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File Storage · head to head

Carbonite vs Veeam Backup & Replication

Carbonite logo

Carbonite

File Storage

Simple and reliable cloud backup for businesses

From
$6/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Veeam Backup & Replication logo

Veeam Backup & Replication

File Storage

Modern data protection for enterprise workloads

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Veeam Backup & Replication has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Carbonite upload speeds are significantly slower than competitors due to lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading; Veeam Backup & Replication replication propagates corrupted data without detection, as it focuses on speed without extensive integrity checks
  • They diverge on capability: Carbonite covers Automatic backup, Veeam Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Carbonite and Veeam Backup & Replication differ
AttributeCarboniteVeeam Backup & Replication
Starting price$6/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Mac, WebWindows
Founded20052006

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (File Storage).

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 Carbonite

  • Automatic backup
  • Continuous protection
  • Remote file access
  • Bare metal restore
  • Encryption
  • Compliance support
  • Microsoft 365
  • Windows Server

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

  • Windows support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Carbonite

  • Data protection
  • Disaster recovery
  • Business continuity
  • Ransomware protection
  • Compliance

Veeam Backup & Replication

  • Data protection
  • Disaster recovery
  • Business continuity
  • Ransomware protection
  • Compliance

Both are used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection, compliance, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Carbonite

  • Upload speeds are significantly slower than competitors due to lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading
  • Bandwidth throttling control is limited, preventing users from managing full bandwidth allocation
  • Mobile apps and web access are more limited than sync-first services like Dropbox or Google Drive
  • Uses AES-128 encryption instead of industry-standard AES-256
  • Hybrid backup support is restricted to professional plans, unavailable for personal users

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

Carbonite

$6/month
  • Basic$6/month
    • Automatic backup
    • Unlimited cloud storage
    • Easy restore

Veeam Backup & Replication

Free

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Carbonite if

  • You need automatic backup.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Web.
  • You also want continuous protection.
Carbonite 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 Carbonite or Veeam Backup & Replication better?
Neither clearly leads. Carbonite starts at $6/month and Veeam Backup & Replication at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carbonite or Veeam Backup & Replication?
Veeam Backup & Replication has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $6/month for Carbonite and Free for Veeam Backup & Replication.
Does Carbonite or Veeam Backup & Replication run on more platforms?
Carbonite runs on Windows, Mac, Web. Veeam Backup & Replication runs on Windows.
Can I use Veeam Backup & Replication for free?
Yes. Veeam Backup & Replication has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Carbonite starts at $6/month.
What is Carbonite best used for?
Carbonite is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection.
What can Carbonite do that Veeam Backup & Replication cannot?
Carbonite covers Automatic backup, Continuous protection, Remote file access, Bare metal restore. Veeam Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery, Ransomware protection, Immutable backups, Application-aware processing. Both handle Windows support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Carbonite: Does Carbonite offer unlimited storage?

Yes, Carbonite's personal plans (Safe Basic through Safe Server Ultimate) offer unlimited cloud storage, though business plans have tiered storage starting at 250 GB.

Source
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
Carbonite: What is Carbonite's pricing?

Personal plans range from $4.91 to $83.33 per month with annual billing. Business plans start around $50-$75 per endpoint annually, with volume discounts available for multi-year contracts.

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
Carbonite: How fast are Carbonite's upload speeds?

Carbonite's upload speeds are notably slow and are consistently identified as the platform's main weakness. The lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading contributes to these speed limitations.

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
Carbonite: What encryption does Carbonite use?

Carbonite uses AES-128 encryption at rest, which is an unusual choice in 2026 when AES-256 is the industry standard.

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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