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Backup · head to head

Trilio vs UrBackup

Trilio logo

Trilio

Backup

Backup and recovery for OpenStack, Kubernetes and Red Hat Virtualization

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: Trilio coverage is deliberately narrow, so a mixed estate with VMware and physical servers needs a second backup product and two sets of restore procedures.; 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: Trilio covers OpenStack backup, UrBackup covers Windows image backups.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Trilio and UrBackup actually diverge.

Attributes where Trilio and UrBackup differ
AttributeTrilioUrBackup
Pricing modelPer node per yearOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsLinux, WebLinux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Trilio

  • OpenStack backup
  • Kubernetes backup
  • OpenShift Virtualization
  • Open format backups
  • Incremental forever
  • Self-service restore
  • Free basic edition

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.

Trilio

  • A telco running an OpenStack cloud whose incumbent backup vendor supports it only through generic agentsnot UrBackup
  • An organisation migrating virtual machines from VMware to OpenShift Virtualization and needing protection on the new platform from day onenot UrBackup
  • A research institution protecting tenant workloads where each tenant should restore its own data without a ticketnot UrBackup
  • A platform team wanting to evaluate Kubernetes backup properly on ten nodes before committing budgetnot UrBackup

UrBackup

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

Where each one falls short

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

Trilio

  • Coverage is deliberately narrow, so a mixed estate with VMware and physical servers needs a second backup product and two sets of restore procedures.
  • Trilio is a small vendor next to the backup incumbents, and buyers with ten year retention obligations should assess the risk of the company being acquired or wound down.
  • Enterprise pricing is per node or per virtual machine and is not published, which makes it hard to compare against per-terabyte competitors without going through sales.
  • The free basic edition stops at ten nodes with community support only, so the step from evaluation to production is a full commercial negotiation rather than a tier upgrade.
  • Restore performance depends on the object storage or NFS target you supply, and egress charges from a cloud object store during a large recovery sit outside the vendor quote entirely.

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

Trilio

Free
  • Basic EditionFree
    • Up to ten nodes
    • No time limit
    • Community support only
  • Enterprise Edition$undefined/year
    • Priced per node or per virtual machine annually
    • No scale limits
    • OpenStack, Kubernetes, OpenShift and Red Hat Virtualization

UrBackup

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Trilio if

  • You need openstack backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Web.
  • You also want kubernetes backup.
Trilio 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 Trilio or UrBackup better?
Neither clearly leads. Trilio starts at Free and UrBackup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Trilio or UrBackup?
Trilio starts at Free and UrBackup at Free.
Does Trilio or UrBackup run on more platforms?
Trilio runs on Linux, Web. UrBackup runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
Can I use Trilio for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Trilio best used for?
Trilio is most often used for a telco running an openstack cloud whose incumbent backup vendor supports it only through generic agents, an organisation migrating virtual machines from vmware to openshift virtualization and needing protection on the new platform from day one, a research institution protecting tenant workloads where each tenant should restore its own data without a ticket, a platform team wanting to evaluate kubernetes backup properly on ten nodes before committing budget. Of those, a telco running an openstack cloud whose incumbent backup vendor supports it only through generic agents and an organisation migrating virtual machines from vmware to openshift virtualization and needing protection on the new platform from day one are not what UrBackup is typically brought in for.
What can Trilio do that UrBackup cannot?
Trilio covers OpenStack backup, Kubernetes backup, OpenShift Virtualization, Open format backups. UrBackup covers Windows image backups, File backups, Web interface, Client discovery.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Trilio: Is the free edition production usable?

It is functionally complete up to ten nodes with community support only. Use it to evaluate, but understand that production incidents have no vendor behind them at that tier.

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.

Trilio: Does it support OpenShift Virtualization?

Yes, which is the main reason it appears on shortlists for organisations moving virtual machines off VMware.

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.

Trilio: Where are backups stored?

On NFS or S3-compatible object storage you provide, in an open format rather than a proprietary vendor container.

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.

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