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Cloud · head to head

Chef vs Commvault Complete Data Protection

Chef logo

Chef

Cloud

Infrastructure automation and management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Commvault Complete Data Protection logo

Commvault Complete Data Protection

Backup

Enterprise-grade intelligent data management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chef has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Chef priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size; Commvault Complete Data Protection requires specialized knowledge to optimize configurations for cost-effectiveness
  • They diverge on capability: Chef covers Recipes, Commvault Complete Data Protection covers Unified data protection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chef and Commvault Complete Data Protection actually diverge.

Attributes where Chef and Commvault Complete Data Protection differ
AttributeChefCommvault Complete Data Protection
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiCloud, On-Premises, Hybrid
CategoryCloudBackup
Founded20091988

Identical on both: 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 Chef

  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Roles
  • Data bags
  • Attributes
  • Chef Server
  • Chef Infra
  • Chef Compliance

Only in Commvault Complete Data Protection

  • Unified data protection
  • Automated recovery orchestration
  • AI-driven insights
  • Cloud mobility
  • Ransomware detection
  • Compliance management
  • Google Cloud
  • Oracle

Both cover

  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Linux support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Chef

  • Configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleetsnot Commvault Complete Data Protection
  • Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot Commvault Complete Data Protection

Commvault Complete Data Protection

  • Data protectionnot Chef
  • Disaster recoverynot Chef
  • Business continuitynot Chef
  • Ransomware protectionnot Chef
  • Compliancenot Chef

Where each one falls short

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

Chef

  • Priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size
  • Tripling the price between the two published tiers puts compliance and audit features well above basic automation
  • Enterprise Plus and every self managed deployment are custom quoted with no published price

Commvault Complete Data Protection

  • Requires specialized knowledge to optimize configurations for cost-effectiveness
  • Integration with certain legacy systems can be challenging

Pricing, plan by plan

Chef

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Chef Infra
    • Community support
    • Full functionality
  • Chef Automate$4000/year
    • Chef Infra
    • Compliance automation
    • Insights

Commvault Complete Data Protection

On request
  • Microsoft 365 Backup$1.7/per user per month
    • Cloud-based backup
  • Endpoint Backup$7.5/per user per month
    • User endpoints backup
  • Database Backup$90/per TB per month
    • Database protection
  • File and Object Backup$58.5/per TB per month
    • Storage backup

Which should you pick?

Choose Chef if

  • You need recipes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want cookbooks.
Chef review

Choose Commvault Complete Data Protection if

  • You need unified data protection.
  • You work on Cloud, On-Premises, Hybrid.
  • You also want automated recovery orchestration.
Commvault Complete Data Protection review

Questions people ask

Is Chef or Commvault Complete Data Protection better?
Neither clearly leads. Chef starts at Free and Commvault Complete Data Protection at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chef or Commvault Complete Data Protection?
Chef has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chef and On request for Commvault Complete Data Protection.
Does Chef or Commvault Complete Data Protection run on more platforms?
Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Commvault Complete Data Protection runs on Cloud, On-Premises, Hybrid.
Can I use Chef for free?
Yes. Chef has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Commvault Complete Data Protection starts at On request.
What is Chef best used for?
Chef is most often used for configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleets, enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodes. Of those, configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleets and enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodes are not what Commvault Complete Data Protection is typically brought in for.
What can Chef do that Commvault Complete Data Protection cannot?
Chef covers Recipes, Cookbooks, Roles, Data bags. Commvault Complete Data Protection covers Unified data protection, Automated recovery orchestration, AI-driven insights, Cloud mobility. Both handle AWS, Azure, Linux support, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Chef: How much does Chef cost?

Chef does not publish pricing on its website. The company offers a free trial and directs interested customers to request a demo or contact their sales team for pricing details.

Source
Commvault Complete Data Protection: What does Commvault protect?

Commvault protects workloads across on-premises data centers, virtual machines, cloud-native applications, SaaS platforms, and AI data pipelines, offering backup and disaster recovery for diverse environments.

Source
Chef: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, Chef offers a free trial to interested users, allowing them to evaluate the platform before purchasing.

Source
Commvault Complete Data Protection: Does Commvault work with AWS and Azure?

Yes, Commvault integrates natively with AWS (EC2, RDS, S3, Glacier) and Microsoft Azure (managed and non-managed VMs), with agentless protection via Virtual Server Agent.

Source
Chef: What deployment options are available?

Chef is available as SaaS (cloud-hosted), on-premises, and through cloud marketplaces like AWS and Azure, but specific pricing for each deployment model is not published.

Source
Commvault Complete Data Protection: What are Commvault's pricing tiers?

Commvault offers Silver (foundational protection and recovery), Gold (automated validation and live replication), and Platinum (data risk visibility and security posture management) packages, with usage-based pricing per workload type.

Source
Chef: How do I get pricing information?

Sign up for the free trial or request a demo through Chef's website to speak with their sales team about pricing.

Source
Commvault Complete Data Protection: Does Commvault support compliance standards?

Yes, Commvault helps organizations meet GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA and other compliance standards, and is ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified for information security management.

Source
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