Software · head to head
NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs StorageCraft ShadowProtect

NAKIVO Backup & Replication
Software
Fast and affordable VM backup solution
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -

StorageCraft ShadowProtect
Software
Fast and reliable image-based backup
- From
- $15/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only NAKIVO Backup & Replication has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: NAKIVO Backup & Replication no macOS support and limited Linux support due to absence of native Linux agent; StorageCraft ShadowProtect host-based backup requires Windows Server 2016 or above on the Hyper-V host, and desktop, client and Pro editions are not supported
- They diverge on capability: NAKIVO Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery, StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which NAKIVO Backup & Replication and StorageCraft ShadowProtect actually diverge.
| Attribute | NAKIVO Backup & Replication | StorageCraft ShadowProtect |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $15/month |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, Cloud, On-premise | Windows, Linux, Web |
| Founded | 2012 | 2003 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Nutanix
- AWS
Only in StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Image-based backup
- VirtualBoot
- Bare metal recovery
- Hardware-independent restore
- Incremental imaging
- ShadowStream replication
- Windows Server
- Linux Server
Both cover
- VMware
- Hyper-V
- Windows support
- Linux support
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- Data protectionnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Disaster recoverynot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Business continuitynot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Ransomware protectionnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Compliancenot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Image based backup and bare metal recovery of Windows and Linux serversnot NAKIVO Backup & Replication
- MSPs protecting client Hyper-V hosts and workloads from one consolenot 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
StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Host-based backup requires Windows Server 2016 or above on the Hyper-V host, and desktop, client and Pro editions are not supported
- Host-based and agent-based backup are mutually exclusive installation modes in ShadowProtect 8.0; one machine cannot run both
- Switching from agent-based to host-based requires a clean reinstall rather than an in-place upgrade
- Host-based backups are not compatible with VirtualBoot
- Granular file and folder recovery is not available for host-based backups; the whole backup must be restored to a .vhd or .vhdx first
- Host-based backup jobs do not report status to ShadowControl
- Advanced Verification in ImageManager 8.1 is not supported for host-based backups
- All host-based backups go into a single folder by default, so separating them per VM means creating a separate backup job for each
- Host-based licence keys are generated only through the Arcserve MSP portal
Pricing, plan by plan
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the NAKIVO Backup & Replication review.
StorageCraft ShadowProtect
$15/month- ShadowProtect SPX$15/month
- Image-based backup
- VirtualBoot
- Bare metal recovery
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.
Choose StorageCraft ShadowProtect if
- You need image-based backup.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
- You also want virtualboot.
Questions people ask
- Is NAKIVO Backup & Replication or StorageCraft ShadowProtect better?
- Neither clearly leads. NAKIVO Backup & Replication starts at Free and StorageCraft ShadowProtect at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, NAKIVO Backup & Replication or StorageCraft ShadowProtect?
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for NAKIVO Backup & Replication and $15/month for StorageCraft ShadowProtect.
- Does NAKIVO Backup & Replication or StorageCraft ShadowProtect run on more platforms?
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication runs on Windows, Linux, Cloud, On-premise. StorageCraft ShadowProtect runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
- Can I use NAKIVO Backup & Replication for free?
- Yes. NAKIVO Backup & Replication has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. StorageCraft ShadowProtect starts at $15/month.
- 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 StorageCraft ShadowProtect is typically brought in for.
- What can NAKIVO Backup & Replication do that StorageCraft ShadowProtect cannot?
- NAKIVO Backup & Replication covers Instant VM recovery, Site recovery, Global deduplication, Network acceleration. StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup, VirtualBoot, Bare metal recovery, Hardware-independent restore. Both handle VMware, Hyper-V, Windows support, Linux support.
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.
SourceNAKIVO 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.
SourceNAKIVO 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
More on StorageCraft ShadowProtect
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