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Backup · head to head

Bacula Enterprise vs Quest NetVault Backup

Bacula Enterprise logo

Bacula Enterprise

Backup

Open-source enterprise backup solution

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quest NetVault Backup logo

Quest NetVault Backup

Backup

Cross-platform enterprise backup solution

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bacula Enterprise pricing is not published; the vendor asks for a request rather than listing rates; Quest NetVault Backup as of a 15 December 2019 archived capture, Quest NetVault Backup pricing is available only on request, sold either by front-end storage capacity or by component, with component-based licensing requiring separate purchase of each module needed rather than a single bundled price
  • They diverge on capability: Bacula Enterprise covers Modular architecture, Quest NetVault Backup covers Cross-platform support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bacula Enterprise and Quest NetVault Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Bacula Enterprise and Quest NetVault Backup differ
AttributeBacula EnterpriseQuest NetVault Backup
Starting price$500/year$50/month
Founded20091987

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Bacula Enterprise

  • Modular architecture
  • Plugin framework
  • Deduplication
  • Cloud storage
  • Encryption
  • Automated recovery testing
  • AWS
  • Azure

Only in Quest NetVault Backup

  • Cross-platform support
  • Application-aware backup
  • Inline deduplication
  • Built-in scheduling
  • VMware integration
  • Bare metal recovery
  • Oracle
  • SQL Server

Both cover

  • VMware
  • Hyper-V
  • Windows support
  • Linux support
  • Web support

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

Quest NetVault Backup

  • Data protectionnot Bacula Enterprise
  • Disaster recoverynot Bacula Enterprise
  • Business continuitynot Bacula Enterprise
  • Ransomware protectionnot Bacula Enterprise
  • Compliancenot 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

Quest NetVault Backup

  • As of a 15 December 2019 archived capture, Quest NetVault Backup pricing is available only on request, sold either by front-end storage capacity or by component, with component-based licensing requiring separate purchase of each module needed rather than a single bundled price

Pricing, plan by plan

Bacula Enterprise

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

Quest NetVault Backup

$50/month
  • NetVault Backup$50/month
    • Cross-platform
    • Application support
    • Deduplication

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 Quest NetVault Backup if

  • You need cross-platform support.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want application-aware backup.
Quest NetVault Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Bacula Enterprise or Quest NetVault Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Bacula Enterprise starts at $500/year and Quest NetVault Backup at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bacula Enterprise or Quest NetVault Backup?
Bacula Enterprise starts at $500/year and Quest NetVault Backup at $50/month.
Does Bacula Enterprise or Quest NetVault Backup run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, Linux, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Quest NetVault Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Bacula Enterprise do that Quest NetVault Backup cannot?
Bacula Enterprise covers Modular architecture, Plugin framework, Deduplication, Cloud storage. Quest NetVault Backup covers Cross-platform support, Application-aware backup, Inline deduplication, Built-in scheduling. Both handle VMware, Hyper-V, Windows support, Linux support.

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
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
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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