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Backup · head to head

NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Portworx Backup

NAKIVO Backup & Replication logo

NAKIVO Backup & Replication

Backup

Fast and affordable VM backup solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Portworx Backup logo

Portworx Backup

Backup

Kubernetes application backup with a free tier up to one terabyte

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NAKIVO Backup & Replication no macOS support and limited Linux support due to absence of native Linux agent; Portworx Backup the paid tier carries a 1,000 node hour monthly minimum, so a cluster that only needs occasional protection still pays a floor.
  • They diverge on capability: NAKIVO Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery, Portworx Backup covers Application-level backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NAKIVO Backup & Replication and Portworx Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where NAKIVO Backup & Replication and Portworx Backup differ
AttributeNAKIVO Backup & ReplicationPortworx Backup
Pricing modelUnknownPer node hour
PlatformsWindows, Linux, Cloud, On-premiseWeb, Linux
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 NAKIVO Backup & Replication

  • Instant VM recovery
  • Site recovery
  • Global deduplication
  • Network acceleration
  • Multi-tenancy
  • Self-service portal
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Only in Portworx Backup

  • Application-level backup
  • Any CSI provider
  • Cross-cluster restore
  • Namespace and label selection
  • Scheduled policies
  • Role-based access
  • Free tier

What people use each for

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

NAKIVO Backup & Replication

  • Data protectionnot Portworx Backup
  • Disaster recoverynot Portworx Backup
  • Business continuitynot Portworx Backup
  • Ransomware protectionnot Portworx Backup
  • Compliancenot Portworx Backup

Portworx Backup

  • A platform team running Velero that needs an accountable vendor for restore failuresnot NAKIVO Backup & Replication
  • Protecting Kubernetes applications across EKS, GKE and on premises clusters under one policy setnot NAKIVO Backup & Replication
  • Restoring a namespace into a different cloud provider as a disaster recovery testnot NAKIVO Backup & Replication
  • A small team that wants real Kubernetes backup within the free one terabyte tier before committing budgetnot NAKIVO Backup & Replication

Where each one falls short

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

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

Portworx Backup

  • The paid tier carries a 1,000 node hour monthly minimum, so a cluster that only needs occasional protection still pays a floor.
  • It is licensed separately from Portworx Enterprise, so organisations that assumed storage and backup came together find a second subscription in the quote.
  • The free tier caps at one terabyte of protected data, which is quickly exceeded by any database of consequence and forces a jump straight to the minimum commitment.
  • Backup targets are object stores you provide, so restore egress charges from your cloud provider are outside the vendor price and appear during a recovery rather than in procurement.
  • Application-consistent backup of databases still depends on correct pre and post hooks, so the product does not remove the requirement to understand and rehearse your own restore ordering.

Pricing, plan by plan

NAKIVO Backup & Replication

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the NAKIVO Backup & Replication review.

Portworx Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to one terabyte of protected data
    • No feature restrictions
    • Fully managed service
  • Portworx Backup$0.2/node hour
    • Minimum 1,000 node hours per month
    • Unlimited protected capacity
    • Any Container Storage Interface provider

Which should you pick?

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.
NAKIVO Backup & Replication review

Choose Portworx Backup if

  • You need application-level backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want any csi provider.
Portworx Backup review

Questions people ask

Is NAKIVO Backup & Replication or Portworx Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. NAKIVO Backup & Replication starts at Free and Portworx Backup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NAKIVO Backup & Replication or Portworx Backup?
NAKIVO Backup & Replication starts at Free and Portworx Backup at Free.
Does NAKIVO Backup & Replication or Portworx Backup run on more platforms?
NAKIVO Backup & Replication runs on Windows, Linux, Cloud, On-premise. Portworx Backup runs on Web, Linux.
Can I use NAKIVO Backup & Replication for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is NAKIVO Backup & Replication best used for?
NAKIVO Backup & Replication is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what Portworx Backup is typically brought in for.
What can NAKIVO Backup & Replication do that Portworx Backup cannot?
NAKIVO Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery, Site recovery, Global deduplication, Network acceleration. Portworx Backup covers Application-level backup, Any CSI provider, Cross-cluster restore, Namespace and label selection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Source
Portworx Backup: Is the free tier real?

Yes, up to one terabyte of protected data with no feature restrictions as a managed service. It is a usable production tier for small footprints, not a trial.

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.

Source
Portworx Backup: Does it only protect Portworx volumes?

No. It works across Container Storage Interface providers, including cloud provider storage and other vendors' drivers.

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.

Source
Portworx Backup: Is it included with Portworx Enterprise?

No. It is a separate licence at 0.20 USD per node hour with its own minimum.

NAKIVO 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.

Source
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