Software · head to head
StorageCraft ShadowProtect vs Altaro VM Backup
StorageCraft ShadowProtect
Software
Fast and reliable image-based backup
- From
- $15/month
- Rated
- -
Altaro VM Backup
Software
Simple and powerful VM backup for SMBs
- From
- $595/perpetual
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: StorageCraft ShadowProtect host-based backup requires Windows Server 2016 or above on the Hyper-V host, and desktop, client and Pro editions are not supported; Altaro VM Backup limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers
- They diverge on capability: StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup, Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which StorageCraft ShadowProtect and Altaro VM Backup actually diverge.
| Attribute | StorageCraft ShadowProtect | Altaro VM Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $15/month | $595/perpetual |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, Web | Windows Server |
| Founded | 2003 | 2009 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Image-based backup
- VirtualBoot
- Bare metal recovery
- Hardware-independent restore
- Incremental imaging
- ShadowStream replication
- Windows Server
- Linux Server
Only in Altaro VM Backup
- Augmented inline dedup
- WAN-optimized replication
- Boot from backup
- Granular restore
- Cloud management
- Continuous CDP
- Azure
- AWS S3
Both cover
- VMware
- Hyper-V
- Windows support
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Image based backup and bare metal recovery of Windows and Linux serversnot Altaro VM Backup
- MSPs protecting client Hyper-V hosts and workloads from one consolenot Altaro VM Backup
Altaro VM Backup
- Data protectionnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Disaster recoverynot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Business continuitynot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Ransomware protectionnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Compliancenot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- Host-based backup requires Windows Server 2016 or above on the Hyper-V host, and desktop, client and Pro editions are not supported
- Host-based and agent-based backup are mutually exclusive installation modes in ShadowProtect 8.0; one machine cannot run both
- Switching from agent-based to host-based requires a clean reinstall rather than an in-place upgrade
- Host-based backups are not compatible with VirtualBoot
- Granular file and folder recovery is not available for host-based backups; the whole backup must be restored to a .vhd or .vhdx first
- Host-based backup jobs do not report status to ShadowControl
- Advanced Verification in ImageManager 8.1 is not supported for host-based backups
- All host-based backups go into a single folder by default, so separating them per VM means creating a separate backup job for each
- Host-based licence keys are generated only through the Arcserve MSP portal
Altaro VM Backup
- Limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers
- Perpetual license model outdated compared to modern cloud-based backup solutions
- Lacks enterprise-grade features for large-scale deployments
- Offsite backup to cloud requires additional setup and configuration
Pricing, plan by plan
StorageCraft ShadowProtect
$15/month- ShadowProtect SPX$15/month
- Image-based backup
- VirtualBoot
- Bare metal recovery
Altaro VM Backup
$595/perpetualNo published plan breakdown. See the Altaro VM Backup review.
Which should you pick?
Choose StorageCraft ShadowProtect if
- You need image-based backup.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
- You also want virtualboot.
Choose Altaro VM Backup if
- You need augmented inline dedup.
- You work on Windows Server.
- You also want wan-optimized replication.
Questions people ask
- Is StorageCraft ShadowProtect or Altaro VM Backup better?
- Neither clearly leads. StorageCraft ShadowProtect starts at $15/month and Altaro VM Backup at $595/perpetual, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, StorageCraft ShadowProtect or Altaro VM Backup?
- StorageCraft ShadowProtect starts at $15/month and Altaro VM Backup at $595/perpetual.
- Does StorageCraft ShadowProtect or Altaro VM Backup run on more platforms?
- StorageCraft ShadowProtect runs on Windows, Linux, Web. Altaro VM Backup runs on Windows Server.
- What is StorageCraft ShadowProtect best used for?
- StorageCraft ShadowProtect is most often used for image based backup and bare metal recovery of windows and linux servers, msps protecting client hyper-v hosts and workloads from one console. Of those, image based backup and bare metal recovery of windows and linux servers and msps protecting client hyper-v hosts and workloads from one console are not what Altaro VM Backup is typically brought in for.
- What can StorageCraft ShadowProtect do that Altaro VM Backup cannot?
- StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup, VirtualBoot, Bare metal recovery, Hardware-independent restore. Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup, WAN-optimized replication, Boot from backup, Granular restore. Both handle VMware, Hyper-V, Windows support, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Altaro VM Backup: What is the price per host for Altaro VM Backup?
Altaro VM Backup pricing starts at $595 per host for the Standard Edition, with the Unlimited Edition at $695 per host and Unlimited Plus at $875 per host. Pricing includes the first year of priority support and updates.
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