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File Storage · head to head

Panzura vs Zerto

Panzura logo

Panzura

File Storage

Global file system putting one namespace over object storage across sites

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zerto logo

Zerto

File Storage

Continuous data protection with near-zero RPO

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Panzura cloud egress charges apply whenever data is read from the object store into a site that has not cached it, and organisations routinely discover this during a restore or a new site rollout rather than during procurement.; 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: Panzura covers Global file system, Zerto covers Continuous data protection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Panzura and Zerto actually diverge.

Attributes where Panzura and Zerto differ
AttributePanzuraZerto
Starting priceOn request$5/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsLinux, Windows, WebWindows, Linux, Web
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (File Storage).

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 Panzura

  • Global file system
  • Global file locking
  • Local caching filers
  • Deduplication
  • Immutable snapshots
  • Cloud mirroring
  • Symphony data services

Only in Zerto

  • Continuous data protection
  • Journal-based recovery
  • Automated failover
  • Non-disruptive testing
  • Multi-cloud mobility
  • Long-term retention
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

What people use each for

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

Panzura

  • An architecture firm with offices in three cities working on the same Revit models without copy conflictsnot Zerto
  • A media company consolidating project storage into object storage while keeping editors on a normal SMB sharenot Zerto
  • A manufacturer replacing per-site NAS filers and the backup estate that came with themnot Zerto
  • An organisation that needs immutable snapshots of unstructured file data as a ransomware recovery positionnot Zerto

Zerto

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

Where each one falls short

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

Panzura

  • Cloud egress charges apply whenever data is read from the object store into a site that has not cached it, and organisations routinely discover this during a restore or a new site rollout rather than during procurement.
  • Performance depends entirely on cache hit rates, so a team that works across the whole dataset rather than a hot subset sees latency that a local NAS would not have produced.
  • Licence cost is only part of total cost; object storage capacity, per-site filer nodes and egress all sit outside the vendor quote and can exceed it.
  • Recovery of a very large dataset is bounded by your internet link and by egress cost, so the practical recovery time after a site loss is often much longer than the snapshot policy implies.
  • Encryption keys can be held by the customer, but organisations that accept vendor-managed defaults give up the ability to render the object store unreadable independently, which some regulators now ask about explicitly.

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

Panzura

On request
  • Panzura CloudFS$undefined/year
    • Priced by usable capacity under management
    • Filer nodes licensed per site, physical or virtual
    • Object storage and cloud egress billed by your cloud provider separately

Zerto

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Panzura if

  • You need global file system.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Web.
  • You also want global file locking.
Panzura 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 Panzura or Zerto better?
Neither clearly leads. Panzura starts at On request and Zerto at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Panzura or Zerto?
Panzura starts at On request and Zerto at $5/month.
Does Panzura or Zerto run on more platforms?
Panzura runs on Linux, Windows, Web. Zerto runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
What is Panzura best used for?
Panzura is most often used for an architecture firm with offices in three cities working on the same revit models without copy conflicts, a media company consolidating project storage into object storage while keeping editors on a normal smb share, a manufacturer replacing per-site nas filers and the backup estate that came with them, an organisation that needs immutable snapshots of unstructured file data as a ransomware recovery position. Of those, an architecture firm with offices in three cities working on the same revit models without copy conflicts and a media company consolidating project storage into object storage while keeping editors on a normal smb share are not what Zerto is typically brought in for.
What can Panzura do that Zerto cannot?
Panzura covers Global file system, Global file locking, Local caching filers, Deduplication. Zerto covers Continuous data protection, Journal-based recovery, Automated failover, Non-disruptive testing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Panzura: Who holds the encryption keys?

Customer-managed keys are supported. Insist on them if you need the ability to revoke access to the object store independently of the vendor, and confirm the key custody model in writing.

Zerto: Can I try Zerto before buying?

Yes, Zerto offers a 14-day free trial or on-demand lab access to test the platform.

Source
Panzura: What does it actually cost to run?

Model three things: the Panzura subscription, the object storage capacity, and cloud egress. The third is the one that catches buyers out during restores and site bring-ups.

Panzura: Does it replace backup?

Immutable snapshots cover many recovery scenarios, but confirm your retention and compliance requirements before removing an existing backup product.

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