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Borg Backup vs Quest NetVault Backup

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Software

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quest NetVault Backup logo

Quest NetVault Backup

Software

Cross-platform enterprise backup solution

From
$50/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; Quest NetVault Backup as of a 15 December 2019 archived capture, Quest NetVault Backup pricing is available only on request, sold either by front-end storage capacity or by component, with component-based licensing requiring separate purchase of each module needed rather than a single bundled price
  • They diverge on capability: Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Quest NetVault Backup covers Cross-platform support.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Borg Backup and Quest NetVault Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Borg Backup and Quest NetVault Backup differ
AttributeBorg BackupQuest NetVault Backup
Starting priceFree$50/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, MacWindows, Linux, Web
Founded20151987

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 Quest NetVault Backup

  • Cross-platform support
  • Application-aware backup
  • Inline deduplication
  • Built-in scheduling
  • VMware integration
  • Bare metal recovery
  • 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 Quest NetVault Backup
  • Encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintextnot Quest NetVault Backup
  • Browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over FUSEnot Quest NetVault Backup
  • Scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to runnot Quest NetVault Backup

Quest NetVault 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

Quest NetVault Backup

  • As of a 15 December 2019 archived capture, Quest NetVault Backup pricing is available only on request, sold either by front-end storage capacity or by component, with component-based licensing requiring separate purchase of each module needed rather than a single bundled price

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

Quest NetVault Backup

$50/month
  • NetVault Backup$50/month
    • Cross-platform
    • Application support
    • Deduplication

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 Quest NetVault Backup if

  • You need cross-platform support.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want application-aware backup.
Quest NetVault Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Borg Backup or Quest NetVault Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and Quest NetVault Backup at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or Quest NetVault Backup?
Borg Backup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Borg Backup and $50/month for Quest NetVault Backup.
Does Borg Backup or Quest NetVault Backup run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. Quest NetVault Backup 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. Quest NetVault Backup starts at $50/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 Quest NetVault Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that Quest NetVault Backup cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption. Quest NetVault Backup covers Cross-platform support, Application-aware backup, Inline deduplication, Built-in scheduling. Both handle Linux support.
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