Backup · head to head
HYCU vs NAKIVO Backup & Replication

HYCU
Backup
Backup as a service spanning SaaS applications as well as infrastructure
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -

NAKIVO Backup & Replication
Backup
Fast and affordable VM backup solution
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only NAKIVO Backup & Replication has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: HYCU pricing is quoted with different billing units for different services, so an estate spanning virtual machines, cloud and SaaS is billed three ways and annual forecasting becomes guesswork.; NAKIVO Backup & Replication no macOS support and limited Linux support due to absence of native Linux agent
- They diverge on capability: HYCU covers R-Cloud platform, NAKIVO 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 HYCU and NAKIVO Backup & Replication actually diverge.
| Attribute | HYCU | NAKIVO Backup & Replication |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Linux, Windows | Windows, Linux, Cloud, On-premise |
| Founded | Unknown | 2012 |
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 HYCU
- R-Cloud platform
- SaaS application backup
- Nutanix and VMware backup
- Cloud infrastructure backup
- R-Graph
- Development kit
- Immutable backup targets
Only in NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- Instant VM recovery
- Site recovery
- Global deduplication
- Network acceleration
- Multi-tenancy
- Self-service portal
- VMware
- Hyper-V
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
HYCU
- An organisation that has just realised its Okta, Jira and GitHub data is not covered by any backup product it ownsnot NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- A Nutanix environment needing agentless backup that understands the platform rather than treating it as generic virtual machinesnot NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- A mid-market IT team wanting one vendor across on premises virtual machines, cloud workloads and SaaS applicationsnot NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- Building an immutable off-site copy with object lock to satisfy a cyber insurance requirementnot NAKIVO Backup & Replication
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- Data protectionnot HYCU
- Disaster recoverynot HYCU
- Business continuitynot HYCU
- Ransomware protectionnot HYCU
- Compliancenot HYCU
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
HYCU
- Pricing is quoted with different billing units for different services, so an estate spanning virtual machines, cloud and SaaS is billed three ways and annual forecasting becomes guesswork.
- Backup storage and cloud egress on restore are billed by your cloud provider rather than by HYCU, which means the recovery cost of a large incident appears on a different invoice and is rarely modelled in advance.
- SaaS integration depth varies considerably by application, and a source appearing on the supported list does not guarantee that every object type within it is captured; verify the specific data you need.
- Integrations built with the development kit may come from partners rather than HYCU, so the support path for a given source is worth establishing before you rely on it.
- The product's Nutanix heritage still shows in feature depth, and organisations with predominantly VMware or physical estates often find the incumbent backup vendors more mature for those workloads.
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- No macOS support and limited Linux support due to absence of native Linux agent
- Limited SQL Server transaction log backup options restricting database protection granularity
- Weak ITSM platform integrations - lacks tight integration with ServiceNow or Jira Service Desk
- Encrypted VMware VMs only support crash-consistent backups in application-aware mode, limiting granular app-level recovery
Pricing, plan by plan
HYCU
On request- HYCU R-Cloud$undefined/year
- Consumption pricing by virtual machine, tebibyte or gibibyte depending on service
- Different units for different data sources under one agreement
- Cloud storage target costs billed separately by your provider
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the NAKIVO Backup & Replication review.
Which should you pick?
Choose HYCU if
- You need r-cloud platform.
- You work on Web, Linux, Windows.
- You also want saas application backup.
Choose NAKIVO Backup & Replication if
- You need instant vm recovery.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Cloud, On-premise.
- You also want site recovery.
Questions people ask
- Is HYCU or NAKIVO Backup & Replication better?
- Neither clearly leads. HYCU starts at On request and NAKIVO Backup & Replication at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, HYCU or NAKIVO Backup & Replication?
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for HYCU and Free for NAKIVO Backup & Replication.
- Does HYCU or NAKIVO Backup & Replication run on more platforms?
- HYCU runs on Web, Linux, Windows. NAKIVO Backup & Replication runs on Windows, Linux, Cloud, On-premise.
- Can I use NAKIVO Backup & Replication for free?
- Yes. NAKIVO Backup & Replication has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HYCU starts at On request.
- What is HYCU best used for?
- HYCU is most often used for an organisation that has just realised its okta, jira and github data is not covered by any backup product it owns, a nutanix environment needing agentless backup that understands the platform rather than treating it as generic virtual machines, a mid-market it team wanting one vendor across on premises virtual machines, cloud workloads and saas applications, building an immutable off-site copy with object lock to satisfy a cyber insurance requirement. Of those, an organisation that has just realised its okta, jira and github data is not covered by any backup product it owns and a nutanix environment needing agentless backup that understands the platform rather than treating it as generic virtual machines are not what NAKIVO Backup & Replication is typically brought in for.
- What can HYCU do that NAKIVO Backup & Replication cannot?
- HYCU covers R-Cloud platform, SaaS application backup, Nutanix and VMware backup, Cloud infrastructure backup. NAKIVO Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery, Site recovery, Global deduplication, Network acceleration.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
HYCU: Is pricing published?
No. It is consumption based by virtual machine, tebibyte or gibibyte depending on the service, and quoted. Ask specifically which unit applies to each data source in your estate.
NAKIVO Backup & Replication: What does NAKIVO backup?
NAKIVO backs up virtual machines from VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and Proxmox VE, plus physical Windows and Linux servers, Amazon EC2 instances, Microsoft 365 data, databases, and NAS file shares.
SourceHYCU: Does it really back up SaaS applications?
Yes, that is the main differentiator, with a long supported source list. Confirm the depth of coverage for the specific objects you need in each application.
NAKIVO Backup & Replication: What is NAKIVO's pricing structure?
NAKIVO offers subscription pricing starting at $2.45 per workload per month or perpetual licensing starting at $19 per workstation. Additional tiers include $229 per CPU socket for larger deployments. Both on-premise and SaaS deployment options are available.
SourceHYCU: Who holds the encryption keys?
Ask directly and get it in writing. Key custody differs by deployment model and it determines whether you can render backup copies unreadable independently of the vendor.
NAKIVO Backup & Replication: Does NAKIVO include ransomware protection?
Yes. NAKIVO includes AES-256 encryption, role-based access control, two-factor authentication, and built-in ransomware protection through immutable storage options.
SourceNAKIVO Backup & Replication: Can NAKIVO replicate virtual machines?
Yes. NAKIVO Backup & Replication includes VM replication capabilities, disaster recovery orchestration, and automated failover for business continuity planning.
SourceRelated pages
More on NAKIVO Backup & Replication
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