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Backup · head to head

BDRShield vs Velero

BDRShield logo

BDRShield

Backup

Low-cost backup for virtual machines, servers, endpoints and SaaS from Vembu

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Velero logo

Velero

Backup

Open source backup and migration for Kubernetes cluster resources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Velero 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  • Each has a real cost: BDRShield published per-workload pricing has been replaced by a custom quote form, so the cost transparency that was a main reason to shortlist it no longer exists and you must go through sales.; Velero there is no vendor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: BDRShield covers Agentless VM backup, Velero covers Cluster resource backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BDRShield and Velero actually diverge.

Attributes where BDRShield and Velero differ
AttributeBDRShieldVelero
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, WebLinux

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 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.

BDRShield

  • A managed service provider whose margins do not survive Datto or Veeam per-endpoint pricingnot Velero
  • An organisation running Proxmox VE that finds the major backup vendors do not support it properlynot Velero
  • A small business needing virtual machine, server, endpoint and Microsoft 365 backup from one consolenot Velero
  • A company wanting backup data in its own cloud bucket rather than a vendor-controlled repositorynot Velero

Velero

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

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

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

Velero

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

Which should you pick?

Choose BDRShield if

  • You need agentless vm backup.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want proxmox support.
BDRShield 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 BDRShield or Velero better?
Neither clearly leads. BDRShield starts at On request and Velero at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BDRShield or Velero?
Velero has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for BDRShield and Free for Velero.
Does BDRShield or Velero run on more platforms?
BDRShield runs on Windows, Linux, Web. Velero runs on Linux.
Can I use Velero for free?
Yes. Velero 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 Velero is typically brought in for.
What can BDRShield do that Velero cannot?
BDRShield covers Agentless VM backup, Proxmox support, SaaS backup, Hybrid storage. Velero covers Cluster resource backup, Volume snapshots, File-level backup, Cross-cluster restore.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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