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Backup · head to head

Bacula Enterprise vs CapRover

Bacula Enterprise logo

Bacula Enterprise

Backup

Open-source enterprise backup solution

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CapRover logo

CapRover

Cloud

Free self-hosted platform built on Docker Swarm with a dashboard and automatic certificates

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CapRover has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bacula Enterprise pricing is not published; the vendor asks for a request rather than listing rates; CapRover since June 2026 one pseudonymous account wrote 97 of roughly 100 commits and the next human contributor wrote one, so there is no identifiable person or company to contract with, escalate to or hold responsible.
  • They diverge on capability: Bacula Enterprise covers Modular architecture, CapRover covers One-click applications.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bacula Enterprise and CapRover differ
AttributeBacula EnterpriseCapRover
Starting price$500/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, WebWeb, Linux, Docker, CLI, Self-hosted
CategoryBackupCloud
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Bacula Enterprise

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

Only in CapRover

  • One-click applications
  • Automatic certificates
  • Web dashboard
  • Multiple deploy paths
  • Docker Swarm clustering
  • Custom nginx configuration

What people use each for

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

Bacula Enterprise

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

CapRover

  • Running a personal server or homelab with several applications behind automatic certificatesnot Bacula Enterprise
  • A two person team that wants a dashboard rather than a terminal for deployments on one boxnot Bacula Enterprise
  • Standing up one-click databases and internal tools without writing Compose filesnot Bacula Enterprise
  • Hosting client demos cheaply where downtime is inconvenient rather than expensivenot Bacula Enterprise

Where each one falls short

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

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

CapRover

  • Since June 2026 one pseudonymous account wrote 97 of roughly 100 commits and the next human contributor wrote one, so there is no identifiable person or company to contract with, escalate to or hold responsible.
  • Donations over the last twelve months totalled 285 US dollars and there is no commercial tier, so no paid support exists at any price and no maintenance commitment is funded.
  • The LICENSE file is Apache 2.0 with a superseding appendix that bans redistributing a paid version and refers to paid features that do not yet exist, and GitHub cannot classify it, so the terms already anticipate a commercial change of direction.
  • Releases arrive in bursts with an eleven month gap between September 2023 and August 2024 and two further gaps of about six months since, so there is no basis for assuming a security fix will land promptly.
  • The backup feature is documented as experimental, covers only the CapRover configuration directory and explicitly excludes persistent volumes and container images, so every database has to be dumped separately with its container stopped.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bacula Enterprise

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

CapRover

Free
  • CapRoverFree
    • No paid tier and no hosted offering
    • Unlimited applications, servers and users
    • Community support through Slack and GitHub

Which should you pick?

Choose Bacula Enterprise if

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

Choose CapRover if

  • You need one-click applications.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker, CLI, Self-hosted.
  • You also want automatic certificates.
CapRover review

Questions people ask

Is Bacula Enterprise or CapRover better?
Neither clearly leads. Bacula Enterprise starts at $500/year and CapRover at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bacula Enterprise or CapRover?
CapRover has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/year for Bacula Enterprise and Free for CapRover.
Does Bacula Enterprise or CapRover run on more platforms?
Bacula Enterprise runs on Windows, Linux, Web. CapRover runs on Web, Linux, Docker, CLI, Self-hosted.
Can I use CapRover for free?
Yes. CapRover has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bacula Enterprise starts at $500/year.
What is Bacula Enterprise best used for?
Bacula Enterprise is most often used for enterprise backup across virtual machines, databases and containers, multi-cloud and hybrid backup from one system, backup where licensing by data volume would be prohibitive, since bacula does not charge by capacity, long-retention archival for regulated environments. Of those, enterprise backup across virtual machines, databases and containers and multi-cloud and hybrid backup from one system are not what CapRover is typically brought in for.
What can Bacula Enterprise do that CapRover cannot?
Bacula Enterprise covers Modular architecture, Plugin framework, Deduplication, Cloud storage. CapRover covers One-click applications, Automatic certificates, Web dashboard, Multiple deploy paths.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
CapRover: Does CapRover cost anything?

No. There is no paid tier and no hosted version. The only income is donations, which came to 285 US dollars over the last twelve months.

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
CapRover: Is the licence really Apache 2.0?

Not quite. The LICENSE file is Apache 2.0 plus an appendix that supersedes it in case of conflict, forbidding modification of paid features and redistribution of a paid version. GitHub does not recognise the result as a standard licence.

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
CapRover: Does the backup feature protect my databases?

No. It backs up the CapRover configuration directory only and explicitly excludes persistent directories and container images. You have to dump each database yourself with the container stopped.

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
CapRover: Can I move off Docker Swarm later?

Not without rebuilding. CapRover is architecturally tied to Swarm, so outgrowing it means migrating applications to a different platform rather than switching a scheduler.

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