Software · head to head
CloudAlly vs Amanda Enterprise
The short version
- Each has a real cost: CloudAlly pricing not transparently displayed; requires customer inquiry; Amanda Enterprise amanda Community Edition is genuinely open source, released under a mix of BSD, GPLv2, LGPL and Apache licenses with source on GitHub, but the Enterprise edition that adds central management and paid support is a separate proprietary product sold by Zmanda (a Betsol company since its 2018 acquisition); Zmanda's own pricing page returned 403 to direct fetch, so no current per-client or per-agent figure could be confirmed from the vendor directly.
- They diverge on capability: CloudAlly covers Automated daily backup, Amanda Enterprise covers Cross-platform backup.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CloudAlly and Amanda Enterprise actually diverge.
| Attribute | CloudAlly | Amanda Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Cloud | Windows, Linux, Web |
| Founded | 2011 | 2005 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), 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 CloudAlly
- Automated daily backup
- Point-in-time recovery
- Cross-account restore
- Archive export
- Activity logs
- Multi-admin support
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
Only in Amanda Enterprise
- Cross-platform backup
- Cloud integration
- Disk staging
- Encryption
- Web-based management
- Bare metal recovery
- AWS S3
- Azure
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CloudAlly
- Data protection
- Disaster recovery
- Business continuity
- Ransomware protection
- Compliance
Amanda Enterprise
- Data protection
- Disaster recovery
- Business continuity
- Ransomware protection
- Compliance
Both are used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection, compliance, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CloudAlly
- Pricing not transparently displayed; requires customer inquiry
- Limited visibility into data center locations for compliance-sensitive organizations
- Transition to OpenText Cybersecurity branding may cause confusion
Amanda Enterprise
- Amanda Community Edition is genuinely open source, released under a mix of BSD, GPLv2, LGPL and Apache licenses with source on GitHub, but the Enterprise edition that adds central management and paid support is a separate proprietary product sold by Zmanda (a Betsol company since its 2018 acquisition); Zmanda's own pricing page returned 403 to direct fetch, so no current per-client or per-agent figure could be confirmed from the vendor directly.
Pricing, plan by plan
CloudAlly
Free- CloudAlly Backup$3/month
- Daily backup
- Point-in-time restore
- Unlimited storage
Amanda Enterprise
Free- Amanda Enterprise$30/month
- Cross-platform
- Cloud backup
- Web console
Which should you pick?
Choose CloudAlly if
- You need automated daily backup.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want point-in-time recovery.
Choose Amanda Enterprise if
- You need cross-platform backup.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
- You also want cloud integration.
Questions people ask
- Is CloudAlly or Amanda Enterprise better?
- Neither clearly leads. CloudAlly starts at Free and Amanda Enterprise at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CloudAlly or Amanda Enterprise?
- CloudAlly starts at Free and Amanda Enterprise at Free.
- Does CloudAlly or Amanda Enterprise run on more platforms?
- CloudAlly runs on Web, Cloud. Amanda Enterprise runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
- Can I use CloudAlly for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is CloudAlly best used for?
- CloudAlly is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection.
- What can CloudAlly do that Amanda Enterprise cannot?
- CloudAlly covers Automated daily backup, Point-in-time recovery, Cross-account restore, Archive export. Amanda Enterprise covers Cross-platform backup, Cloud integration, Disk staging, Encryption. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
CloudAlly: What cloud applications can CloudAlly backup?
CloudAlly backs up Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SharePoint/OneDrive, Salesforce, Box, and Dropbox with daily automated backups and unlimited retention.
SourceCloudAlly: How is CloudAlly data encrypted and stored?
CloudAlly stores backups on AWS servers with 128-bit SSL encryption and AES 256-bit encryption, maintaining compliance certifications including ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR.
SourceCloudAlly: What recovery options does CloudAlly provide?
CloudAlly offers granular point-in-time recovery with unlimited retention, allowing three-click recovery of deleted files, and point-in-time restore capabilities for ransomware protection.
Source