Software · head to head
Arq Backup vs NAKIVO Backup & Replication

Arq Backup
Software
Mac and Windows backup to your own cloud storage
- From
- $50/year
- Rated
- -

NAKIVO Backup & Replication
Software
Fast and affordable VM backup solution
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only NAKIVO Backup & Replication has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Arq Backup runs on Mac and Windows only; NAKIVO Backup & Replication no macOS support and limited Linux support due to absence of native Linux agent
- They diverge on capability: Arq Backup covers Client-side encryption, NAKIVO Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Arq Backup and NAKIVO Backup & Replication actually diverge.
| Attribute | Arq Backup | NAKIVO Backup & Replication |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $50/year | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac | Windows, Linux, Cloud, On-premise |
| Founded | 2009 | 2012 |
Identical on both: 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 Arq Backup
- Client-side encryption
- Hourly backups
- Network backup
- Deduplication
- Immutable backups
- Budget controls
- AWS S3
- Google Cloud
Only in NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- Instant VM recovery
- Site recovery
- Global deduplication
- Network acceleration
- Multi-tenancy
- Self-service portal
- VMware
- Hyper-V
Both cover
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Arq Backup
- Data protection
- Disaster recovery
- Business continuity
- Ransomware protection
- Compliance
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- Data protection
- Disaster recovery
- Business continuity
- Ransomware protection
- Compliance
Both are used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection, compliance, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
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
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- No macOS support and limited Linux support due to absence of native Linux agent
- Limited SQL Server transaction log backup options restricting database protection granularity
- Weak ITSM platform integrations - lacks tight integration with ServiceNow or Jira Service Desk
- Encrypted VMware VMs only support crash-consistent backups in application-aware mode, limiting granular app-level recovery
Pricing, plan by plan
Arq Backup
$50/year- Arq Premium$50/year
- 5 computers
- Arq Cloud storage option
- Email support
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the NAKIVO Backup & Replication review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Arq Backup if
- You need client-side encryption.
- You work on Windows, Mac.
- You also want hourly backups.
Choose NAKIVO Backup & Replication if
- You need instant vm recovery.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Cloud, On-premise.
- You also want site recovery.
Questions people ask
- Is Arq Backup or NAKIVO Backup & Replication better?
- Neither clearly leads. Arq Backup starts at $50/year and NAKIVO Backup & Replication at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Arq Backup or NAKIVO Backup & Replication?
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50/year for Arq Backup and Free for NAKIVO Backup & Replication.
- Does Arq Backup or NAKIVO Backup & Replication run on more platforms?
- Arq Backup runs on Windows, Mac. NAKIVO Backup & Replication runs on Windows, Linux, Cloud, On-premise.
- Can I use NAKIVO Backup & Replication for free?
- Yes. NAKIVO Backup & Replication has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arq Backup starts at $50/year.
- What is Arq Backup best used for?
- Arq Backup is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection.
- What can Arq Backup do that NAKIVO Backup & Replication cannot?
- Arq Backup covers Client-side encryption, Hourly backups, Network backup, Deduplication. NAKIVO Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery, Site recovery, Global deduplication, Network acceleration. Both handle Windows support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
NAKIVO Backup & Replication: What does NAKIVO backup?
NAKIVO backs up virtual machines from VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and Proxmox VE, plus physical Windows and Linux servers, Amazon EC2 instances, Microsoft 365 data, databases, and NAS file shares.
SourceNAKIVO Backup & Replication: What is NAKIVO's pricing structure?
NAKIVO offers subscription pricing starting at $2.45 per workload per month or perpetual licensing starting at $19 per workstation. Additional tiers include $229 per CPU socket for larger deployments. Both on-premise and SaaS deployment options are available.
SourceNAKIVO Backup & Replication: Does NAKIVO include ransomware protection?
Yes. NAKIVO includes AES-256 encryption, role-based access control, two-factor authentication, and built-in ransomware protection through immutable storage options.
SourceNAKIVO Backup & Replication: Can NAKIVO replicate virtual machines?
Yes. NAKIVO Backup & Replication includes VM replication capabilities, disaster recovery orchestration, and automated failover for business continuity planning.
SourceRelated pages
More on NAKIVO Backup & Replication
Keep looking
Other head to heads
- Arq Backup vs Veeam Backup & Replication
- Arq Backup vs Carbonite
- Arq Backup vs Backblaze
- Arq Backup vs Barracuda Backup
- Arq Backup vs CrashPlan
- Arq Backup vs Duplicati
- Arq Backup vs Zerto
- Arq Backup vs Box
- Arq Backup vs IDrive
- Arq Backup vs Microsoft OneDrive
- Arq Backup vs Nextcloud
- Arq Backup vs pCloud
- Arq Backup vs Sync.com
- Arq Backup vs Tresorit
- Arq Backup vs TrueNAS
- Arq Backup vs Veritas NetBackup
- Arq Backup vs Backupify
- Arq Backup vs Acronis Cyber Protect
- Arq Backup vs CloudAlly
- Arq Backup vs Spanning Backup
- Arq Backup vs Commvault Complete Data Protection
- Arq Backup vs Datto SIRIS
- Arq Backup vs Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
- Arq Backup vs Rubrik Cloud Data Management
- Arq Backup vs Comet Backup
- Arq Backup vs Duplicacy
- Arq Backup vs Keepit
- Arq Backup vs Rewind
- Arq Backup vs Altaro VM Backup
- Arq Backup vs Borg Backup
- Arq Backup vs Cohesity DataProtect
- Arq Backup vs HPE StoreOnce
- Arq Backup vs MSP360 Backup
- Arq Backup vs OwnBackup
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Veeam Backup & Replication
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Carbonite
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Backblaze
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Barracuda Backup
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs CrashPlan
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Duplicati
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Zerto
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Box
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs IDrive
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Microsoft OneDrive
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Nextcloud
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs pCloud
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Sync.com
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Tresorit
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs TrueNAS
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Veritas NetBackup
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Backupify
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Acronis Cyber Protect
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs CloudAlly
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Spanning Backup
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Commvault Complete Data Protection
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Datto SIRIS
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Rubrik Cloud Data Management
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Comet Backup
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Duplicacy
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Keepit
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Rewind
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Altaro VM Backup
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Borg Backup
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Cohesity DataProtect
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs HPE StoreOnce
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs MSP360 Backup
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs OwnBackup
