Softwr

Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Packer vs Zerto

P

Packer

Cloud & Infrastructure

Build automated machine images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zerto logo

Zerto

File Storage & Backup

Continuous data protection with near-zero RPO

From
$5/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; Zerto zerto with Azure is listed on UK G-Cloud as a reseller-managed disaster recovery service, not Zerto's own licence pricing, with OS management from £75 per host per month for the public sector
  • They diverge on capability: Packer covers Image building, Zerto covers Continuous data protection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Packer and Zerto actually diverge.

Attributes where Packer and Zerto differ
AttributePackerZerto
Starting priceFree$5/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, MacWindows, Linux, Web
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureFile Storage & Backup
Founded20132009

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 Zerto

  • Continuous data protection
  • Journal-based recovery
  • Automated failover
  • Non-disruptive testing
  • Multi-cloud mobility
  • Long-term retention
  • 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 Zerto
  • Baking golden AMIs and VM images into a CI pipelinenot Zerto
  • Creating immutable infrastructure artifacts consumed by Terraformnot Zerto

Zerto

  • 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

Zerto

  • Zerto with Azure is listed on UK G-Cloud as a reseller-managed disaster recovery service, not Zerto's own licence pricing, with OS management from £75 per host per month for the public sector

Pricing, plan by plan

Packer

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

Zerto

$5/month
  • Zerto Enterprise Cloud$5/month
    • Continuous protection
    • Journal-based recovery
    • Multi-cloud mobility

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 Zerto if

  • You need continuous data protection.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want journal-based recovery.
Zerto review

Questions people ask

Is Packer or Zerto better?
Neither clearly leads. Packer starts at Free and Zerto at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Packer or Zerto?
Packer has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Packer and $5/month for Zerto.
Does Packer or Zerto run on more platforms?
Packer runs on Linux, Windows, Mac. Zerto runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
Can I use Packer for free?
Yes. Packer has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zerto starts at $5/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 Zerto is typically brought in for.
What can Packer do that Zerto cannot?
Packer covers Image building, Multi-platform support, Provisioners, Builders. Zerto covers Continuous data protection, Journal-based recovery, Automated failover, Non-disruptive testing. Both handle AWS, Azure, Linux support, Windows support.
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