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Backup · head to head

IBM Storage Protect vs UrBackup

IBM Storage Protect logo

IBM Storage Protect

Backup

Enterprise-scale data protection platform

From
$100/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
UrBackup logo

UrBackup

Backup

Open source client server backup doing both file and whole disk image backups of Windows machines

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only UrBackup has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; UrBackup backups are stored on the server without encryption at rest by default, so the backup server holds a readable copy of every machine it protects and becomes the highest value target on the network.
  • They diverge on capability: IBM Storage Protect covers Progressive incremental backup, UrBackup covers Windows image backups.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IBM Storage Protect and UrBackup actually diverge.

Attributes where IBM Storage Protect and UrBackup differ
AttributeIBM Storage ProtectUrBackup
Starting price$100/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, WebLinux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD
Founded1911Unknown

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 IBM Storage Protect

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

Only in UrBackup

  • Windows image backups
  • File backups
  • Web interface
  • Client discovery
  • Internet mode
  • Filesystem deduplication

What people use each for

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

IBM Storage Protect

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

UrBackup

  • A small office with Windows workstations that needs bare metal restore without per seat licensingnot IBM Storage Protect
  • Schools and labs where machines are re-imaged often and a known good image must be recoverablenot IBM Storage Protect
  • Backing up a mixed fleet to one server on premises with a web interface non specialists can usenot IBM Storage Protect
  • Replacing an expiring commercial endpoint backup licence where the budget is the constraintnot 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

UrBackup

  • Backups are stored on the server without encryption at rest by default, so the backup server holds a readable copy of every machine it protects and becomes the highest value target on the network.
  • Deduplication relies on filesystem features such as hard links, btrfs or ZFS, so a server built on the wrong filesystem silently consumes far more space and the fix is a rebuild rather than a setting.
  • There is no native object storage target, so offsite copies mean replicating the server storage with another tool rather than backing up to a bucket directly.
  • Restoring a full Windows image requires booting a restore environment, which is a manual, on site procedure that needs to be rehearsed before the day it is needed.
  • A single server holds everything and there is no built in clustering, so its own failure removes every recovery point at once unless you have separately solved replication.

Pricing, plan by plan

IBM Storage Protect

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

UrBackup

Free
  • UrBackupFree
    • Full functionality, unlimited clients
    • File and image backups
    • Web administration interface

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 UrBackup if

  • You need windows image backups.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
  • You also want file backups.
UrBackup review

Questions people ask

Is IBM Storage Protect or UrBackup better?
Neither clearly leads. IBM Storage Protect starts at $100/month and UrBackup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IBM Storage Protect or UrBackup?
UrBackup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $100/month for IBM Storage Protect and Free for UrBackup.
Does IBM Storage Protect or UrBackup run on more platforms?
IBM Storage Protect runs on Windows, Linux, Web. UrBackup runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
Can I use UrBackup for free?
Yes. UrBackup has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. IBM Storage Protect starts at $100/month.
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 UrBackup is typically brought in for.
What can IBM Storage Protect do that UrBackup cannot?
IBM Storage Protect covers Progressive incremental backup, Policy-based management, Container protection, Kubernetes support. UrBackup covers Windows image backups, File backups, Web interface, Client discovery.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

UrBackup: Does it back up Linux servers as well?

File backups yes, image backups no. The image path is Windows only through volume shadow copy.

UrBackup: Is the data encrypted?

Transport can be encrypted, and there is optional client side file encryption, but the default server storage is not encrypted at rest. Use full disk encryption on the server.

UrBackup: Can I back up to Amazon S3?

Not directly. The server writes to local or mounted storage, so cloud copies are made by replicating that storage separately.

UrBackup: How many clients can one server handle?

Dozens is routine on decent hardware. The limit is usually storage input and output during overlapping backup windows rather than client count.

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Related pages

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