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Backup · head to head

BDRShield vs Kopia

BDRShield logo

BDRShield

Backup

Low-cost backup for virtual machines, servers, endpoints and SaaS from Vembu

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kopia logo

Kopia

Backup

Open source deduplicating backup with client side encryption and a repository on almost any storage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Kopia has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BDRShield published per-workload pricing has been replaced by a custom quote form, so the cost transparency that was a main reason to shortlist it no longer exists and you must go through sales.; Kopia space is only reclaimed when maintenance runs, and in a shared repository full maintenance is owned by one client, so if that machine goes away the repository grows for ever while every backup still reports success.
  • They diverge on capability: BDRShield covers Agentless VM backup, Kopia covers Content defined chunking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BDRShield and Kopia actually diverge.

Attributes where BDRShield and Kopia differ
AttributeBDRShieldKopia
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, WebLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker

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 BDRShield

  • Agentless VM backup
  • Proxmox support
  • SaaS backup
  • Hybrid storage
  • Cloud or on-premises console
  • MSP multi-tenancy

Only in Kopia

  • Content defined chunking
  • Global deduplication
  • Pack blobs
  • Client side encryption
  • Desktop and command line
  • Repository verification

What people use each for

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

BDRShield

  • A managed service provider whose margins do not survive Datto or Veeam per-endpoint pricingnot Kopia
  • An organisation running Proxmox VE that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properlynot Kopia
  • A small business needing virtual machine, server, endpoint and Microsoft 365 backup from one consolenot Kopia
  • A company wanting backup data in its own cloud bucket rather than a vendor-controlled repositorynot Kopia

Kopia

  • Backing up laptops and workstations to cheap object storage with a desktop interface rather than a cron jobnot BDRShield
  • Deduplicating backups of several similar machines into one repository so common content is stored oncenot BDRShield
  • Replacing a chunk based tool whose per object charges made a cheap bucket expensivenot BDRShield
  • Keeping an encrypted offsite copy where the storage provider must never be able to read the contentsnot BDRShield

Where each one falls short

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

BDRShield

  • Published per-workload pricing has been replaced by a custom quote form, so the cost transparency that was a main reason to shortlist it no longer exists and you must go through sales.
  • The product was renamed from BDRSuite to BDRShield, so documentation, forum answers and third-party reviews are split across two names and searching for help is harder than it should be.
  • Recovery orchestration and instant recovery performance trail Veeam and Rubrik, which is invisible in an evaluation and expensive during an actual outage.
  • Support is priced to match the low licence cost, and complex escalations move more slowly than customers used to premium vendors expect.
  • The integration ecosystem is thin compared with the incumbents, so monitoring, ticketing and professional services automation tool connections are limited for MSPs running mature stacks.

Kopia

  • Space is only reclaimed when maintenance runs, and in a shared repository full maintenance is owned by one client, so if that machine goes away the repository grows for ever while every backup still reports success.
  • The repository format has changed across versions and mixing client versions against one repository is discouraged, so a fleet must be upgraded together rather than machine by machine.
  • There is no central orchestration or reporting for many machines, so monitoring a fleet means building your own alerting around exit codes.
  • Restoring many small files is slower than the backup was, because content must be reassembled from pack blobs, and this is rarely tested until the day it matters.
  • Encryption is client side with no escrow, so a lost repository password means the data is unrecoverable and there is no vendor to appeal to.

Pricing, plan by plan

BDRShield

On request
  • BDRShield$undefined/year
    • Per-workload licensing quoted through a custom quote form
    • Separate licensing tracks for MSPs and for end-user organisations
    • Free 30-day trial with full feature access

Kopia

Free
  • KopiaFree
    • Full functionality, no data limit
    • Desktop application included
    • Any supported storage back end

Which should you pick?

Choose BDRShield if

  • You need agentless vm backup.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want proxmox support.
BDRShield review

Choose Kopia if

  • You need content defined chunking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
  • You also want global deduplication.
Kopia review

Questions people ask

Is BDRShield or Kopia better?
Neither clearly leads. BDRShield starts at On request and Kopia at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BDRShield or Kopia?
Kopia has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for BDRShield and Free for Kopia.
Does BDRShield or Kopia run on more platforms?
BDRShield runs on Windows, Linux, Web. Kopia runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
Can I use Kopia for free?
Yes. Kopia has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BDRShield starts at On request.
What is BDRShield best used for?
BDRShield is most often used for a managed service provider whose margins do not survive datto or veeam per-endpoint pricing, an organisation running proxmox ve that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properly, a small business needing virtual machine, server, endpoint and microsoft 365 backup from one console, a company wanting backup data in its own cloud bucket rather than a vendor-controlled repository. Of those, a managed service provider whose margins do not survive datto or veeam per-endpoint pricing and an organisation running proxmox ve that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properly are not what Kopia is typically brought in for.
What can BDRShield do that Kopia cannot?
BDRShield covers Agentless VM backup, Proxmox support, SaaS backup, Hybrid storage. Kopia covers Content defined chunking, Global deduplication, Pack blobs, Client side encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BDRShield: Is BDRSuite the same product?

Yes. BDRSuite was renamed BDRShield, and bdrsuite.com now redirects to bdrshield.com. Same company, Vembu Technologies.

Kopia: Is a partly corrupt repository still restorable?

Partly. Deduplication means one damaged pack blob affects every snapshot referencing its contents, but unaffected files still restore. Run verification regularly rather than assuming.

BDRShield: Is pricing published?

Not any more. The pricing page now routes to a custom quote form for both MSPs and end-user organisations, despite marketing that emphasises a few dollars per workload.

Kopia: How does it compare with restic?

Similar guarantees, with packing that behaves better on per operation billing, a desktop interface, and compression enabled by default.

BDRShield: Does it back up Proxmox?

Yes, agentlessly, which is a genuine reason to shortlist it since several larger vendors support Proxmox poorly or not at all.

Kopia: Do I need to run maintenance manually?

It is scheduled automatically by default, but you must ensure the client that owns full maintenance keeps running, otherwise deleted snapshots never free space.

Kopia: Can several machines share one repository?

Yes, and that is where deduplication pays off, but they should run compatible versions and only one owns full maintenance.

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