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Cloud · head to head

Chef vs Quest NetVault Backup

Chef logo

Chef

Cloud

Infrastructure automation and management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quest NetVault Backup logo

Quest NetVault Backup

Backup

Cross-platform enterprise backup solution

From
$50/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; Quest NetVault Backup as of a 15 December 2019 archived capture, Quest NetVault Backup pricing is available only on request, sold either by front-end storage capacity or by component, with component-based licensing requiring separate purchase of each module needed rather than a single bundled price
  • They diverge on capability: Chef covers Recipes, Quest NetVault Backup covers Cross-platform support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chef and Quest NetVault Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Chef and Quest NetVault Backup differ
AttributeChefQuest NetVault Backup
Starting priceFree$50/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWindows, Linux, Web
CategoryCloudBackup
Founded20091987

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 Quest NetVault Backup

  • Cross-platform support
  • Application-aware backup
  • Inline deduplication
  • Built-in scheduling
  • VMware integration
  • Bare metal recovery
  • 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 Quest NetVault Backup
  • Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot Quest NetVault Backup

Quest NetVault Backup

  • 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

Quest NetVault Backup

  • As of a 15 December 2019 archived capture, Quest NetVault Backup pricing is available only on request, sold either by front-end storage capacity or by component, with component-based licensing requiring separate purchase of each module needed rather than a single bundled price

Pricing, plan by plan

Chef

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

Quest NetVault Backup

$50/month
  • NetVault Backup$50/month
    • Cross-platform
    • Application support
    • Deduplication

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 Quest NetVault Backup if

  • You need cross-platform support.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want application-aware backup.
Quest NetVault Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Chef or Quest NetVault Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Chef starts at Free and Quest NetVault Backup at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chef or Quest NetVault Backup?
Chef has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chef and $50/month for Quest NetVault Backup.
Does Chef or Quest NetVault Backup run on more platforms?
Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Quest NetVault Backup runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
Can I use Chef for free?
Yes. Chef has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quest NetVault Backup starts at $50/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 Quest NetVault Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Chef do that Quest NetVault Backup cannot?
Chef covers Recipes, Cookbooks, Roles, Data bags. Quest NetVault Backup covers Cross-platform support, Application-aware backup, Inline deduplication, Built-in scheduling. 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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