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Backup & Disaster Recovery · head to head

Borg Backup vs Micro Focus Data Protector

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Backup & Disaster Recovery

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Micro Focus Data Protector logo

Micro Focus Data Protector

Backup & Disaster Recovery

Enterprise backup for multi-platform environments

From
$75/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; Micro Focus Data Protector micro Focus Data Protector was rebranded to OpenText Data Protector following the OpenText acquisition of Micro Focus; the vendor's own product pages carry no published pricing at either name (Internet Archive capture, 10 January 2022, and live site check)
  • They diverge on capability: Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Micro Focus Data Protector covers Zero downtime backup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Borg Backup and Micro Focus Data Protector actually diverge.

Attributes where Borg Backup and Micro Focus Data Protector differ
AttributeBorg BackupMicro Focus Data Protector
Starting priceFree$75/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, MacWindows, Linux, Web
Founded20151976

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Backup & Disaster Recovery).

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 Micro Focus Data Protector

  • Zero downtime backup
  • Instant recovery
  • Application integration
  • Synthetic full backup
  • Granular recovery
  • Centralized management
  • 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 Micro Focus Data Protector
  • Encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintextnot Micro Focus Data Protector
  • Browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over FUSEnot Micro Focus Data Protector
  • Scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to runnot Micro Focus Data Protector

Micro Focus Data Protector

  • 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

Micro Focus Data Protector

  • Micro Focus Data Protector was rebranded to OpenText Data Protector following the OpenText acquisition of Micro Focus; the vendor's own product pages carry no published pricing at either name (Internet Archive capture, 10 January 2022, and live site check)

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

Micro Focus Data Protector

$75/month
  • Data Protector$75/month
    • Zero downtime backup
    • Instant recovery
    • Multi-platform

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 Micro Focus Data Protector if

  • You need zero downtime backup.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want instant recovery.
Micro Focus Data Protector review

Questions people ask

Is Borg Backup or Micro Focus Data Protector better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and Micro Focus Data Protector at $75/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or Micro Focus Data Protector?
Borg Backup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Borg Backup and $75/month for Micro Focus Data Protector.
Does Borg Backup or Micro Focus Data Protector run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. Micro Focus Data Protector 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. Micro Focus Data Protector starts at $75/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 Micro Focus Data Protector is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that Micro Focus Data Protector cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption. Micro Focus Data Protector covers Zero downtime backup, Instant recovery, Application integration, Synthetic full backup. Both handle Linux support.
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