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Cloud · head to head

Chef vs Micro Focus Data Protector

Chef logo

Chef

Cloud

Infrastructure automation and management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Micro Focus Data Protector logo

Micro Focus Data Protector

Backup

Enterprise backup for multi-platform environments

From
$75/month
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; Micro Focus Data Protector micro Focus Data Protector was rebranded to OpenText Data Protector following the OpenText acquisition of Micro Focus; the vendor's own product pages carry no published pricing at either name (Internet Archive capture, 10 January 2022, and live site check)
  • They diverge on capability: Chef covers Recipes, Micro Focus Data Protector covers Zero downtime backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chef and Micro Focus Data Protector actually diverge.

Attributes where Chef and Micro Focus Data Protector differ
AttributeChefMicro Focus Data Protector
Starting priceFree$75/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWindows, Linux, Web
CategoryCloudBackup
Founded20091976

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 Micro Focus Data Protector

  • Zero downtime backup
  • Instant recovery
  • Application integration
  • Synthetic full backup
  • Granular recovery
  • Centralized management
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Both cover

  • 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 Micro Focus Data Protector
  • Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot Micro Focus Data Protector

Micro Focus Data Protector

  • 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

Micro Focus Data Protector

  • Micro Focus Data Protector was rebranded to OpenText Data Protector following the OpenText acquisition of Micro Focus; the vendor's own product pages carry no published pricing at either name (Internet Archive capture, 10 January 2022, and live site check)

Pricing, plan by plan

Chef

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

Micro Focus Data Protector

$75/month
  • Data Protector$75/month
    • Zero downtime backup
    • Instant recovery
    • Multi-platform

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 Micro Focus Data Protector if

  • You need zero downtime backup.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want instant recovery.
Micro Focus Data Protector review

Questions people ask

Is Chef or Micro Focus Data Protector better?
Neither clearly leads. Chef starts at Free and Micro Focus Data Protector at $75/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chef or Micro Focus Data Protector?
Chef has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chef and $75/month for Micro Focus Data Protector.
Does Chef or Micro Focus Data Protector run on more platforms?
Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Micro Focus Data Protector runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
Can I use Chef for free?
Yes. Chef has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Micro Focus Data Protector starts at $75/month.
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 Micro Focus Data Protector is typically brought in for.
What can Chef do that Micro Focus Data Protector cannot?
Chef covers Recipes, Cookbooks, Roles, Data bags. Micro Focus Data Protector covers Zero downtime backup, Instant recovery, Application integration, Synthetic full backup. Both handle 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
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
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
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
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