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File Storage · head to head

Arq Backup vs Comet Backup

Arq Backup logo

Arq Backup

File Storage

Mac and Windows backup to your own cloud storage

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Comet Backup logo

Comet Backup

Backup

White-label backup software for service providers

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Arq Backup runs on Mac and Windows only; Comet Backup per-endpoint costs ($2/month per endpoint) can add up for large deployments with many protected machines
  • They diverge on capability: Arq Backup covers Client-side encryption, Comet Backup covers White-label branding.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arq Backup and Comet Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Arq Backup and Comet Backup differ
AttributeArq BackupComet Backup
Starting price$50/year$19/month
PlatformsWindows, MacWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryFile StorageBackup
Founded20092017

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Arq Backup

  • Client-side encryption
  • Hourly backups
  • Network backup
  • Deduplication
  • Immutable backups
  • Budget controls
  • Dropbox

Only in Comet Backup

  • White-label branding
  • Bring your own storage
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Chunking deduplication
  • Delta compression
  • Multi-tenant
  • SFTP
  • Linux support

Both cover

  • AWS S3
  • Google Cloud
  • Azure
  • Backblaze B2
  • Wasabi
  • Windows support
  • Mac support

What people use each for

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

Arq Backup

  • Data protectionnot Comet Backup
  • Disaster recoverynot Comet Backup
  • Business continuitynot Comet Backup
  • Ransomware protectionnot Comet Backup
  • Compliancenot Comet Backup

Comet Backup

  • MSP backup and disaster recovery solutionsnot Arq Backup
  • Cloud-to-cloud backup automationnot Arq Backup
  • Ransomware protection with immutable storagenot Arq Backup

Where each one falls short

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

Arq Backup

  • Runs on Mac and Windows only
  • Arq 7 is licensed per computer, and continuing to receive updates after the first year costs $25 per year per computer
  • Arq Premium covers up to 5 computers, so larger households or teams need more than one subscription
  • Arq Premium includes 1TB of storage and charges $0.0059 per GB per month beyond it

Comet Backup

  • Per-endpoint costs ($2/month per endpoint) can add up for large deployments with many protected machines
  • Advanced and Enterprise tiers with additional management capabilities are significantly more expensive than base tiers
  • Platform-specific features (SQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Microsoft 365) have separate per-unit pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Arq Backup

$50/year
  • Arq Premium$50/year
    • 5 computers
    • Arq Cloud storage option
    • Email support

Comet Backup

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • 1 self-hosted license
    • Endpoint scaling at $2/endpoint/month
  • Growth$49/month
    • 2 self-hosted licenses
    • Primary/replica setups
    • Endpoint scaling at $2/endpoint/month
  • Advanced$99/month
    • 5 management console licenses
    • Audit logging
    • Air-gap management console
  • Professional (Cloud-Hosted)$49/month
    • 1 cloud-hosted console license
    • Endpoint scaling at $2/endpoint/month

Which should you pick?

Choose Arq Backup if

  • You need client-side encryption.
  • You work on Windows, Mac.
  • You also want hourly backups.
Arq Backup review

Choose Comet Backup if

  • You need white-label branding.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want bring your own storage.
Comet Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Arq Backup or Comet Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Arq Backup starts at $50/year and Comet Backup at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arq Backup or Comet Backup?
Arq Backup starts at $50/year and Comet Backup at $19/month.
Does Arq Backup or Comet Backup run on more platforms?
Arq Backup runs on Windows, Mac. Comet Backup runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
What is Arq Backup best used for?
Arq Backup is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what Comet Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Arq Backup do that Comet Backup cannot?
Arq Backup covers Client-side encryption, Hourly backups, Network backup, Deduplication. Comet Backup covers White-label branding, Bring your own storage, End-to-end encryption, Chunking deduplication. Both handle AWS S3, Google Cloud, Azure, Backblaze B2.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arq Backup: What are the different licensing models for Arq?

Arq 7 is a perpetual license with a one-time purchase and 1 year of free updates, then $25/year for continued updates. Arq Premium is a subscription model covering up to 5 computers with 1TB of included cloud storage.

Source
Comet Backup: How much does Comet Backup cost?

Self-hosted plans start at $19/month (Starter) and go up to $99/month (Advanced), with cloud-hosted plans starting at $49/month (Professional). All plans charge $2 per endpoint per month for additional protected machines beyond the base license count.

Source
Arq Backup: Is there a trial period before purchasing Arq?

Yes, Arq 7 includes a 30-day free trial.

Source
Comet Backup: What is the price difference between self-hosted and cloud-hosted deployments?

Cloud-hosted plans start at $49/month (Professional) versus self-hosted which starts at $19/month (Starter). The main advantage of cloud-hosted is Comet manages the console infrastructure, though both models charge the same per-endpoint fees.

Source
Arq Backup: What are the storage costs beyond the included 1TB with Arq Premium?

Additional storage is billed at $0.0059/GB per month beyond the 1TB included with Arq Premium.

Source
Comet Backup: Does Comet Backup charge for additional protected machines?

Yes, all plans charge $2 per endpoint per month beyond the licensed endpoints. For example, the Growth plan includes 2 self-hosted licenses, but each additional protected machine costs $2/month.

Source
Arq Backup: Can I access my backup data directly or is it in a proprietary format?

Arq uses open and documented backup formats with transparent storage, allowing users direct access to encrypted backup data.

Source
Arq Backup: Are perpetual licenses from earlier Arq versions still compatible?

Yes, perpetual licenses from Arq 5 and earlier remain compatible with Arq 7.

Source
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