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Borg Backup vs IBM Storage Protect

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Software

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IBM Storage Protect logo

IBM Storage Protect

Software

Enterprise-scale data protection platform

From
$100/month
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; IBM Storage Protect iBM United Kingdom Limited lists IBM Storage Protect for Cloud (Microsoft 365 edition) on G-Cloud 14 at £50.64 per user per year
  • They diverge on capability: Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, IBM Storage Protect covers Progressive incremental backup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Borg Backup and IBM Storage Protect actually diverge.

Attributes where Borg Backup and IBM Storage Protect differ
AttributeBorg BackupIBM Storage Protect
Starting priceFree$100/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, MacWindows, Linux, Web
Founded20151911

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 IBM Storage Protect

  • Progressive incremental backup
  • Policy-based management
  • Container protection
  • Kubernetes support
  • Data deduplication
  • Instant restore
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Both cover

  • Linux support

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 IBM Storage Protect
  • Encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintextnot IBM Storage Protect
  • Browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over FUSEnot IBM Storage Protect
  • Scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to runnot IBM Storage Protect

IBM Storage Protect

  • 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

IBM Storage Protect

  • IBM United Kingdom Limited lists IBM Storage Protect for Cloud (Microsoft 365 edition) on G-Cloud 14 at £50.64 per user per year

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

IBM Storage Protect

$100/month
  • Storage Protect$100/month
    • Progressive incremental
    • Container support
    • Policy automation

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 IBM Storage Protect if

  • You need progressive incremental backup.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want policy-based management.
IBM Storage Protect review

Questions people ask

Is Borg Backup or IBM Storage Protect better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and IBM Storage Protect at $100/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or IBM Storage Protect?
Borg Backup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Borg Backup and $100/month for IBM Storage Protect.
Does Borg Backup or IBM Storage Protect run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. IBM Storage Protect runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
Can I use Borg Backup for free?
Yes. Borg Backup has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. IBM Storage Protect starts at $100/month.
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 IBM Storage Protect is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that IBM Storage Protect cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption. IBM Storage Protect covers Progressive incremental backup, Policy-based management, Container protection, Kubernetes support. Both handle Linux support.
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