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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Packer vs Veritas NetBackup

P

Packer

Cloud & Infrastructure

Build automated machine images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Veritas NetBackup logo

Veritas NetBackup

File Storage & Backup

Scalable enterprise backup and recovery

From
$100/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Packer has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Packer packer 1.10.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence; Veritas NetBackup listed on UK G-Cloud at £5,000 per unit per month by supplier Logicalis UK Limited (unit not further defined in the listing)
  • They diverge on capability: Packer covers Image building, Veritas NetBackup covers Auto image replication.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Packer and Veritas NetBackup actually diverge.

Attributes where Packer and Veritas NetBackup differ
AttributePackerVeritas NetBackup
Starting priceFree$100/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, MacWindows, Linux, Web
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureFile Storage & Backup
Founded20131983

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Packer

  • Image building
  • Multi-platform support
  • Provisioners
  • Builders
  • Post-processors
  • Variables
  • Data sources
  • Validation

Only in Veritas NetBackup

  • Auto image replication
  • Instant access
  • Cloud catalyst
  • Parallel streaming
  • Flexible deployment
  • Resiliency platform
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Both cover

  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Linux support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Packer

  • Building identical machine images for multiple clouds from one templatenot Veritas NetBackup
  • Baking golden AMIs and VM images into a CI pipelinenot Veritas NetBackup
  • Creating immutable infrastructure artifacts consumed by Terraformnot Veritas NetBackup

Veritas NetBackup

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

Where each one falls short

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

Packer

  • Packer 1.10.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Packer to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Packer
  • Each version converts to the MPL 2.0 Change License only four years after that version is first published, and the Change Date is set separately per version
  • Alternative licensing for uses outside the grant must be arranged with the licensor rather than taken under the public licence

Veritas NetBackup

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £5,000 per unit per month by supplier Logicalis UK Limited (unit not further defined in the listing)

Pricing, plan by plan

Packer

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Multi-platform image building
    • Template-driven
    • Provisioner support

Veritas NetBackup

$100/month
  • NetBackup Enterprise$100/month
    • Unified data protection
    • Auto image replication
    • Instant access

Which should you pick?

Choose Packer if

  • You need image building.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want multi-platform support.
Packer review

Choose Veritas NetBackup if

  • You need auto image replication.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want instant access.
Veritas NetBackup review

Questions people ask

Is Packer or Veritas NetBackup better?
Neither clearly leads. Packer starts at Free and Veritas NetBackup at $100/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Packer or Veritas NetBackup?
Packer has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Packer and $100/month for Veritas NetBackup.
Does Packer or Veritas NetBackup run on more platforms?
Packer runs on Linux, Windows, Mac. Veritas NetBackup runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
Can I use Packer for free?
Yes. Packer has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Veritas NetBackup starts at $100/month.
What is Packer best used for?
Packer is most often used for building identical machine images for multiple clouds from one template, baking golden amis and vm images into a ci pipeline, creating immutable infrastructure artifacts consumed by terraform. Of those, building identical machine images for multiple clouds from one template and baking golden amis and vm images into a ci pipeline are not what Veritas NetBackup is typically brought in for.
What can Packer do that Veritas NetBackup cannot?
Packer covers Image building, Multi-platform support, Provisioners, Builders. Veritas NetBackup covers Auto image replication, Instant access, Cloud catalyst, Parallel streaming. Both handle AWS, Azure, Linux support, Windows support.
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