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Backup · head to head

Bacula vs Cohesity DataProtect

Bacula logo

Bacula

Backup

The best open source backup software for Linux

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cohesity DataProtect logo

Cohesity DataProtect

Backup

Hyperconverged secondary data protection

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.; Cohesity DataProtect primarily focused on enterprise customers; less suitable for small businesses
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bacula and Cohesity DataProtect actually diverge.

Attributes where Bacula and Cohesity DataProtect differ
AttributeBaculaCohesity DataProtect
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebOn-premises, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud
FoundedUnknown2013

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 Cohesity DataProtect does not also cover.

Only in Cohesity DataProtect

  • Hyperconverged architecture
  • Instant mass restore
  • Global deduplication
  • Global search
  • Ransomware protection
  • Cloud tiering
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

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 Cohesity DataProtect
  • VMware, KVM, Hyper-V virtual machine backupnot Cohesity DataProtect
  • MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL database backupnot Cohesity DataProtect
  • Microsoft Exchange Server backupnot Cohesity DataProtect
  • Tape backup and enterprise data retentionnot Cohesity DataProtect

Cohesity DataProtect

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

Cohesity DataProtect

  • Primarily focused on enterprise customers; less suitable for small businesses
  • Requires significant IT expertise to optimize deduplication and retention policies
  • High upfront infrastructure costs for on-premises deployment

Pricing, plan by plan

Bacula

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Bacula review.

Cohesity DataProtect

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cohesity DataProtect review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Bacula if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bacula review

Choose Cohesity DataProtect if

  • You need hyperconverged architecture.
  • You work on On-premises, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
  • You also want instant mass restore.
Cohesity DataProtect review

Questions people ask

Is Bacula or Cohesity DataProtect better?
Neither clearly leads. Bacula starts at Free and Cohesity DataProtect at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bacula or Cohesity DataProtect?
Bacula has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bacula and On request for Cohesity DataProtect.
Does Bacula or Cohesity DataProtect run on more platforms?
Bacula runs on Web. Cohesity DataProtect runs on On-premises, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
Can I use Bacula for free?
Yes. Bacula has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cohesity DataProtect 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 Cohesity DataProtect is typically brought in for.
What can Bacula do that Cohesity DataProtect cannot?
Cohesity DataProtect covers Hyperconverged architecture, Instant mass restore, Global deduplication, Global search.

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
Cohesity DataProtect: What is the main benefit of Cohesity DataProtect's instant recovery?

Cohesity uniquely reduces downtime by enabling instant mass restoration of any number of VMs, large volumes of unstructured data, and Oracle databases to any point in time.

Source
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
Cohesity DataProtect: How much can Cohesity reduce data protection costs?

Cohesity DataProtect reduces data protection costs by 70% or more through unified management and deduplication.

Source
Cohesity DataProtect: What platforms and workloads does Cohesity DataProtect support?

Cohesity DataProtect protects on-premises systems, multiple cloud environments, and SaaS applications through a single unified platform.

Source
Cohesity DataProtect: Does Cohesity use security best practices for backup protection?

Yes. Cohesity DataProtect uses multilayered security architecture designed to minimize the risk of backups becoming a ransomware target.

Source
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