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Backup · head to head

Clonezilla vs Unitrends Backup

Clonezilla logo

Clonezilla

Backup

Free disk cloning and imaging solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unitrends Backup logo

Unitrends Backup

Backup

All-in-one backup and recovery appliance

From
$55/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; Unitrends Backup pricing is not transparent and requires contacting the company directly for a custom quote
  • They diverge on capability: Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Unitrends Backup covers Predictive analytics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Clonezilla and Unitrends Backup differ
AttributeClonezillaUnitrends Backup
Starting priceFree$55/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, WindowsOn-premises, Cloud, Hybrid
Founded20041989

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 Unitrends Backup

  • Predictive analytics
  • Automated recovery testing
  • Instant recovery
  • Ransomware detection
  • Adaptive deduplication
  • Cloud integration
  • 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.

Clonezilla

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

Unitrends Backup

  • Data protectionnot Clonezilla
  • Disaster recoverynot Clonezilla
  • Business continuitynot Clonezilla
  • Ransomware protectionnot Clonezilla
  • Compliancenot 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

Unitrends Backup

  • Pricing is not transparent and requires contacting the company directly for a custom quote
  • Minimum pricing starts at approximately $995, limiting accessibility for very small deployments
  • Unified pricing approach means less flexibility for scaling individual components

Pricing, plan by plan

Clonezilla

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

Unitrends Backup

$55/month
  • Recovery Series$55/month
    • Predictive analytics
    • Instant recovery
    • Ransomware detection

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 Unitrends Backup if

  • You need predictive analytics.
  • You work on On-premises, Cloud, Hybrid.
  • You also want automated recovery testing.
Unitrends Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Clonezilla or Unitrends Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Clonezilla starts at Free and Unitrends Backup at $55/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clonezilla or Unitrends Backup?
Clonezilla has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clonezilla and $55/month for Unitrends Backup.
Does Clonezilla or Unitrends Backup run on more platforms?
Clonezilla runs on Linux, Windows. Unitrends Backup runs on On-premises, Cloud, Hybrid.
Can I use Clonezilla for free?
Yes. Clonezilla has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Unitrends Backup starts at $55/month.
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 Unitrends Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Clonezilla do that Unitrends Backup cannot?
Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Disk cloning, Multicast deployment, Multiple file systems. Unitrends Backup covers Predictive analytics, Automated recovery testing, Instant recovery, Ransomware detection. 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
Unitrends Backup: What does Unitrends Backup include in its pricing?

Unitrends offers all-in-one backup and disaster recovery with a single flat rate including installation, storage, VIP support, and recoveries, plus two DR tests per year and a 5-year warranty.

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
Unitrends Backup: What are Unitrends' key disaster recovery features?

Unitrends provides instant recovery, automated recovery assurance, automatic testing capabilities to measure recovery time and points, ransomware protection with behavioral analysis, and bare metal recovery to dissimilar hardware.

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.

Unitrends Backup: How long has Unitrends been in the backup market?

Unitrends was founded in 1989 and has over three decades of experience in backup and disaster recovery solutions, pioneering the first hardware-based backup appliance in 2002.

Source
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