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Software · head to head

Restic vs Cohesity DataProtect

Restic logo

Restic

Software

Fast, secure, and efficient backup program

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cohesity DataProtect logo

Cohesity DataProtect

Software

Hyperconverged secondary data protection

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Restic has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Restic cold storage is not natively supported; restoring from S3 Glacier and S3 Glacier Deep Archive is only available as an experimental feature behind a feature flag; Cohesity DataProtect primarily focused on enterprise customers; less suitable for small businesses
  • They diverge on capability: Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Cohesity DataProtect covers Hyperconverged architecture.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Restic and Cohesity DataProtect actually diverge.

Attributes where Restic and Cohesity DataProtect differ
AttributeResticCohesity DataProtect
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, LinuxOn-premises, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud
Founded20142013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Restic

  • Content-defined chunking
  • Cryptographic verification
  • Deduplication
  • Encryption
  • Multiple backends
  • Snapshot management
  • AWS S3
  • Google Cloud

Only in Cohesity DataProtect

  • Hyperconverged architecture
  • Instant mass restore
  • Global deduplication
  • Global search
  • Ransomware protection
  • Cloud tiering
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Both cover

  • Azure
  • Windows support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

Restic

  • Encrypted deduplicated backups to S3, B2, SFTP and local disk from the command linenot Cohesity DataProtect
  • Scripted server backups with snapshot retention policiesnot Cohesity DataProtect

Cohesity DataProtect

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

Where each one falls short

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

Restic

  • Cold storage is not natively supported; restoring from S3 Glacier and S3 Glacier Deep Archive is only available as an experimental feature behind a feature flag
  • A Windows file whose name contains a character Windows treats as invalid cannot be read by restic and has to be renamed
  • Antivirus real-time protection degrades performance on Windows unless the restic binary is added to an exclusions list
  • On large repositories the built-in five minute stuck-request timeout fires during file listing and has to be raised manually with --stuck-request-timeout

Cohesity DataProtect

  • Primarily focused on enterprise customers; less suitable for small businesses
  • Requires significant IT expertise to optimize deduplication and retention policies
  • High upfront infrastructure costs for on-premises deployment

Pricing, plan by plan

Restic

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Content-defined chunking
    • Encryption
    • Multiple backends

Cohesity DataProtect

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cohesity DataProtect review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Restic if

  • You need content-defined chunking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux.
  • You also want cryptographic verification.
Restic review

Choose Cohesity DataProtect if

  • You need hyperconverged architecture.
  • You work on On-premises, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
  • You also want instant mass restore.
Cohesity DataProtect review

Questions people ask

Is Restic or Cohesity DataProtect better?
Neither clearly leads. Restic starts at Free and Cohesity DataProtect at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Restic or Cohesity DataProtect?
Restic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Restic and On request for Cohesity DataProtect.
Does Restic or Cohesity DataProtect run on more platforms?
Restic runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. Cohesity DataProtect runs on On-premises, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
Can I use Restic for free?
Yes. Restic has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cohesity DataProtect starts at On request.
What is Restic best used for?
Restic is most often used for encrypted deduplicated backups to s3, b2, sftp and local disk from the command line, scripted server backups with snapshot retention policies. Of those, encrypted deduplicated backups to s3, b2, sftp and local disk from the command line and scripted server backups with snapshot retention policies are not what Cohesity DataProtect is typically brought in for.
What can Restic do that Cohesity DataProtect cannot?
Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Cryptographic verification, Deduplication, Encryption. Cohesity DataProtect covers Hyperconverged architecture, Instant mass restore, Global deduplication, Global search. Both handle Azure, Windows support, Linux support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cohesity DataProtect: What is the main benefit of Cohesity DataProtect's instant recovery?

Cohesity uniquely reduces downtime by enabling instant mass restoration of any number of VMs, large volumes of unstructured data, and Oracle databases to any point in time.

Source
Cohesity DataProtect: How much can Cohesity reduce data protection costs?

Cohesity DataProtect reduces data protection costs by 70% or more through unified management and deduplication.

Source
Cohesity DataProtect: What platforms and workloads does Cohesity DataProtect support?

Cohesity DataProtect protects on-premises systems, multiple cloud environments, and SaaS applications through a single unified platform.

Source
Cohesity DataProtect: Does Cohesity use security best practices for backup protection?

Yes. Cohesity DataProtect uses multilayered security architecture designed to minimize the risk of backups becoming a ransomware target.

Source
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