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File Storage · head to head

Cloudian vs Veeam Backup & Replication

Cloudian logo

Cloudian

File Storage

S3-compatible on-premises object storage with object lock immutability

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Veeam Backup & Replication logo

Veeam Backup & Replication

File Storage

Modern data protection for enterprise workloads

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Veeam Backup & Replication has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cloudian you operate the hardware, so capacity planning, firmware, node failures and a refresh cycle every five years return as costs that a public cloud bill hides.; Veeam Backup & Replication replication propagates corrupted data without detection, as it focuses on speed without extensive integrity checks
  • They diverge on capability: Cloudian covers S3 API compatibility, Veeam Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloudian and Veeam Backup & Replication actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloudian and Veeam Backup & Replication differ
AttributeCloudianVeeam Backup & Replication
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsLinuxWindows
FoundedUnknown2006

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (File Storage).

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 Cloudian

  • S3 API compatibility
  • Object Lock
  • Erasure coding
  • Multi-tenancy
  • Hybrid tiering
  • HyperStore appliances

Only in Veeam Backup & Replication

  • Instant VM recovery
  • Ransomware protection
  • Immutable backups
  • Application-aware processing
  • Global deduplication
  • Continuous data protection
  • VMware vSphere
  • Microsoft Hyper-V

What people use each for

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

Cloudian

  • A backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backupsnot Veeam Backup & Replication
  • An organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenablenot Veeam Backup & Replication
  • A university or government body with data residency rules preventing use of public cloud object storagenot Veeam Backup & Replication
  • A media archive holding petabytes of finished content where per-terabyte capital cost beats per-gigabyte monthly cloud feesnot Veeam Backup & Replication

Veeam Backup & Replication

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cloudian

  • You operate the hardware, so capacity planning, firmware, node failures and a refresh cycle every five years return as costs that a public cloud bill hides.
  • Per-terabyte licensing plus servers means high upfront cost, and the crossover point against public cloud only arrives at meaningful scale, typically hundreds of terabytes and up.
  • S3 compatibility is high but not identical to Amazon, so occasional applications depending on newer or less common S3 features need testing rather than assumption.
  • Small deployments need a minimum node count for erasure coding to be meaningful, which sets a practical floor on entry cost regardless of how little data you have.
  • Performance is object storage performance, so it is not a substitute for block or high-throughput file storage and buyers occasionally deploy it for the wrong workload.

Veeam Backup & Replication

  • Replication propagates corrupted data without detection, as it focuses on speed without extensive integrity checks
  • Cannot use guest file indexing for snapshot-only jobs, limiting recovery options
  • Multi-factor authentication is not supported for object storage repositories
  • Scale-out backup repositories do not support rotated drives and have limited functionality

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloudian

On request
  • Cloudian HyperStore$undefined/year
    • Licensed per usable terabyte, subscription or perpetual
    • Software-only on your hardware or as Cloudian appliances
    • No egress or API request charges

Veeam Backup & Replication

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Veeam Backup & Replication review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Cloudian if

  • You need s3 api compatibility.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want object lock.
Cloudian review

Choose Veeam Backup & Replication if

  • You need instant vm recovery.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want ransomware protection.
Veeam Backup & Replication review

Questions people ask

Is Cloudian or Veeam Backup & Replication better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloudian starts at On request and Veeam Backup & Replication at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloudian or Veeam Backup & Replication?
Veeam Backup & Replication has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Cloudian and Free for Veeam Backup & Replication.
Does Cloudian or Veeam Backup & Replication run on more platforms?
Cloudian runs on Linux. Veeam Backup & Replication runs on Windows.
Can I use Veeam Backup & Replication for free?
Yes. Veeam Backup & Replication has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cloudian starts at On request.
What is Cloudian best used for?
Cloudian is most often used for a backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backups, an organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenable, a university or government body with data residency rules preventing use of public cloud object storage, a media archive holding petabytes of finished content where per-terabyte capital cost beats per-gigabyte monthly cloud fees. Of those, a backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backups and an organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenable are not what Veeam Backup & Replication is typically brought in for.
What can Cloudian do that Veeam Backup & Replication cannot?
Cloudian covers S3 API compatibility, Object Lock, Erasure coding, Multi-tenancy. Veeam Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery, Ransomware protection, Immutable backups, Application-aware processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloudian: Does object lock really stop ransomware deleting backups?

Within the retention period, yes, provided the lock is set in compliance mode. That is precisely why it is the common answer to backup-targeting ransomware.

Veeam Backup & Replication: What is included in Veeam's free tier?

Veeam's free Community Edition supports unlimited backups and replication for up to 10 workloads with the same features as the Standard tier, with no time limit.

Source
Cloudian: Are there egress charges?

No. That is the central cost argument against public cloud object storage, and it only becomes visible when you have to restore at volume.

Veeam Backup & Replication: How long can Veeam retain backups?

Veeam retention depends on your storage configuration but typically supports retention of multiple backup versions for weeks to years depending on storage capacity and retention policies configured.

Source
Cloudian: Can we use our own servers?

Yes, HyperStore is software-defined and runs on qualified commodity hardware, or you can buy Cloudian appliances if you would rather not certify your own.

Veeam Backup & Replication: Can Veeam replicate data to cloud storage?

Yes, Veeam Backup & Replication supports replication and backup to cloud storage including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, with support for object storage repositories and immutable backups.

Source
Veeam Backup & Replication: What hypervisors does Veeam support?

Veeam natively supports VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V for VM backup and replication, with additional support for physical servers and cloud instances through complementary tools.

Source
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