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Backup · head to head

Paragon Backup & Recovery vs Portworx Backup

Paragon Backup & Recovery logo

Paragon Backup & Recovery

Backup

Professional-grade backup for Windows

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Portworx Backup logo

Portworx Backup

Backup

Kubernetes application backup with a free tier up to one terabyte

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Portworx Backup has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Paragon Backup & Recovery the free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only; Portworx Backup the paid tier carries a 1,000 node hour monthly minimum, so a cluster that only needs occasional protection still pays a floor.
  • They diverge on capability: Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup, Portworx Backup covers Application-level backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Paragon Backup & Recovery and Portworx Backup differ
AttributeParagon Backup & RecoveryPortworx Backup
Starting price$50/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer node hour
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Linux
Founded1994Unknown

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 Paragon Backup & Recovery

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

Only in Portworx Backup

  • Application-level backup
  • Any CSI provider
  • Cross-cluster restore
  • Namespace and label selection
  • Scheduled policies
  • Role-based access
  • Free tier

What people use each for

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

Paragon Backup & Recovery

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

Portworx Backup

  • A platform team running Velero that needs an accountable vendor for restore failuresnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Protecting Kubernetes applications across EKS, GKE and on premises clusters under one policy setnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Restoring a namespace into a different cloud provider as a disaster recovery testnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • A small team that wants real Kubernetes backup within the free one terabyte tier before committing budgetnot Paragon Backup & Recovery

Where each one falls short

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

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

Portworx Backup

  • The paid tier carries a 1,000 node hour monthly minimum, so a cluster that only needs occasional protection still pays a floor.
  • It is licensed separately from Portworx Enterprise, so organisations that assumed storage and backup came together find a second subscription in the quote.
  • The free tier caps at one terabyte of protected data, which is quickly exceeded by any database of consequence and forces a jump straight to the minimum commitment.
  • Backup targets are object stores you provide, so restore egress charges from your cloud provider are outside the vendor price and appear during a recovery rather than in procurement.
  • Application-consistent backup of databases still depends on correct pre and post hooks, so the product does not remove the requirement to understand and rehearse your own restore ordering.

Pricing, plan by plan

Paragon Backup & Recovery

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

Portworx Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to one terabyte of protected data
    • No feature restrictions
    • Fully managed service
  • Portworx Backup$0.2/node hour
    • Minimum 1,000 node hours per month
    • Unlimited protected capacity
    • Any Container Storage Interface provider

Which should you pick?

Choose Paragon Backup & Recovery if

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

Choose Portworx Backup if

  • You need application-level backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want any csi provider.
Portworx Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Paragon Backup & Recovery or Portworx Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Paragon Backup & Recovery starts at $50/year and Portworx Backup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paragon Backup & Recovery or Portworx Backup?
Portworx Backup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50/year for Paragon Backup & Recovery and Free for Portworx Backup.
Does Paragon Backup & Recovery or Portworx Backup run on more platforms?
Paragon Backup & Recovery runs on Windows. Portworx Backup runs on Web, Linux.
Can I use Portworx Backup for free?
Yes. Portworx Backup has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paragon Backup & Recovery starts at $50/year.
What is Paragon Backup & Recovery best used for?
Paragon Backup & Recovery is most often used for full disk and partition backup on windows, bare metal recovery from an image, scheduled incremental backups for a home machine, migrating an installation to a new drive on the paid editions. Of those, full disk and partition backup on windows and bare metal recovery from an image are not what Portworx Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Paragon Backup & Recovery do that Portworx Backup cannot?
Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup, File-level backup, Incremental/differential, Recovery media. Portworx Backup covers Application-level backup, Any CSI provider, Cross-cluster restore, Namespace and label selection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Portworx Backup: Is the free tier real?

Yes, up to one terabyte of protected data with no feature restrictions as a managed service. It is a usable production tier for small footprints, not a trial.

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
Portworx Backup: Does it only protect Portworx volumes?

No. It works across Container Storage Interface providers, including cloud provider storage and other vendors' drivers.

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
Portworx Backup: Is it included with Portworx Enterprise?

No. It is a separate licence at 0.20 USD per node hour with its own minimum.

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