Backup · head to head
BDRShield vs UrBackup
BDRShield
Backup
Low-cost backup for virtual machines, servers, endpoints and SaaS from Vembu
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
UrBackup
Backup
Open source client server backup doing both file and whole disk image backups of Windows machines
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only UrBackup has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: BDRShield published per-workload pricing has been replaced by a custom quote form, so the cost transparency that was a main reason to shortlist it no longer exists and you must go through sales.; UrBackup backups are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: BDRShield covers Agentless VM 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 BDRShield and UrBackup actually diverge.
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 BDRShield
- Agentless VM backup
- Proxmox support
- SaaS backup
- Hybrid storage
- Cloud or on-premises console
- MSP multi-tenancy
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.
BDRShield
- A managed service provider whose margins do not survive Datto or Veeam per-endpoint pricingnot UrBackup
- An organisation running Proxmox VE that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properlynot UrBackup
- A small business needing virtual machine, server, endpoint and Microsoft 365 backup from one consolenot UrBackup
- A company wanting backup data in its own cloud bucket rather than a vendor-controlled repositorynot UrBackup
UrBackup
- A small office with Windows workstations that needs bare metal restore without per seat licensingnot BDRShield
- Schools and labs where machines are re-imaged often and a known good image must be recoverablenot BDRShield
- Backing up a mixed fleet to one server on premises with a web interface non specialists can usenot BDRShield
- Replacing an expiring commercial endpoint backup licence where the budget is the constraintnot BDRShield
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
BDRShield
- Published per-workload pricing has been replaced by a custom quote form, so the cost transparency that was a main reason to shortlist it no longer exists and you must go through sales.
- The product was renamed from BDRSuite to BDRShield, so documentation, forum answers and third-party reviews are split across two names and searching for help is harder than it should be.
- Recovery orchestration and instant recovery performance trail Veeam and Rubrik, which is invisible in an evaluation and expensive during an actual outage.
- Support is priced to match the low licence cost, and complex escalations move more slowly than customers used to premium vendors expect.
- The integration ecosystem is thin compared with the incumbents, so monitoring, ticketing and professional services automation tool connections are limited for MSPs running mature stacks.
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
BDRShield
On request- BDRShield$undefined/year
- Per-workload licensing quoted through a custom quote form
- Separate licensing tracks for MSPs and for end-user organisations
- Free 30-day trial with full feature access
UrBackup
Free- UrBackupFree
- Full functionality, unlimited clients
- File and image backups
- Web administration interface
Which should you pick?
Choose BDRShield if
- You need agentless vm backup.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
- You also want proxmox support.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is BDRShield or UrBackup better?
- Neither clearly leads. BDRShield starts at On request and UrBackup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, BDRShield or UrBackup?
- UrBackup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for BDRShield and Free for UrBackup.
- Does BDRShield or UrBackup run on more platforms?
- BDRShield 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. BDRShield starts at On request.
- What is BDRShield best used for?
- BDRShield is most often used for a managed service provider whose margins do not survive datto or veeam per-endpoint pricing, an organisation running proxmox ve that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properly, a small business needing virtual machine, server, endpoint and microsoft 365 backup from one console, a company wanting backup data in its own cloud bucket rather than a vendor-controlled repository. Of those, a managed service provider whose margins do not survive datto or veeam per-endpoint pricing and an organisation running proxmox ve that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properly are not what UrBackup is typically brought in for.
- What can BDRShield do that UrBackup cannot?
- BDRShield covers Agentless VM backup, Proxmox support, SaaS backup, Hybrid storage. UrBackup covers Windows image backups, File backups, Web interface, Client discovery.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
BDRShield: Is BDRSuite the same product?
Yes. BDRSuite was renamed BDRShield, and bdrsuite.com now redirects to bdrshield.com. Same company, Vembu Technologies.
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.
BDRShield: Is pricing published?
Not any more. The pricing page now routes to a custom quote form for both MSPs and end-user organisations, despite marketing that emphasises a few dollars per workload.
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.
BDRShield: Does it back up Proxmox?
Yes, agentlessly, which is a genuine reason to shortlist it since several larger vendors support Proxmox poorly or not at all.
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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