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Backup · head to head

IBM Storage Protect vs Paragon Backup & Recovery

IBM Storage Protect logo

IBM Storage Protect

Backup

Enterprise-scale data protection platform

From
$100/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paragon Backup & Recovery logo

Paragon Backup & Recovery

Backup

Professional-grade backup for Windows

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: IBM Storage Protect iBM United Kingdom Limited lists IBM Storage Protect for Cloud (Microsoft 365 edition) on G-Cloud 14 at £50.64 per user per year; Paragon Backup & Recovery the free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • They diverge on capability: IBM Storage Protect covers Progressive incremental backup, Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IBM Storage Protect and Paragon Backup & Recovery actually diverge.

Attributes where IBM Storage Protect and Paragon Backup & Recovery differ
AttributeIBM Storage ProtectParagon Backup & Recovery
Starting price$100/month$50/year
PlatformsWindows, Linux, WebWindows
Founded19111994

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 IBM Storage Protect

  • Progressive incremental backup
  • Policy-based management
  • Container protection
  • Kubernetes support
  • Data deduplication
  • Instant restore
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Only in Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk backup
  • File-level backup
  • Incremental/differential
  • Recovery media
  • Virtual disk mount
  • UEFI support
  • Windows
  • Network shares

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

IBM Storage Protect

  • Data protectionnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Disaster recoverynot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Business continuitynot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Ransomware protectionnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Compliancenot Paragon Backup & Recovery

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk and partition backup on Windowsnot IBM Storage Protect
  • Bare metal recovery from an imagenot IBM Storage Protect
  • Scheduled incremental backups for a home machinenot IBM Storage Protect
  • Migrating an installation to a new drive on the paid editionsnot IBM Storage Protect

Where each one falls short

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

IBM Storage Protect

  • IBM United Kingdom Limited lists IBM Storage Protect for Cloud (Microsoft 365 edition) on G-Cloud 14 at £50.64 per user per year

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • The free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • Windows only, and specifically Windows 10 x64 from 1809, Windows 11 x64 and Windows 11 Arm64
  • Volume and OS copying, partition management and email notifications need the Advanced edition
  • Windows Server support requires the Business edition
  • Paid edition prices are not shown on the product page

Pricing, plan by plan

IBM Storage Protect

$100/month
  • Storage Protect$100/month
    • Progressive incremental
    • Container support
    • Policy automation

Paragon Backup & Recovery

$50/year
  • Community Edition$50/year
    • Full disk backup
    • File-level backup
    • Recovery media

Which should you pick?

Choose IBM Storage Protect if

  • You need progressive incremental backup.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want policy-based management.
IBM Storage Protect review

Choose Paragon Backup & Recovery if

  • You need full disk backup.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want file-level backup.
Paragon Backup & Recovery review

Questions people ask

Is IBM Storage Protect or Paragon Backup & Recovery better?
Neither clearly leads. IBM Storage Protect starts at $100/month and Paragon Backup & Recovery at $50/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IBM Storage Protect or Paragon Backup & Recovery?
IBM Storage Protect starts at $100/month and Paragon Backup & Recovery at $50/year.
Does IBM Storage Protect or Paragon Backup & Recovery run on more platforms?
IBM Storage Protect runs on Windows, Linux, Web. Paragon Backup & Recovery runs on Windows.
What is IBM Storage Protect best used for?
IBM Storage Protect is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what Paragon Backup & Recovery is typically brought in for.
What can IBM Storage Protect do that Paragon Backup & Recovery cannot?
IBM Storage Protect covers Progressive incremental backup, Policy-based management, Container protection, Kubernetes support. Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup, File-level backup, Incremental/differential, Recovery media. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Paragon Backup & Recovery: Is Paragon Backup & Recovery still available?

No, Paragon Backup & Recovery has been unavailable since October 8, 2025, and is marked as a legacy product. Business customers are directed to explore alternative products for business use.

Source
Paragon Backup & Recovery: How much does Paragon Backup & Recovery cost?

No pricing information is published. The product is restricted to home use only and customers must contact Paragon's sales team directly for any inquiries.

Source
Paragon Backup & Recovery: What should business users do if they used Paragon Backup & Recovery?

Business customers are recommended to explore the company's other products designed for business use and contact the sales team for alternative solutions.

Source
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