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Backup · head to head

BDRShield vs Borg Backup

BDRShield logo

BDRShield

Backup

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Backup

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Borg Backup has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BDRShield published per-workload pricing has been replaced by a custom quote form, so the cost transparency that was a main reason to shortlist it no longer exists and you must go through sales.; Borg Backup linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform
  • They diverge on capability: BDRShield covers Agentless VM backup, Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BDRShield and Borg Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where BDRShield and Borg Backup differ
AttributeBDRShieldBorg Backup
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, WebLinux, Mac
FoundedUnknown2015

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 BDRShield

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

Only in Borg Backup

  • Content-defined chunking
  • Deduplication
  • Compression
  • Authenticated encryption
  • Pruning
  • Mount archives
  • SSH
  • BorgBase

What people use each for

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

BDRShield

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

Borg Backup

  • Deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensivenot BDRShield
  • Encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintextnot BDRShield
  • Browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over FUSEnot BDRShield
  • Scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to runnot BDRShield

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Borg Backup

  • Linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform
  • Command-line only, with no graphical interface in the project itself
  • Version 2.0 is still in beta, so production use means staying on the 1.4 line
  • Restoring requires the Borg tooling, since archives are a deduplicated chunk store rather than plain files

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

Which should you pick?

Choose BDRShield if

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

Choose Borg Backup if

  • You need content-defined chunking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac.
  • You also want deduplication.
Borg Backup review

Questions people ask

Is BDRShield or Borg Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. BDRShield starts at On request and Borg Backup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BDRShield or Borg Backup?
Borg Backup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for BDRShield and Free for Borg Backup.
Does BDRShield or Borg Backup run on more platforms?
BDRShield runs on Windows, Linux, Web. Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac.
Can I use Borg Backup for free?
Yes. Borg Backup has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BDRShield starts at On request.
What is BDRShield best used for?
BDRShield is most often used for a managed service provider whose margins do not survive datto or veeam per-endpoint pricing, an organisation running proxmox ve that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properly, a small business needing virtual machine, server, endpoint and microsoft 365 backup from one console, a company wanting backup data in its own cloud bucket rather than a vendor-controlled repository. Of those, a managed service provider whose margins do not survive datto or veeam per-endpoint pricing and an organisation running proxmox ve that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properly are not what Borg Backup is typically brought in for.
What can BDRShield do that Borg Backup cannot?
BDRShield covers Agentless VM backup, Proxmox support, SaaS backup, Hybrid storage. Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BDRShield: Is BDRSuite the same product?

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

Borg Backup: What is the cost of BorgBackup?

BorgBackup is completely free and open source under the BSD license with no mandatory costs for the core software.

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.

Borg Backup: Are there paid services available for BorgBackup?

Yes, optional third-party services are available: BorgBase for specialized Borg repository hosting, Hetzner Storage Box with Borg support, and rsync.net cloud storage integration.

Source
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.

Borg Backup: How can I support the BorgBackup project?

BorgBackup accepts voluntary contributions through Open Collective, GitHub Sponsors, Liberapay, and PayPal, though donations are optional.

Source
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