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Cloud · head to head

Buildah vs Clonezilla

Buildah logo

Buildah

Cloud

Build OCI container images without a daemon or a Dockerfile

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Clonezilla logo

Clonezilla

Backup

Free disk cloning and imaging solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Buildah linux only, with no native macOS or Windows support; Clonezilla the destination partition must be equal to or larger than the source partition
  • They diverge on capability: Buildah covers Daemonless builds, Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buildah and Clonezilla actually diverge.

Attributes where Buildah and Clonezilla differ
AttributeBuildahClonezilla
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefree
PlatformsLinuxLinux, Windows
CategoryCloudBackup
FoundedUnknown2004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Buildah

  • Daemonless builds
  • Rootless
  • Dockerfile compatible
  • Scriptable builds

Only in Clonezilla

  • Disk/partition imaging
  • Disk cloning
  • Multicast deployment
  • Multiple file systems
  • Encryption support
  • Unattended mode
  • PXE boot
  • DRBL

What people use each for

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

Buildah

  • Building images in CI without a privileged Docker daemonnot Clonezilla
  • Producing minimal images with tighter layer control than a Dockerfile givesnot Clonezilla
  • Scripted image assembly where a Dockerfile is the wrong abstractionnot Clonezilla

Clonezilla

  • System backup and cloningnot Buildah
  • Disk imaging and restorationnot Buildah
  • Mass deployment scenariosnot Buildah
  • Enterprise-scale cloning operationsnot Buildah

Where each one falls short

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

Buildah

  • Linux only, with no native macOS or Windows support
  • Scriptable builds are powerful but less portable and less familiar than a Dockerfile
  • Narrow by design: it builds images and does not run them, so it needs Podman or another runtime alongside

Clonezilla

  • The destination partition must be equal to or larger than the source partition
  • Differential and incremental backup is not implemented
  • Online imaging and cloning is not implemented; the partition being imaged or cloned has to be unmounted first
  • The image format cannot be explored or mounted, so a single file cannot be recovered from an image
  • Recovery media spanning multiple CDs or DVDs is not implemented; the recovery ISO must fit on one disc
  • Clonezilla SE requires a DRBL server to be prepared in advance and the target machine to boot from the network
  • Runs only on x86 or x86-64 processors and needs at least 196 MB of RAM

Pricing, plan by plan

Buildah

Free
  • BuildahFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Clonezilla

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Disk cloning
    • Multicast
    • Multiple file systems

Which should you pick?

Choose Buildah if

  • You need daemonless builds.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want rootless.
Buildah review

Choose Clonezilla if

  • You need disk/partition imaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows.
  • You also want disk cloning.
Clonezilla review

Questions people ask

Is Buildah or Clonezilla better?
Neither clearly leads. Buildah starts at Free and Clonezilla at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buildah or Clonezilla?
Buildah starts at Free and Clonezilla at Free.
Does Buildah or Clonezilla run on more platforms?
Buildah runs on Linux. Clonezilla runs on Linux, Windows.
Can I use Buildah for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Buildah best used for?
Buildah is most often used for building images in ci without a privileged docker daemon, producing minimal images with tighter layer control than a dockerfile gives, scripted image assembly where a dockerfile is the wrong abstraction. Of those, building images in ci without a privileged docker daemon and producing minimal images with tighter layer control than a dockerfile gives are not what Clonezilla is typically brought in for.
What can Buildah do that Clonezilla cannot?
Buildah covers Daemonless builds, Rootless, Dockerfile compatible, Scriptable builds. Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Disk cloning, Multicast deployment, Multiple file systems.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Buildah: Is Buildah free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Clonezilla: Is Clonezilla free?

Yes, Clonezilla is completely free and open-source software licensed under GNU General Public License version 2. There are no paid versions, premium features, or subscription costs.

Source
Buildah: Do I still need a Dockerfile?

No. Buildah reads Dockerfiles if you have them, but images can be built entirely from shell commands instead.

Clonezilla: What Clonezilla editions are available at no cost?

All three editions are free: Clonezilla Live for individual machine backups, Clonezilla Lite Server for mass deployment, and Clonezilla SE for large-scale enterprise cloning operations.

Source
Buildah: How is Buildah different from Podman?

Buildah builds images; Podman runs them. Podman actually embeds Buildah for its build command, and the two are designed to be used together.

Clonezilla: Can I use Clonezilla commercially?

Yes, Clonezilla's GPL v2 license allows free commercial use. The software is open-source and requires no licensing fees for any deployment scenario.

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