Softwr

Backup · head to head

Bacula vs Paragon Backup & Recovery

Bacula logo

Bacula

Backup

The best open source backup software for Linux

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paragon Backup & Recovery logo

Paragon Backup & Recovery

Backup

Professional-grade backup for Windows

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bacula has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bacula the community edition has no vendor support contract; bacula.org directs support and paid deployments toward the separate commercial Bacula Enterprise product instead.; Paragon Backup & Recovery the free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bacula and Paragon Backup & Recovery actually diverge.

Attributes where Bacula and Paragon Backup & Recovery differ
AttributeBaculaParagon Backup & Recovery
Starting priceFree$50/year
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWindows
FoundedUnknown1994

Identical on both: 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 Bacula

Nothing recorded that Paragon Backup & Recovery does not also cover.

Only in Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk backup
  • File-level backup
  • Incremental/differential
  • Recovery media
  • Virtual disk mount
  • UEFI support
  • Windows
  • Network shares

What people use each for

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

Bacula

  • Linux, Windows, and macOS network backup at scalenot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • VMware, KVM, Hyper-V virtual machine backupnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL database backupnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Microsoft Exchange Server backupnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Tape backup and enterprise data retentionnot Paragon Backup & Recovery

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk and partition backup on Windowsnot Bacula
  • Bare metal recovery from an imagenot Bacula
  • Scheduled incremental backups for a home machinenot Bacula
  • Migrating an installation to a new drive on the paid editionsnot Bacula

Where each one falls short

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

Bacula

  • The community edition has no vendor support contract; bacula.org directs support and paid deployments toward the separate commercial Bacula Enterprise product instead.

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • The free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • Windows only, and specifically Windows 10 x64 from 1809, Windows 11 x64 and Windows 11 Arm64
  • Volume and OS copying, partition management and email notifications need the Advanced edition
  • Windows Server support requires the Business edition
  • Paid edition prices are not shown on the product page

Pricing, plan by plan

Bacula

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Bacula review.

Paragon Backup & Recovery

$50/year
  • Community Edition$50/year
    • Full disk backup
    • File-level backup
    • Recovery media

Which should you pick?

Choose Bacula if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bacula review

Choose Paragon Backup & Recovery if

  • You need full disk backup.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want file-level backup.
Paragon Backup & Recovery review

Questions people ask

Is Bacula or Paragon Backup & Recovery better?
Neither clearly leads. Bacula starts at Free and Paragon Backup & Recovery at $50/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bacula or Paragon Backup & Recovery?
Bacula has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bacula and $50/year for Paragon Backup & Recovery.
Does Bacula or Paragon Backup & Recovery run on more platforms?
Bacula runs on Web. Paragon Backup & Recovery runs on Windows.
Can I use Bacula for free?
Yes. Bacula has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paragon Backup & Recovery starts at $50/year.
What is Bacula best used for?
Bacula is most often used for linux, windows, and macos network backup at scale, vmware, kvm, hyper-v virtual machine backup, mysql, oracle, postgresql database backup, microsoft exchange server backup. Of those, linux, windows, and macos network backup at scale and vmware, kvm, hyper-v virtual machine backup are not what Paragon Backup & Recovery is typically brought in for.
What can Bacula do that Paragon Backup & Recovery cannot?
Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup, File-level backup, Incremental/differential, Recovery media.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bacula: How much does Bacula cost?

Bacula Community Edition is free and open source. Bacula Enterprise is a commercial offering with a free trial available, but specific pricing is not listed on the main website.

Source
Paragon Backup & Recovery: Is Paragon Backup & Recovery still available?

No, Paragon Backup & Recovery has been unavailable since October 8, 2025, and is marked as a legacy product. Business customers are directed to explore alternative products for business use.

Source
Bacula: Is Bacula free?

Bacula Community Edition is fully free and open source. Enterprise Edition is commercial but offers a free trial to evaluate features before purchasing.

Source
Paragon Backup & Recovery: How much does Paragon Backup & Recovery cost?

No pricing information is published. The product is restricted to home use only and customers must contact Paragon's sales team directly for any inquiries.

Source
Paragon Backup & Recovery: What should business users do if they used Paragon Backup & Recovery?

Business customers are recommended to explore the company's other products designed for business use and contact the sales team for alternative solutions.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Bacula

More on Paragon Backup & Recovery

Keep looking

Other head to heads