bacula

Amanda Enterprise logo

Amanda Enterprise

Backup

Open-source backup trusted by enterprises

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bacula logo

Bacula

Backup

The best open source backup software for Linux

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amanda Enterprise minimum 10 workloads required for most use cases; Bacula the community edition has no vendor support contract; bacula.org directs support and paid deployments toward the separate commercial Bacula Enterprise product instead.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amanda Enterprise and Bacula actually diverge.

Attributes where Amanda Enterprise and Bacula differ
AttributeAmanda EnterpriseBacula
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
PlatformsWindows, Linux, WebWeb
Founded2005Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Amanda Enterprise

  • Cross-platform backup
  • Cloud integration
  • Disk staging
  • Encryption
  • Web-based management
  • Bare metal recovery
  • AWS S3
  • Azure

Only in Bacula

Nothing recorded that Amanda Enterprise does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Amanda Enterprise

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

Bacula

  • Linux, Windows, and macOS network backup at scalenot Amanda Enterprise
  • VMware, KVM, Hyper-V virtual machine backupnot Amanda Enterprise
  • MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL database backupnot Amanda Enterprise
  • Microsoft Exchange Server backupnot Amanda Enterprise
  • Tape backup and enterprise data retentionnot Amanda Enterprise

Where each one falls short

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

Amanda Enterprise

  • Minimum 10 workloads required for most use cases
  • Per-device pricing may increase costs for large deployments with many servers
  • Enterprise plan requires contacting sales for custom quotes
  • NAS/File share backups charged separately at $4.99-$5.99/TB/month after first 10 TB free

Bacula

  • The community edition has no vendor support contract; bacula.org directs support and paid deployments toward the separate commercial Bacula Enterprise product instead.

Pricing, plan by plan

Amanda Enterprise

Free
  • Business$5.99/monthly
    • Linux/Windows backup
    • Database backup
    • M365 backup
  • Business Plus$6.99/monthly
    • Everything in Business plus: 24/7 premium support
    • 10 hours pro services
    • 8 hours training
  • Enterprise$undefined/quote
    • Everything in Business Plus plus: Integrated data resiliency
    • Expert consultation & design
    • Bulk automation scripts

Bacula

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Bacula review.

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.
Amanda Enterprise review

Choose Bacula if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bacula review

Questions people ask

Is Amanda Enterprise or Bacula better?
Neither clearly leads. Amanda Enterprise starts at Free and Bacula at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amanda Enterprise or Bacula?
Amanda Enterprise starts at Free and Bacula at Free.
Does Amanda Enterprise or Bacula run on more platforms?
Amanda Enterprise runs on Windows, Linux, Web. Bacula runs on Web.
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 Bacula is typically brought in for.
What can Amanda Enterprise do that Bacula cannot?
Amanda Enterprise covers Cross-platform backup, Cloud integration, Disk staging, Encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amanda Enterprise: How much does Zmanda Pro backup software cost?

Zmanda pricing starts at $5.99/month per device for the Business plan and $6.99/month per device for Business Plus with 24/7 support. Enterprise plans are custom-priced. Pricing estimator available at zmanda.com/pricing to calculate costs based on workload count and storage. Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20241128003646/https://www.zmanda.com/pricing/

Source
Bacula: How much does Bacula cost?

Bacula Community Edition is free and open source. Bacula Enterprise is a commercial offering with a free trial available, but specific pricing is not listed on the main website.

Source
Amanda Enterprise: Is Zmanda's licensing model flexible?

Yes, Zmanda's licensing is flexible, you can change your server or client license midway if your backup environment changes and only pay the difference. Additional professional services cost $200/hour for consulting.

Source
Bacula: Is Bacula free?

Bacula Community Edition is fully free and open source. Enterprise Edition is commercial but offers a free trial to evaluate features before purchasing.

Source
Amanda Enterprise: What payment options does Zmanda accept?

Zmanda offers multiple payment options including electronic fund transfers (EFTs), wire transfers, and credit card payments with flexible 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year license periods available.

Source
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