Softwr

Backup · head to head

Quest NetVault Backup vs UrBackup

Quest NetVault Backup logo

Quest NetVault Backup

Backup

Cross-platform enterprise backup solution

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
UrBackup logo

UrBackup

Backup

Open source client server backup doing both file and whole disk image backups of Windows machines

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only UrBackup has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Quest NetVault Backup as of a 15 December 2019 archived capture, Quest NetVault Backup pricing is available only on request, sold either by front-end storage capacity or by component, with component-based licensing requiring separate purchase of each module needed rather than a single bundled price; UrBackup backups are stored on the server without encryption at rest by default, so the backup server holds a readable copy of every machine it protects and becomes the highest value target on the network.
  • They diverge on capability: Quest NetVault Backup covers Cross-platform support, UrBackup covers Windows image backups.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quest NetVault Backup and UrBackup actually diverge.

Attributes where Quest NetVault Backup and UrBackup differ
AttributeQuest NetVault BackupUrBackup
Starting price$50/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, WebLinux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD
Founded1987Unknown

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 Quest NetVault Backup

  • Cross-platform support
  • Application-aware backup
  • Inline deduplication
  • Built-in scheduling
  • VMware integration
  • Bare metal recovery
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Only in UrBackup

  • Windows image backups
  • File backups
  • Web interface
  • Client discovery
  • Internet mode
  • Filesystem deduplication

What people use each for

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

Quest NetVault Backup

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

UrBackup

  • A small office with Windows workstations that needs bare metal restore without per seat licensingnot Quest NetVault Backup
  • Schools and labs where machines are re-imaged often and a known good image must be recoverablenot Quest NetVault Backup
  • Backing up a mixed fleet to one server on premises with a web interface non specialists can usenot Quest NetVault Backup
  • Replacing an expiring commercial endpoint backup licence where the budget is the constraintnot Quest NetVault Backup

Where each one falls short

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

Quest NetVault Backup

  • As of a 15 December 2019 archived capture, Quest NetVault Backup pricing is available only on request, sold either by front-end storage capacity or by component, with component-based licensing requiring separate purchase of each module needed rather than a single bundled price

UrBackup

  • Backups are stored on the server without encryption at rest by default, so the backup server holds a readable copy of every machine it protects and becomes the highest value target on the network.
  • Deduplication relies on filesystem features such as hard links, btrfs or ZFS, so a server built on the wrong filesystem silently consumes far more space and the fix is a rebuild rather than a setting.
  • There is no native object storage target, so offsite copies mean replicating the server storage with another tool rather than backing up to a bucket directly.
  • Restoring a full Windows image requires booting a restore environment, which is a manual, on site procedure that needs to be rehearsed before the day it is needed.
  • A single server holds everything and there is no built in clustering, so its own failure removes every recovery point at once unless you have separately solved replication.

Pricing, plan by plan

Quest NetVault Backup

$50/month
  • NetVault Backup$50/month
    • Cross-platform
    • Application support
    • Deduplication

UrBackup

Free
  • UrBackupFree
    • Full functionality, unlimited clients
    • File and image backups
    • Web administration interface

Which should you pick?

Choose Quest NetVault Backup if

  • You need cross-platform support.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want application-aware backup.
Quest NetVault Backup review

Choose UrBackup if

  • You need windows image backups.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
  • You also want file backups.
UrBackup review

Questions people ask

Is Quest NetVault Backup or UrBackup better?
Neither clearly leads. Quest NetVault Backup starts at $50/month and UrBackup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quest NetVault Backup or UrBackup?
UrBackup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50/month for Quest NetVault Backup and Free for UrBackup.
Does Quest NetVault Backup or UrBackup run on more platforms?
Quest NetVault Backup runs on Windows, Linux, Web. UrBackup runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
Can I use UrBackup for free?
Yes. UrBackup has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quest NetVault Backup starts at $50/month.
What is Quest NetVault Backup best used for?
Quest NetVault Backup is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what UrBackup is typically brought in for.
What can Quest NetVault Backup do that UrBackup cannot?
Quest NetVault Backup covers Cross-platform support, Application-aware backup, Inline deduplication, Built-in scheduling. UrBackup covers Windows image backups, File backups, Web interface, Client discovery.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

UrBackup: Does it back up Linux servers as well?

File backups yes, image backups no. The image path is Windows only through volume shadow copy.

UrBackup: Is the data encrypted?

Transport can be encrypted, and there is optional client side file encryption, but the default server storage is not encrypted at rest. Use full disk encryption on the server.

UrBackup: Can I back up to Amazon S3?

Not directly. The server writes to local or mounted storage, so cloud copies are made by replicating that storage separately.

UrBackup: How many clients can one server handle?

Dozens is routine on decent hardware. The limit is usually storage input and output during overlapping backup windows rather than client count.

Share

Related pages

More on Quest NetVault Backup

More on UrBackup

Keep looking

Other head to heads