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Backup · head to head

Redstor vs Velero

Redstor logo

Redstor

Backup

Cloud backup for managed service providers with instant streamed recovery

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Velero logo

Velero

Backup

Open source backup and migration for Kubernetes cluster resources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Velero has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Redstor it is sold through the channel, so you cannot buy it direct and your price and support quality depend entirely on the partner you engage.; Velero there is no vendor support contract from the project itself, so a failed restore during an outage is resolved by your team reading source code and GitHub issues.
  • They diverge on capability: Redstor covers InstantData, Velero covers Cluster resource backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Redstor and Velero actually diverge.

Attributes where Redstor and Velero differ
AttributeRedstorVelero
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, WebLinux

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 Redstor

  • InstantData
  • Multi-tenant console
  • SaaS application backup
  • Regional data centres
  • Malware detection
  • White labelling

Only in Velero

  • Cluster resource backup
  • Volume snapshots
  • File-level backup
  • Cross-cluster restore
  • Backup hooks
  • Scheduled backups
  • Object storage targets

What people use each for

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

Redstor

  • A UK managed service provider needing client data to stay in UK data centres for public sector contractsnot Velero
  • An MSP that wants to promise a recovery time measured in minutes rather than hours for file serversnot Velero
  • A business needing Microsoft 365 and accounting SaaS backup managed by its IT provider in one consolenot Velero
  • An MSP consolidating several backup products across its client base onto one multi-tenant platformnot Velero

Velero

  • A platform team needing namespace-level restore after an accidental deletion, with no budget for a backup productnot Redstor
  • Migrating workloads between Kubernetes clusters or between cloud providers using backup and restorenot Redstor
  • Capturing cluster configuration before a risky upgrade so the previous state can be reinstatednot Redstor
  • An organisation proving a Kubernetes recovery capability to an auditor before deciding whether to buy a commercial productnot Redstor

Where each one falls short

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

Redstor

  • It is sold through the channel, so you cannot buy it direct and your price and support quality depend entirely on the partner you engage.
  • Pricing is not published at all, and because partners resell it with their own margin, comparing quotes across MSPs is comparing partner markups rather than product cost.
  • The InstantData streaming advantage depends on network bandwidth to the data centre, so sites with poor connectivity see much less benefit than the demonstrations suggest.
  • Its footprint is concentrated in the UK, Europe and South Africa, so multinational organisations needing consistent coverage in North America or Asia will find the regional story uneven.
  • Feature depth for large enterprise virtual machine estates trails Veeam and Rubrik, so it fits small and medium client workloads rather than complex data centre recovery.

Velero

  • There is no vendor support contract from the project itself, so a failed restore during an outage is resolved by your team reading source code and GitHub issues.
  • Application consistency depends on backup hooks you write and maintain, and a database backed up without a correct hook restores to a state that may not be usable.
  • Restore ordering across dependent resources such as custom resource definitions and operators needs manual attention, and complex applications frequently need a documented runbook rather than a single restore command.
  • Corporate engineering investment became uncertain after Broadcom acquired VMware, which is a real consideration for anyone building a long retention policy on the project.
  • Object storage egress charges apply on restore and are billed by your cloud provider, so a full cluster recovery from another region carries a cost discovered during the incident rather than during planning.

Pricing, plan by plan

Redstor

On request
  • Redstor Platform$undefined/year
    • Sold through managed service providers, priced per protected device or per user
    • Storage included in the per-unit price rather than billed separately
    • No egress or restore charges

Velero

Free
  • VeleroFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed
    • No cluster or capacity limits
    • Community support via Kubernetes Slack and GitHub

Which should you pick?

Choose Redstor if

  • You need instantdata.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
  • You also want multi-tenant console.
Redstor review

Choose Velero if

  • You need cluster resource backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want volume snapshots.
Velero review

Questions people ask

Is Redstor or Velero better?
Neither clearly leads. Redstor starts at On request and Velero at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Redstor or Velero?
Velero has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Redstor and Free for Velero.
Does Redstor or Velero run on more platforms?
Redstor runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web. Velero runs on Linux.
Can I use Velero for free?
Yes. Velero has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Redstor starts at On request.
What is Redstor best used for?
Redstor is most often used for a uk managed service provider needing client data to stay in uk data centres for public sector contracts, an msp that wants to promise a recovery time measured in minutes rather than hours for file servers, a business needing microsoft 365 and accounting saas backup managed by its it provider in one console, an msp consolidating several backup products across its client base onto one multi-tenant platform. Of those, a uk managed service provider needing client data to stay in uk data centres for public sector contracts and an msp that wants to promise a recovery time measured in minutes rather than hours for file servers are not what Velero is typically brought in for.
What can Redstor do that Velero cannot?
Redstor covers InstantData, Multi-tenant console, SaaS application backup, Regional data centres. Velero covers Cluster resource backup, Volume snapshots, File-level backup, Cross-cluster restore.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Redstor: Can we buy Redstor directly?

Generally no. It is a channel product sold through managed service providers, so partner selection is part of the buying decision.

Velero: Can we buy support for Velero?

Not from the project. Several commercial Kubernetes backup products package or extend it and sell support, which is the practical route to an accountable vendor.

Redstor: Are there restore or egress charges?

Redstor includes storage and recovery in the per-unit price rather than charging separately for egress, which is the opposite of the cloud-native backup vendors.

Velero: Does it back up persistent volume data?

Yes, through cloud or Container Storage Interface snapshots, or through file-level upload where snapshots are not available.

Redstor: Where is data stored?

UK and regional data centres, selectable by tenant, which is the reason UK public sector and legal clients tend to shortlist it.

Velero: What does it cost?

Nothing to licence. You pay for object storage capacity and for egress on restore, both billed by your cloud provider.

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