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Backup · head to head

BDRShield vs Portworx Backup

BDRShield logo

BDRShield

Backup

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Portworx Backup logo

Portworx Backup

Backup

Kubernetes application backup with a free tier up to one terabyte

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Portworx 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  • Each has a real cost: BDRShield published per-workload pricing has been replaced by a custom quote form, so the cost transparency that was a main reason to shortlist it no longer exists and you must go through sales.; Portworx Backup the paid tier carries a 1,000 node hour monthly minimum, so a cluster that only needs occasional protection still pays a floor.
  • They diverge on capability: BDRShield covers Agentless VM backup, Portworx Backup covers Application-level backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where BDRShield and Portworx Backup differ
AttributeBDRShieldPortworx Backup
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotePer node hour
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, WebWeb, Linux

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 Portworx Backup

  • Application-level backup
  • Any CSI provider
  • Cross-cluster restore
  • Namespace and label selection
  • Scheduled policies
  • Role-based access
  • Free tier

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 Portworx Backup
  • An organisation running Proxmox VE that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properlynot Portworx Backup
  • A small business needing virtual machine, server, endpoint and Microsoft 365 backup from one consolenot Portworx Backup
  • A company wanting backup data in its own cloud bucket rather than a vendor-controlled repositorynot Portworx Backup

Portworx Backup

  • A platform team running Velero that needs an accountable vendor for restore failuresnot BDRShield
  • Protecting Kubernetes applications across EKS, GKE and on premises clusters under one policy setnot BDRShield
  • Restoring a namespace into a different cloud provider as a disaster recovery testnot BDRShield
  • A small team that wants real Kubernetes backup within the free one terabyte tier before committing budgetnot 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.

Portworx Backup

  • The paid tier carries a 1,000 node hour monthly minimum, so a cluster that only needs occasional protection still pays a floor.
  • It is licensed separately from Portworx Enterprise, so organisations that assumed storage and backup came together find a second subscription in the quote.
  • The free tier caps at one terabyte of protected data, which is quickly exceeded by any database of consequence and forces a jump straight to the minimum commitment.
  • Backup targets are object stores you provide, so restore egress charges from your cloud provider are outside the vendor price and appear during a recovery rather than in procurement.
  • Application-consistent backup of databases still depends on correct pre and post hooks, so the product does not remove the requirement to understand and rehearse your own restore ordering.

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

Portworx Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to one terabyte of protected data
    • No feature restrictions
    • Fully managed service
  • Portworx Backup$0.2/node hour
    • Minimum 1,000 node hours per month
    • Unlimited protected capacity
    • Any Container Storage Interface provider

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 Portworx Backup if

  • You need application-level backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want any csi provider.
Portworx Backup review

Questions people ask

Is BDRShield or Portworx Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. BDRShield starts at On request and Portworx Backup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BDRShield or Portworx Backup?
Portworx Backup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for BDRShield and Free for Portworx Backup.
Does BDRShield or Portworx Backup run on more platforms?
BDRShield runs on Windows, Linux, Web. Portworx Backup runs on Web, Linux.
Can I use Portworx Backup for free?
Yes. Portworx 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 Portworx Backup is typically brought in for.
What can BDRShield do that Portworx Backup cannot?
BDRShield covers Agentless VM backup, Proxmox support, SaaS backup, Hybrid storage. Portworx Backup covers Application-level backup, Any CSI provider, Cross-cluster restore, Namespace and label selection.

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.

Portworx Backup: Is the free tier real?

Yes, up to one terabyte of protected data with no feature restrictions as a managed service. It is a usable production tier for small footprints, not a trial.

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.

Portworx Backup: Does it only protect Portworx volumes?

No. It works across Container Storage Interface providers, including cloud provider storage and other vendors' drivers.

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.

Portworx Backup: Is it included with Portworx Enterprise?

No. It is a separate licence at 0.20 USD per node hour with its own minimum.

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