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Backup · head to head

Bacula vs Commvault Complete Data Protection

Bacula logo

Bacula

Backup

The best open source backup software for Linux

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Commvault Complete Data Protection logo

Commvault Complete Data Protection

Backup

Enterprise-grade intelligent data management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bacula has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bacula the community edition has no vendor support contract; bacula.org directs support and paid deployments toward the separate commercial Bacula Enterprise product instead.; Commvault Complete Data Protection requires specialized knowledge to optimize configurations for cost-effectiveness
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bacula and Commvault Complete Data Protection actually diverge.

Attributes where Bacula and Commvault Complete Data Protection differ
AttributeBaculaCommvault Complete Data Protection
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebCloud, On-Premises, Hybrid
FoundedUnknown1988

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 Bacula

Nothing recorded that Commvault Complete Data Protection does not also cover.

Only in Commvault Complete Data Protection

  • Unified data protection
  • Automated recovery orchestration
  • AI-driven insights
  • Cloud mobility
  • Ransomware detection
  • Compliance management
  • AWS
  • Azure

What people use each for

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

Bacula

  • Linux, Windows, and macOS network backup at scalenot Commvault Complete Data Protection
  • VMware, KVM, Hyper-V virtual machine backupnot Commvault Complete Data Protection
  • MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL database backupnot Commvault Complete Data Protection
  • Microsoft Exchange Server backupnot Commvault Complete Data Protection
  • Tape backup and enterprise data retentionnot Commvault Complete Data Protection

Commvault Complete Data Protection

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

Where each one falls short

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

Bacula

  • The community edition has no vendor support contract; bacula.org directs support and paid deployments toward the separate commercial Bacula Enterprise product instead.

Commvault Complete Data Protection

  • Requires specialized knowledge to optimize configurations for cost-effectiveness
  • Integration with certain legacy systems can be challenging

Pricing, plan by plan

Bacula

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Bacula review.

Commvault Complete Data Protection

On request
  • Microsoft 365 Backup$1.7/per user per month
    • Cloud-based backup
  • Endpoint Backup$7.5/per user per month
    • User endpoints backup
  • Database Backup$90/per TB per month
    • Database protection
  • File and Object Backup$58.5/per TB per month
    • Storage backup

Which should you pick?

Choose Bacula if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bacula review

Choose Commvault Complete Data Protection if

  • You need unified data protection.
  • You work on Cloud, On-Premises, Hybrid.
  • You also want automated recovery orchestration.
Commvault Complete Data Protection review

Questions people ask

Is Bacula or Commvault Complete Data Protection better?
Neither clearly leads. Bacula starts at Free and Commvault Complete Data Protection at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bacula or Commvault Complete Data Protection?
Bacula has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bacula and On request for Commvault Complete Data Protection.
Does Bacula or Commvault Complete Data Protection run on more platforms?
Bacula runs on Web. Commvault Complete Data Protection runs on Cloud, On-Premises, Hybrid.
Can I use Bacula for free?
Yes. Bacula has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Commvault Complete Data Protection starts at On request.
What is Bacula best used for?
Bacula is most often used for linux, windows, and macos network backup at scale, vmware, kvm, hyper-v virtual machine backup, mysql, oracle, postgresql database backup, microsoft exchange server backup. Of those, linux, windows, and macos network backup at scale and vmware, kvm, hyper-v virtual machine backup are not what Commvault Complete Data Protection is typically brought in for.
What can Bacula do that Commvault Complete Data Protection cannot?
Commvault Complete Data Protection covers Unified data protection, Automated recovery orchestration, AI-driven insights, Cloud mobility.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bacula: How much does Bacula cost?

Bacula Community Edition is free and open source. Bacula Enterprise is a commercial offering with a free trial available, but specific pricing is not listed on the main website.

Source
Commvault Complete Data Protection: What does Commvault protect?

Commvault protects workloads across on-premises data centers, virtual machines, cloud-native applications, SaaS platforms, and AI data pipelines, offering backup and disaster recovery for diverse environments.

Source
Bacula: Is Bacula free?

Bacula Community Edition is fully free and open source. Enterprise Edition is commercial but offers a free trial to evaluate features before purchasing.

Source
Commvault Complete Data Protection: Does Commvault work with AWS and Azure?

Yes, Commvault integrates natively with AWS (EC2, RDS, S3, Glacier) and Microsoft Azure (managed and non-managed VMs), with agentless protection via Virtual Server Agent.

Source
Commvault Complete Data Protection: What are Commvault's pricing tiers?

Commvault offers Silver (foundational protection and recovery), Gold (automated validation and live replication), and Platinum (data risk visibility and security posture management) packages, with usage-based pricing per workload type.

Source
Commvault Complete Data Protection: Does Commvault support compliance standards?

Yes, Commvault helps organizations meet GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA and other compliance standards, and is ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified for information security management.

Source
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