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Software · head to head

Clonezilla vs Comet Backup

Clonezilla logo

Clonezilla

Software

Free disk cloning and imaging solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Comet Backup logo

Comet Backup

Software

White-label backup software for service providers

From
$49/month
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; Comet Backup endpoint costs starting at $2 per endpoint per month on top of base plan
  • They diverge on capability: Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Comet Backup covers White-label branding.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clonezilla and Comet Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Clonezilla and Comet Backup differ
AttributeClonezillaComet Backup
Starting priceFree$49/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, WindowsWindows, macOS, Linux
Founded20042017

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

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 Comet Backup

  • White-label branding
  • Bring your own storage
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Chunking deduplication
  • Delta compression
  • Multi-tenant
  • AWS S3
  • Azure

Both cover

  • Linux support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Clonezilla

  • Bare metal backup and restore of a whole disk or partitionnot Comet Backup
  • Mass deployment of a disk image to many PCs over the networknot Comet Backup

Comet Backup

  • MSP backup and disaster recovery solutionsnot Clonezilla
  • Cloud-to-cloud backup automationnot Clonezilla
  • Ransomware protection with immutable storagenot 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

Comet Backup

  • Endpoint costs starting at $2 per endpoint per month on top of base plan
  • Storage costs vary based on destination, adding to overall expenses

Pricing, plan by plan

Clonezilla

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

Comet Backup

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Comet Backup 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 Comet Backup if

  • You need white-label branding.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want bring your own storage.
Comet Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Clonezilla or Comet Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Clonezilla starts at Free and Comet Backup at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clonezilla or Comet Backup?
Clonezilla has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clonezilla and $49/month for Comet Backup.
Does Clonezilla or Comet Backup run on more platforms?
Clonezilla runs on Linux, Windows. Comet Backup runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Clonezilla for free?
Yes. Clonezilla has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Comet Backup starts at $49/month.
What is Clonezilla best used for?
Clonezilla is most often used for bare metal backup and restore of a whole disk or partition, mass deployment of a disk image to many pcs over the network. Of those, bare metal backup and restore of a whole disk or partition and mass deployment of a disk image to many pcs over the network are not what Comet Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Clonezilla do that Comet Backup cannot?
Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Disk cloning, Multicast deployment, Multiple file systems. Comet Backup covers White-label branding, Bring your own storage, End-to-end encryption, Chunking deduplication. Both handle Linux support, Windows support.
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