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Backup · head to head

Clonezilla vs Cohesity

Clonezilla logo

Clonezilla

Backup

Free disk cloning and imaging solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cohesity logo

Cohesity

Backup

Protect, secure, and gain insights into your enterprise data

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Clonezilla has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Clonezilla the destination partition must be equal to or larger than the source partition; Cohesity no pricing details published on website
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clonezilla and Cohesity actually diverge.

Attributes where Clonezilla and Cohesity differ
AttributeClonezillaCohesity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, WindowsWeb
Founded2004Unknown

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

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 Clonezilla

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

Only in Cohesity

Nothing recorded that Clonezilla does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Clonezilla

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

Cohesity

  • Data protection and ransomware defensenot Clonezilla
  • Cloud backup and recovery across hybrid environmentsnot Clonezilla
  • Instant recovery from 1,000 VMs simultaneouslynot Clonezilla
  • Multi-cloud data management and securitynot Clonezilla
  • AI-powered threat detection and anomaly detectionnot Clonezilla

Where each one falls short

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

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

Cohesity

  • No pricing details published on website
  • Advanced edition status listed as coming soon
  • Requires contacting sales team for quotes
  • No self-service pricing tiers or calculator available

Pricing, plan by plan

Clonezilla

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

Cohesity

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cohesity review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Cohesity if

Nothing in the data separates Cohesity from Clonezilla on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Cohesity review

Questions people ask

Is Clonezilla or Cohesity better?
Neither clearly leads. Clonezilla starts at Free and Cohesity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clonezilla or Cohesity?
Clonezilla has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clonezilla and On request for Cohesity.
Does Clonezilla or Cohesity run on more platforms?
Clonezilla runs on Linux, Windows. Cohesity runs on Web.
Can I use Clonezilla for free?
Yes. Clonezilla has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cohesity starts at On request.
What is Clonezilla best used for?
Clonezilla is most often used for system backup and cloning, disk imaging and restoration, mass deployment scenarios, enterprise-scale cloning operations. Of those, system backup and cloning and disk imaging and restoration are not what Cohesity is typically brought in for.
What can Clonezilla do that Cohesity cannot?
Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Disk cloning, Multicast deployment, Multiple file systems.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Cohesity: How much does Cohesity cost?

Cohesity does not publish specific pricing on their website. Customers must request a demo, contact the sales team, or initiate a 30-day free trial to discuss pricing options.

Source
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
Cohesity: What editions does Cohesity offer?

Cohesity Data Cloud offers three editions: Core for entry-level, Enterprise for mid-tier, and Advanced (coming soon). Each includes varying Data Insights, Security, Protection, and Platform capabilities.

Source
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.

Cohesity: Is there a free trial for Cohesity?

Yes, Cohesity offers a 30-day free trial without requiring a credit card. No credit card is needed to get started with the trial.

Source
Cohesity: What performance benefits does Cohesity claim?

Cohesity claims 18x faster backups, 2x faster restores, instant recovery of 1000 VMs, and 50% lower total cost of ownership to secure and manage data.

Source
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