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Borg Backup vs Veeam Backup & Replication

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Software

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Veeam Backup & Replication logo

Veeam Backup & Replication

Software

Modern data protection for enterprise workloads

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Borg Backup linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform; Veeam Backup & Replication replication propagates corrupted data without detection, as it focuses on speed without extensive integrity checks
  • They diverge on capability: Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Veeam Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Borg Backup and Veeam Backup & Replication actually diverge.

Attributes where Borg Backup and Veeam Backup & Replication differ
AttributeBorg BackupVeeam Backup & Replication
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsLinux, MacWindows
Founded20152006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Veeam Backup & Replication

  • Instant VM recovery
  • Ransomware protection
  • Immutable backups
  • Application-aware processing
  • Global deduplication
  • Continuous data protection
  • VMware vSphere
  • Microsoft 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 Veeam Backup & Replication
  • Encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintextnot Veeam Backup & Replication
  • Browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over FUSEnot Veeam Backup & Replication
  • Scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to runnot Veeam Backup & Replication

Veeam Backup & Replication

  • 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

Veeam Backup & Replication

  • Replication propagates corrupted data without detection, as it focuses on speed without extensive integrity checks
  • Cannot use guest file indexing for snapshot-only jobs, limiting recovery options
  • Multi-factor authentication is not supported for object storage repositories
  • Scale-out backup repositories do not support rotated drives and have limited functionality

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

Veeam Backup & Replication

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Veeam Backup & Replication 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 Veeam Backup & Replication if

  • You need instant vm recovery.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want ransomware protection.
Veeam Backup & Replication review

Questions people ask

Is Borg Backup or Veeam Backup & Replication better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and Veeam Backup & Replication at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or Veeam Backup & Replication?
Borg Backup starts at Free and Veeam Backup & Replication at Free.
Does Borg Backup or Veeam Backup & Replication run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. Veeam Backup & Replication runs on Windows.
Can I use Borg Backup for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Veeam Backup & Replication is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that Veeam Backup & Replication cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption. Veeam Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery, Ransomware protection, Immutable backups, Application-aware processing. Both handle Linux support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Veeam Backup & Replication: What is included in Veeam's free tier?

Veeam's free Community Edition supports unlimited backups and replication for up to 10 workloads with the same features as the Standard tier, with no time limit.

Source
Veeam Backup & Replication: How long can Veeam retain backups?

Veeam retention depends on your storage configuration but typically supports retention of multiple backup versions for weeks to years depending on storage capacity and retention policies configured.

Source
Veeam Backup & Replication: Can Veeam replicate data to cloud storage?

Yes, Veeam Backup & Replication supports replication and backup to cloud storage including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, with support for object storage repositories and immutable backups.

Source
Veeam Backup & Replication: What hypervisors does Veeam support?

Veeam natively supports VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V for VM backup and replication, with additional support for physical servers and cloud instances through complementary tools.

Source
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