Softwr

Backup · head to head

Clonezilla vs Terragrunt

Clonezilla logo

Clonezilla

Backup

Free disk cloning and imaging solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Terragrunt logo

Terragrunt

Cloud

The Open Source IaC Orchestrator Platform Teams Trust

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; Terragrunt additional complexity layer on top of Terraform
  • They diverge on capability: Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Terragrunt covers Infrastructure orchestration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clonezilla and Terragrunt actually diverge.

Attributes where Clonezilla and Terragrunt differ
AttributeClonezillaTerragrunt
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsLinux, WindowsAWS, Azure, GCP
CategoryBackupCloud
Founded2004Unknown

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 Terragrunt

  • Infrastructure orchestration
  • Run Queue
  • DRY configuration
  • Automated hooks
  • Infrastructure catalog
  • Least-privilege access

What people use each for

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

Clonezilla

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

Terragrunt

  • Organizing Terraform code across multiple environmentsnot Clonezilla
  • Automating infrastructure deployment workflowsnot Clonezilla
  • Implementing infrastructure as code templates for developer self-servicenot 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

Terragrunt

  • Additional complexity layer on top of Terraform
  • Requires understanding of Terraform concepts
  • Paid tier pricing not clearly published

Pricing, plan by plan

Clonezilla

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

Terragrunt

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Terragrunt CLI - completely free
    • Community support
  • Terragrunt Scale FreeFree
    • Free CI/CD pipeline
    • Unlimited runs and resources
    • For up to 25 infrastructure units
  • Terragrunt Scale Paid$undefined/custom
    • Volume pricing for more than 25 infrastructure units
    • Enterprise support

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 Terragrunt if

  • You need infrastructure orchestration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS, Azure, GCP.
  • You also want run queue.
Terragrunt review

Questions people ask

Is Clonezilla or Terragrunt better?
Neither clearly leads. Clonezilla starts at Free and Terragrunt at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clonezilla or Terragrunt?
Clonezilla starts at Free and Terragrunt at Free.
Does Clonezilla or Terragrunt run on more platforms?
Clonezilla runs on Linux, Windows. Terragrunt runs on AWS, Azure, GCP.
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 Terragrunt is typically brought in for.
What can Clonezilla do that Terragrunt cannot?
Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Disk cloning, Multicast deployment, Multiple file systems. Terragrunt covers Infrastructure orchestration, Run Queue, DRY configuration, Automated hooks.

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
Terragrunt: Is Terragrunt free?

Yes, the Terragrunt CLI is completely free and open source. Terragrunt Scale offers a free tier for up to 25 infrastructure units.

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
Terragrunt: What is the difference between Terragrunt and Terraform?

Terragrunt is an orchestration layer on top of Terraform that handles state management, DRY principles, and deployment automation without replacing Terraform itself.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Clonezilla

More on Terragrunt

Keep looking

Other head to heads