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Backup · head to head

Bacula vs Velero

Bacula logo

Bacula

Backup

The best open source backup software for Linux

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Velero logo

Velero

Backup

Open source backup and migration for Kubernetes cluster resources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Velero there is no vendor support contract from the project itself, so a failed restore during an outage is resolved by your team reading source code and GitHub issues.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bacula and Velero actually diverge.

Attributes where Bacula and Velero differ
AttributeBaculaVelero
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWebLinux

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Velero does not also cover.

Only in Velero

  • Cluster resource backup
  • Volume snapshots
  • File-level backup
  • Cross-cluster restore
  • Backup hooks
  • Scheduled backups
  • Object storage targets

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

Velero

  • A platform team needing namespace-level restore after an accidental deletion, with no budget for a backup productnot Bacula
  • Migrating workloads between Kubernetes clusters or between cloud providers using backup and restorenot Bacula
  • Capturing cluster configuration before a risky upgrade so the previous state can be reinstatednot Bacula
  • An organisation proving a Kubernetes recovery capability to an auditor before deciding whether to buy a commercial productnot 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.

Velero

  • There is no vendor support contract from the project itself, so a failed restore during an outage is resolved by your team reading source code and GitHub issues.
  • Application consistency depends on backup hooks you write and maintain, and a database backed up without a correct hook restores to a state that may not be usable.
  • Restore ordering across dependent resources such as custom resource definitions and operators needs manual attention, and complex applications frequently need a documented runbook rather than a single restore command.
  • Corporate engineering investment became uncertain after Broadcom acquired VMware, which is a real consideration for anyone building a long retention policy on the project.
  • Object storage egress charges apply on restore and are billed by your cloud provider, so a full cluster recovery from another region carries a cost discovered during the incident rather than during planning.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bacula

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Bacula review.

Velero

Free
  • VeleroFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed
    • No cluster or capacity limits
    • Community support via Kubernetes Slack and GitHub

Which should you pick?

Choose Bacula if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bacula review

Choose Velero if

  • You need cluster resource backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want volume snapshots.
Velero review

Questions people ask

Is Bacula or Velero better?
Neither clearly leads. Bacula starts at Free and Velero at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bacula or Velero?
Bacula starts at Free and Velero at Free.
Does Bacula or Velero run on more platforms?
Bacula runs on Web. Velero runs on Linux.
Can I use Bacula for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Velero is typically brought in for.
What can Bacula do that Velero cannot?
Velero covers Cluster resource backup, Volume snapshots, File-level backup, Cross-cluster restore.

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
Velero: Can we buy support for Velero?

Not from the project. Several commercial Kubernetes backup products package or extend it and sell support, which is the practical route to an accountable vendor.

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
Velero: Does it back up persistent volume data?

Yes, through cloud or Container Storage Interface snapshots, or through file-level upload where snapshots are not available.

Velero: What does it cost?

Nothing to licence. You pay for object storage capacity and for egress on restore, both billed by your cloud provider.

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