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Backup · head to head

Bacula vs BDRShield

Bacula logo

Bacula

Backup

The best open source backup software for Linux

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BDRShield logo

BDRShield

Backup

Low-cost backup for virtual machines, servers, endpoints and SaaS from Vembu

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bacula has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bacula the community edition has no vendor support contract; bacula.org directs support and paid deployments toward the separate commercial Bacula Enterprise product instead.; BDRShield published per-workload pricing has been replaced by a custom quote form, so the cost transparency that was a main reason to shortlist it no longer exists and you must go through sales.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bacula and BDRShield actually diverge.

Attributes where Bacula and BDRShield differ
AttributeBaculaBDRShield
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWindows, Linux, Web

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 Bacula

Nothing recorded that BDRShield does not also cover.

Only in BDRShield

  • Agentless VM backup
  • Proxmox support
  • SaaS backup
  • Hybrid storage
  • Cloud or on-premises console
  • MSP multi-tenancy

What people use each for

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

Bacula

  • Linux, Windows, and macOS network backup at scalenot BDRShield
  • VMware, KVM, Hyper-V virtual machine backupnot BDRShield
  • MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL database backupnot BDRShield
  • Microsoft Exchange Server backupnot BDRShield
  • Tape backup and enterprise data retentionnot BDRShield

BDRShield

  • A managed service provider whose margins do not survive Datto or Veeam per-endpoint pricingnot Bacula
  • An organisation running Proxmox VE that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properlynot Bacula
  • A small business needing virtual machine, server, endpoint and Microsoft 365 backup from one consolenot Bacula
  • A company wanting backup data in its own cloud bucket rather than a vendor-controlled repositorynot Bacula

Where each one falls short

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

Bacula

  • The community edition has no vendor support contract; bacula.org directs support and paid deployments toward the separate commercial Bacula Enterprise product instead.

BDRShield

  • Published per-workload pricing has been replaced by a custom quote form, so the cost transparency that was a main reason to shortlist it no longer exists and you must go through sales.
  • The product was renamed from BDRSuite to BDRShield, so documentation, forum answers and third-party reviews are split across two names and searching for help is harder than it should be.
  • Recovery orchestration and instant recovery performance trail Veeam and Rubrik, which is invisible in an evaluation and expensive during an actual outage.
  • Support is priced to match the low licence cost, and complex escalations move more slowly than customers used to premium vendors expect.
  • The integration ecosystem is thin compared with the incumbents, so monitoring, ticketing and professional services automation tool connections are limited for MSPs running mature stacks.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bacula

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Bacula review.

BDRShield

On request
  • BDRShield$undefined/year
    • Per-workload licensing quoted through a custom quote form
    • Separate licensing tracks for MSPs and for end-user organisations
    • Free 30-day trial with full feature access

Which should you pick?

Choose Bacula if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bacula review

Choose BDRShield if

  • You need agentless vm backup.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want proxmox support.
BDRShield review

Questions people ask

Is Bacula or BDRShield better?
Neither clearly leads. Bacula starts at Free and BDRShield at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bacula or BDRShield?
Bacula has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bacula and On request for BDRShield.
Does Bacula or BDRShield run on more platforms?
Bacula runs on Web. BDRShield runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
Can I use Bacula for free?
Yes. Bacula has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BDRShield starts at On request.
What is Bacula best used for?
Bacula is most often used for linux, windows, and macos network backup at scale, vmware, kvm, hyper-v virtual machine backup, mysql, oracle, postgresql database backup, microsoft exchange server backup. Of those, linux, windows, and macos network backup at scale and vmware, kvm, hyper-v virtual machine backup are not what BDRShield is typically brought in for.
What can Bacula do that BDRShield cannot?
BDRShield covers Agentless VM backup, Proxmox support, SaaS backup, Hybrid storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bacula: How much does Bacula cost?

Bacula Community Edition is free and open source. Bacula Enterprise is a commercial offering with a free trial available, but specific pricing is not listed on the main website.

Source
BDRShield: Is BDRSuite the same product?

Yes. BDRSuite was renamed BDRShield, and bdrsuite.com now redirects to bdrshield.com. Same company, Vembu Technologies.

Bacula: Is Bacula free?

Bacula Community Edition is fully free and open source. Enterprise Edition is commercial but offers a free trial to evaluate features before purchasing.

Source
BDRShield: Is pricing published?

Not any more. The pricing page now routes to a custom quote form for both MSPs and end-user organisations, despite marketing that emphasises a few dollars per workload.

BDRShield: Does it back up Proxmox?

Yes, agentlessly, which is a genuine reason to shortlist it since several larger vendors support Proxmox poorly or not at all.

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