Softwr

Backup · head to head

CloudAlly vs Proxmox Backup Server

CloudAlly logo

CloudAlly

Backup

Enterprise SaaS backup made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Proxmox Backup Server logo

Proxmox Backup Server

Backup

Deduplicating backup server for virtual machines, containers and Linux hosts, with verification built in

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CloudAlly pricing not transparently displayed; requires customer inquiry; Proxmox Backup Server there is no Windows client, so physical Windows machines must be backed up by something else and the estate ends up with two backup products.
  • They diverge on capability: CloudAlly covers Automated daily backup, Proxmox Backup Server covers Deduplicated chunk store.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CloudAlly and Proxmox Backup Server actually diverge.

Attributes where CloudAlly and Proxmox Backup Server differ
AttributeCloudAllyProxmox Backup Server
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, CloudLinux
Founded2011Unknown

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

  • Automated daily backup
  • Point-in-time recovery
  • Cross-account restore
  • Archive export
  • Activity logs
  • Multi-admin support
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace

Only in Proxmox Backup Server

  • Deduplicated chunk store
  • Incremental guest backups
  • Client side encryption
  • Verification jobs
  • Remote sync
  • Live restore and file level restore

What people use each for

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

CloudAlly

  • Data protectionnot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Disaster recoverynot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Business continuitynot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Ransomware protectionnot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Compliancenot Proxmox Backup Server

Proxmox Backup Server

  • Backing up a Proxmox VE cluster with incremental block level backups of running guestsnot CloudAlly
  • Replacing a backup product whose licence is priced per socket or per terabyte on a virtualisation estatenot CloudAlly
  • Proving backup integrity on a schedule rather than discovering corruption during a restorenot CloudAlly
  • Keeping an encrypted second copy on a remote server or on tape without a third party servicenot CloudAlly

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

Proxmox Backup Server

  • There is no Windows client, so physical Windows machines must be backed up by something else and the estate ends up with two backup products.
  • The datastore is millions of small chunk files, so it needs storage with real input and output capability and performs poorly on a single spinning disk or an SMB or NFS share.
  • Deduplication is per datastore, so splitting workloads across datastores for retention or tenancy reasons multiplies the storage those workloads consume.
  • Garbage collection depends on file access time semantics on the underlying filesystem, so a datastore mounted with the wrong options can fail to reclaim space or, worse, behave unpredictably.
  • Subscriptions are priced per CPU socket per year, so a backup server consolidated onto fewer larger dual socket machines pays twice per host for the supported repository.

Pricing, plan by plan

CloudAlly

Free
  • CloudAlly Backup$3/month
    • Daily backup
    • Point-in-time restore
    • Unlimited storage

Proxmox Backup Server

Free
  • No subscriptionFree
    • Full functionality with no capacity limit
    • Community package repository
    • Community forum support
  • Subscription$undefined/year
    • Priced per CPU socket per year
    • Access to the enterprise package repository
    • Vendor support tickets

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.
CloudAlly review

Choose Proxmox Backup Server if

  • You need deduplicated chunk store.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want incremental guest backups.
Proxmox Backup Server review

Questions people ask

Is CloudAlly or Proxmox Backup Server better?
Neither clearly leads. CloudAlly starts at Free and Proxmox Backup Server at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CloudAlly or Proxmox Backup Server?
CloudAlly starts at Free and Proxmox Backup Server at Free.
Does CloudAlly or Proxmox Backup Server run on more platforms?
CloudAlly runs on Web, Cloud. Proxmox Backup Server runs on Linux.
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. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what Proxmox Backup Server is typically brought in for.
What can CloudAlly do that Proxmox Backup Server cannot?
CloudAlly covers Automated daily backup, Point-in-time recovery, Cross-account restore, Archive export. Proxmox Backup Server covers Deduplicated chunk store, Incremental guest backups, Client side encryption, Verification jobs.

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.

Source
Proxmox Backup Server: Can it back up machines that are not on Proxmox?

Linux hosts yes, through the client, at file level. Other hypervisors and physical Windows machines are outside its scope.

CloudAlly: 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.

Source
Proxmox Backup Server: Is a subscription required?

No. Without one you use the community repository and forum support. The subscription buys the tested enterprise repository and vendor tickets.

CloudAlly: 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
Proxmox Backup Server: How do I know a backup will restore?

Run verification jobs. They re-read the stored chunks and mark snapshots verified or failed, which is stronger evidence than a successful backup log.

Proxmox Backup Server: What storage should the datastore be on?

Local disks, ideally with ZFS and enough input and output capacity for many small files. Network shares are supported but routinely disappointing.

Share

Related pages

More on CloudAlly

More on Proxmox Backup Server

Keep looking

Other head to heads