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Backup · head to head

Clonezilla vs Puppet

Clonezilla logo

Clonezilla

Backup

Free disk cloning and imaging solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Puppet logo

Puppet

Cloud

Infrastructure automation for enterprises

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clonezilla the destination partition must be equal to or larger than the source partition; Puppet no pricing published for commercial tiers; requires contacting sales
  • They diverge on capability: Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Puppet covers Manifests.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clonezilla and Puppet actually diverge.

Attributes where Clonezilla and Puppet differ
AttributeClonezillaPuppet
Pricing modelfreequote
PlatformsLinux, WindowsLinux, Windows, Mac, Api
CategoryBackupCloud
Founded20042005

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Clonezilla

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

Only in Puppet

  • Manifests
  • Modules
  • Classes
  • Variables
  • Facts
  • Puppet Master
  • Hiera
  • Facter

Both cover

  • Linux support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Clonezilla

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

Puppet

  • Infrastructure automationnot Clonezilla
  • Configuration managementnot Clonezilla
  • DevOps at scalenot Clonezilla
  • Enterprise infrastructurenot 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

Puppet

  • No pricing published for commercial tiers; requires contacting sales
  • Enterprise and Advanced tiers require custom quote
  • Free tier limited to 25 nodes maximum

Pricing, plan by plan

Clonezilla

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

Puppet

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Up to 25 nodes
  • Core Commercial$null/custom
    • 25+ nodes
    • Vendor-backed SLAs
    • Training with Certified Engineers
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Web GUI
    • RBAC
    • Multi-environment support
  • Advanced$null/custom
    • AI-powered features
    • Advanced patching
    • Vulnerability remediation

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 Puppet if

  • You need manifests.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want modules.
Puppet review

Questions people ask

Is Clonezilla or Puppet better?
Neither clearly leads. Clonezilla starts at Free and Puppet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clonezilla or Puppet?
Clonezilla starts at Free and Puppet at Free.
Does Clonezilla or Puppet run on more platforms?
Clonezilla runs on Linux, Windows. Puppet runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
Can I use Clonezilla for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Puppet is typically brought in for.
What can Clonezilla do that Puppet cannot?
Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Disk cloning, Multicast deployment, Multiple file systems. Puppet covers Manifests, Modules, Classes, Variables. Both handle Linux support, Windows support.

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
Puppet: How much does Puppet cost?

Puppet's Developer tier is free for up to 25 nodes. Commercial, Enterprise, and Advanced tiers require contacting their sales team for a custom quote.

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
Puppet: Is there a free version of Puppet?

Yes, Puppet's Developer tier is free forever for up to 25 nodes of infrastructure.

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.

Puppet: What does the Enterprise tier include?

Puppet's Enterprise tier includes web GUI, RBAC, and multi-environment support for organizations managing infrastructure at scale, with pricing available upon request.

Source
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