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Borg Backup vs Altaro VM Backup

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Software

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Altaro VM Backup logo

Altaro VM Backup

Software

Simple and powerful VM backup for SMBs

From
$595/perpetual
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: Borg Backup linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform; Altaro VM Backup limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers
  • They diverge on capability: Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Borg Backup and Altaro VM Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Borg Backup and Altaro VM Backup differ
AttributeBorg BackupAltaro VM Backup
Starting priceFree$595/perpetual
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, MacWindows Server
Founded20152009

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Borg Backup

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

Only in Altaro VM Backup

  • Augmented inline dedup
  • WAN-optimized replication
  • Boot from backup
  • Granular restore
  • Cloud management
  • Continuous CDP
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

What people use each for

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

Borg Backup

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

Altaro VM Backup

  • Data protectionnot Borg Backup
  • Disaster recoverynot Borg Backup
  • Business continuitynot Borg Backup
  • Ransomware protectionnot Borg Backup
  • Compliancenot Borg Backup

Where each one falls short

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

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

Altaro VM Backup

  • Limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers
  • Perpetual license model outdated compared to modern cloud-based backup solutions
  • Lacks enterprise-grade features for large-scale deployments
  • Offsite backup to cloud requires additional setup and configuration

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

Altaro VM Backup

$595/perpetual

No published plan breakdown. See the Altaro VM Backup review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Altaro VM Backup if

  • You need augmented inline dedup.
  • You work on Windows Server.
  • You also want wan-optimized replication.
Altaro VM Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Borg Backup or Altaro VM Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and Altaro VM Backup at $595/perpetual, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or Altaro VM Backup?
Borg Backup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Borg Backup and $595/perpetual for Altaro VM Backup.
Does Borg Backup or Altaro VM Backup run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. Altaro VM Backup runs on Windows Server.
Can I use Borg Backup for free?
Yes. Borg Backup has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Altaro VM Backup starts at $595/perpetual.
What is Borg Backup best used for?
Borg Backup is most often used for deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensive, encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintext, browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over fuse, scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to run. Of those, deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensive and encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintext are not what Altaro VM Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that Altaro VM Backup cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption. Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup, WAN-optimized replication, Boot from backup, Granular restore.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Altaro VM Backup: What is the price per host for Altaro VM Backup?

Altaro VM Backup pricing starts at $595 per host for the Standard Edition, with the Unlimited Edition at $695 per host and Unlimited Plus at $875 per host. Pricing includes the first year of priority support and updates.

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