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Backup · head to head

Amanda Enterprise vs Bacula Enterprise

Amanda Enterprise logo

Amanda Enterprise

Backup

Open-source backup trusted by enterprises

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bacula Enterprise logo

Bacula Enterprise

Backup

Open-source enterprise backup solution

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amanda Enterprise has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amanda Enterprise minimum 10 workloads required for most use cases; Bacula Enterprise pricing is not published; the vendor asks for a request rather than listing rates
  • They diverge on capability: Amanda Enterprise covers Cross-platform backup, Bacula Enterprise covers Modular architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Amanda Enterprise and Bacula Enterprise differ
AttributeAmanda EnterpriseBacula Enterprise
Starting priceFree$500/year
Free tierYesNo
Founded20052009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Windows, Linux, Web), 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
  • Web-based management
  • Bare metal recovery
  • AWS S3
  • Google Cloud
  • Windows Server

Only in Bacula Enterprise

  • Modular architecture
  • Plugin framework
  • Deduplication
  • Cloud storage
  • Automated recovery testing
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V
  • AWS

Both cover

  • Encryption
  • Azure
  • Windows support
  • Linux support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Amanda Enterprise

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

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 Enterprise

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

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 Enterprise if

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

Questions people ask

Is Amanda Enterprise or Bacula Enterprise better?
Neither clearly leads. Amanda Enterprise starts at Free and Bacula Enterprise at $500/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amanda Enterprise or Bacula Enterprise?
Amanda Enterprise has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amanda Enterprise and $500/year for Bacula Enterprise.
Does Amanda Enterprise or Bacula Enterprise run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, Linux, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Amanda Enterprise for free?
Yes. Amanda Enterprise has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bacula Enterprise starts at $500/year.
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 Enterprise is typically brought in for.
What can Amanda Enterprise do that Bacula Enterprise cannot?
Amanda Enterprise covers Cross-platform backup, Cloud integration, Disk staging, Web-based management. Bacula Enterprise covers Modular architecture, Plugin framework, Deduplication, Cloud storage. Both handle Encryption, Azure, Windows support, Linux support.

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 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
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 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
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
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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