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Backup · head to head

Commvault Complete Data Protection vs Proxmox Backup Server

Commvault Complete Data Protection logo

Commvault Complete Data Protection

Backup

Enterprise-grade intelligent data management

From
On request
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

  • Only Proxmox Backup Server has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Commvault Complete Data Protection requires specialized knowledge to optimize configurations for cost-effectiveness; 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: Commvault Complete Data Protection covers Unified data protection, 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 Commvault Complete Data Protection and Proxmox Backup Server actually diverge.

Attributes where Commvault Complete Data Protection and Proxmox Backup Server differ
AttributeCommvault Complete Data ProtectionProxmox Backup Server
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-Premises, HybridLinux
Founded1988Unknown

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 Commvault Complete Data Protection

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

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.

Commvault Complete Data Protection

  • 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 Commvault Complete Data Protection
  • Replacing a backup product whose licence is priced per socket or per terabyte on a virtualisation estatenot Commvault Complete Data Protection
  • Proving backup integrity on a schedule rather than discovering corruption during a restorenot Commvault Complete Data Protection
  • Keeping an encrypted second copy on a remote server or on tape without a third party servicenot Commvault Complete Data Protection

Where each one falls short

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

Commvault Complete Data Protection

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

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

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

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 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

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 Commvault Complete Data Protection or Proxmox Backup Server better?
Neither clearly leads. Commvault Complete Data Protection starts at On request and Proxmox Backup Server at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Commvault Complete Data Protection or Proxmox Backup Server?
Proxmox Backup Server has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Commvault Complete Data Protection and Free for Proxmox Backup Server.
Does Commvault Complete Data Protection or Proxmox Backup Server run on more platforms?
Commvault Complete Data Protection runs on Cloud, On-Premises, Hybrid. Proxmox Backup Server runs on Linux.
Can I use Proxmox Backup Server for free?
Yes. Proxmox Backup Server has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Commvault Complete Data Protection starts at On request.
What is Commvault Complete Data Protection best used for?
Commvault Complete Data Protection 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 Commvault Complete Data Protection do that Proxmox Backup Server cannot?
Commvault Complete Data Protection covers Unified data protection, Automated recovery orchestration, AI-driven insights, Cloud mobility. Proxmox Backup Server covers Deduplicated chunk store, Incremental guest backups, Client side encryption, Verification jobs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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.

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
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.

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
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.

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
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.

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