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Backup · head to head

Portworx Backup vs Unitrends Backup

Portworx Backup logo

Portworx Backup

Backup

Kubernetes application backup with a free tier up to one terabyte

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unitrends Backup logo

Unitrends Backup

Backup

All-in-one backup and recovery appliance

From
$55/month
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: 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.; Unitrends Backup pricing is not transparent and requires contacting the company directly for a custom quote
  • They diverge on capability: Portworx Backup covers Application-level backup, Unitrends Backup covers Predictive analytics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Portworx Backup and Unitrends Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Portworx Backup and Unitrends Backup differ
AttributePortworx BackupUnitrends Backup
Starting priceFree$55/month
Pricing modelPer node hoursubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, LinuxOn-premises, Cloud, Hybrid
FoundedUnknown1989

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 Portworx Backup

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

Only in Unitrends Backup

  • Predictive analytics
  • Automated recovery testing
  • Instant recovery
  • Ransomware detection
  • Adaptive deduplication
  • Cloud integration
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

What people use each for

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

Portworx Backup

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

Unitrends Backup

  • Data protectionnot Portworx Backup
  • Disaster recoverynot Portworx Backup
  • Business continuitynot Portworx Backup
  • Ransomware protectionnot Portworx Backup
  • Compliancenot Portworx Backup

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Unitrends Backup

  • Pricing is not transparent and requires contacting the company directly for a custom quote
  • Minimum pricing starts at approximately $995, limiting accessibility for very small deployments
  • Unified pricing approach means less flexibility for scaling individual components

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Unitrends Backup

$55/month
  • Recovery Series$55/month
    • Predictive analytics
    • Instant recovery
    • Ransomware detection

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Unitrends Backup if

  • You need predictive analytics.
  • You work on On-premises, Cloud, Hybrid.
  • You also want automated recovery testing.
Unitrends Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Portworx Backup or Unitrends Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Portworx Backup starts at Free and Unitrends Backup at $55/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Portworx Backup or Unitrends Backup?
Portworx Backup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Portworx Backup and $55/month for Unitrends Backup.
Does Portworx Backup or Unitrends Backup run on more platforms?
Portworx Backup runs on Web, Linux. Unitrends Backup runs on On-premises, Cloud, Hybrid.
Can I use Portworx Backup for free?
Yes. Portworx Backup has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Unitrends Backup starts at $55/month.
What is Portworx Backup best used for?
Portworx Backup is most often used for a platform team running velero that needs an accountable vendor for restore failures, protecting kubernetes applications across eks, gke and on premises clusters under one policy set, restoring a namespace into a different cloud provider as a disaster recovery test, a small team that wants real kubernetes backup within the free one terabyte tier before committing budget. Of those, a platform team running velero that needs an accountable vendor for restore failures and protecting kubernetes applications across eks, gke and on premises clusters under one policy set are not what Unitrends Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Portworx Backup do that Unitrends Backup cannot?
Portworx Backup covers Application-level backup, Any CSI provider, Cross-cluster restore, Namespace and label selection. Unitrends Backup covers Predictive analytics, Automated recovery testing, Instant recovery, Ransomware detection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Unitrends Backup: What does Unitrends Backup include in its pricing?

Unitrends offers all-in-one backup and disaster recovery with a single flat rate including installation, storage, VIP support, and recoveries, plus two DR tests per year and a 5-year warranty.

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.

Unitrends Backup: What are Unitrends' key disaster recovery features?

Unitrends provides instant recovery, automated recovery assurance, automatic testing capabilities to measure recovery time and points, ransomware protection with behavioral analysis, and bare metal recovery to dissimilar hardware.

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.

Unitrends Backup: How long has Unitrends been in the backup market?

Unitrends was founded in 1989 and has over three decades of experience in backup and disaster recovery solutions, pioneering the first hardware-based backup appliance in 2002.

Source
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