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Backup · head to head

Arcserve UDP vs Proxmox Backup Server

Arcserve UDP logo

Arcserve UDP

Backup

Unified data protection for all workloads

From
$25/month
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: Arcserve UDP multiple security vulnerabilities documented in 2025-2026 including authentication bypass and buffer overflow issues; 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: Arcserve UDP covers Assured recovery testing, 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 Arcserve UDP and Proxmox Backup Server actually diverge.

Attributes where Arcserve UDP and Proxmox Backup Server differ
AttributeArcserve UDPProxmox Backup Server
Starting price$25/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, LinuxLinux
Founded1983Unknown

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 Arcserve UDP

  • Assured recovery testing
  • Instant VM recovery
  • Deep application support
  • Ransomware protection
  • Tape backup
  • Hardware snapshots
  • 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.

Arcserve UDP

  • 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 Arcserve UDP
  • Replacing a backup product whose licence is priced per socket or per terabyte on a virtualisation estatenot Arcserve UDP
  • Proving backup integrity on a schedule rather than discovering corruption during a restorenot Arcserve UDP
  • Keeping an encrypted second copy on a remote server or on tape without a third party servicenot Arcserve UDP

Where each one falls short

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

Arcserve UDP

  • Multiple security vulnerabilities documented in 2025-2026 including authentication bypass and buffer overflow issues
  • Slow restore speeds for large backup tasks and recovery operations
  • Requires full backup when changing drive sizes, causing extended backup windows

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

Arcserve UDP

$25/month
  • UDP Premium$25/month
    • Assured recovery
    • Instant VM
    • Tape support

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 Arcserve UDP if

  • You need assured recovery testing.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want instant vm recovery.
Arcserve UDP 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 Arcserve UDP or Proxmox Backup Server better?
Neither clearly leads. Arcserve UDP starts at $25/month and Proxmox Backup Server at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arcserve UDP or Proxmox Backup Server?
Proxmox Backup Server has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $25/month for Arcserve UDP and Free for Proxmox Backup Server.
Does Arcserve UDP or Proxmox Backup Server run on more platforms?
Arcserve UDP runs on Windows, Linux. 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. Arcserve UDP starts at $25/month.
What is Arcserve UDP best used for?
Arcserve UDP 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 Arcserve UDP do that Proxmox Backup Server cannot?
Arcserve UDP covers Assured recovery testing, Instant VM recovery, Deep application support, Ransomware protection. Proxmox Backup Server covers Deduplicated chunk store, Incremental guest backups, Client side encryption, Verification jobs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arcserve UDP: What licensing model does Arcserve UDP use?

Arcserve UDP uses a capacity-based subscription model (Managed Capacity Program) where you license based on total front-end terabytes of protected data rather than per-device. Available in Standard, Advanced, and Premium editions.

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.

Arcserve UDP: Does Arcserve UDP support cloud backup?

Yes. Arcserve UDP integrates with multiple cloud providers including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Wasabi for offsite backup and disaster recovery storage.

Source
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.

Arcserve UDP: What hypervisors does Arcserve UDP support?

Arcserve UDP supports multiple hypervisors including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, and others, allowing granular recovery at the VM level with instant boot capabilities.

Source
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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