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Backup · head to head

Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes vs Velero

Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes logo

Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes

Backup

Kubernetes-native backup, disaster recovery and application mobility

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Velero logo

Velero

Backup

Open source backup and migration for Kubernetes cluster resources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes licensing is per worker node, so clusters designed with many small nodes for scheduling flexibility pay considerably more than the same capacity in fewer large nodes.; 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: Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes covers Application-aware capture, Velero covers Cluster resource backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes and Velero actually diverge.

Attributes where Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes and Velero differ
AttributeVeeam Kasten for KubernetesVelero
Pricing modelPer worker nodeOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsKubernetes, LinuxLinux

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 Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes

  • Application-aware capture
  • Policy engine
  • Immutable targets
  • Restore transformation
  • Database hooks
  • Ransomware detection

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.

Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes

  • A platform team that must prove to auditors it can restore a production namespace, not just its disksnot Velero
  • Migrating a stateful application from on-premises OpenShift to a managed cloud Kubernetes servicenot Velero
  • Protecting Kubernetes workloads to an immutable object store so ransomware cannot delete the backupsnot Velero
  • A team using operators and custom resources that volume-snapshot tools silently fail to capturenot Velero

Velero

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

Where each one falls short

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

Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes

  • Licensing is per worker node, so clusters designed with many small nodes for scheduling flexibility pay considerably more than the same capacity in fewer large nodes.
  • The free Starter edition is scale limited and community supported, so it works for evaluation and small clusters but there is no gentle upgrade path when production grows past the limit.
  • Backup performance depends on the underlying CSI driver snapshot capability, so on storage without proper CSI snapshot support it falls back to slower generic copying.
  • Restores into a different cluster need matching custom resource definitions and operator versions present beforehand, so cross-cluster mobility is less automatic than the marketing suggests.
  • Kasten protects Kubernetes only, so organisations with mixed virtual machine and container estates run it alongside a separate backup product and manage two retention policies and two sets of evidence.

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

Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Functionally the same as Enterprise
    • Limited on scale and support
    • Intended for evaluation and small non-production clusters
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Licensed per worker node, quoted annually
    • Available through AWS, Azure and Google Cloud marketplaces
    • Vendor support with SLAs

Velero

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes if

  • You need application-aware capture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux.
  • You also want policy engine.
Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes 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 Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes or Velero better?
Neither clearly leads. Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes starts at Free and Velero at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes or Velero?
Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes starts at Free and Velero at Free.
Does Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes or Velero run on more platforms?
Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes runs on Kubernetes, Linux. Velero runs on Linux.
Can I use Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes best used for?
Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes is most often used for a platform team that must prove to auditors it can restore a production namespace, not just its disks, migrating a stateful application from on-premises openshift to a managed cloud kubernetes service, protecting kubernetes workloads to an immutable object store so ransomware cannot delete the backups, a team using operators and custom resources that volume-snapshot tools silently fail to capture. Of those, a platform team that must prove to auditors it can restore a production namespace, not just its disks and migrating a stateful application from on-premises openshift to a managed cloud kubernetes service are not what Velero is typically brought in for.
What can Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes do that Velero cannot?
Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes covers Application-aware capture, Policy engine, Immutable targets, Restore transformation. Velero covers Cluster resource backup, Volume snapshots, File-level backup, Cross-cluster restore.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes: Is Kasten K10 still a product?

It is now sold as Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes. The kasten.io domain redirects to Veeam and the documentation still lives at docs.kasten.io.

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.

Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes: Is there a free edition?

Yes, the Starter edition is free and functionally complete but limited on scale and support, aimed at evaluation and small non-production clusters.

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.

Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes: How is Enterprise licensed?

Per worker node. Count your nodes, not your capacity, before comparing quotes, because node sizing directly changes the price.

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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