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Commvault competitors in 2024

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Updated 23rd April 2024, Rob Morrison

Introduction to Commvault

One of the fundamental characteristics of a backup solution for a typical enterprise is that it is able to encompass a full range of different data sources, file types, storage devices, applications and different backup modes – all integrated into a single platform, easily administrable and configurable.

Commvault is one such solution, it was originally called Commvault Simpana – a business backup software that allows the user to carry out and manage the policy and backups of clients in an automated way to different local or remote devices, managed easily from a centralized console.

 

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The capabilities and advantages of Commvault

Among the features provided by Commvault are:

  • Backup of databases, files, applications and VMs in an optimal way according to the type of data and recovery profile.
  • Ability to handle hardware snapshots, in case the latter supports it.
  • Use deduplication for disk storage optimization, and this can be done through hardware or software.
  • Execution of quick and simple recoveries.
  • Centralization of the resources that make up the backup platform according to their functions and use of resources, such as consoles, media agents, clients, etc.
  • Backup support to the Cloud.
  • Backups for different database managers through the use of agents and plugins, such as Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.
  • Backup of file and data servers, whether its source is a file server or storage array.
  • Centralized administration and configuration console that allows access to all the resources that make up the platform.

Commvault User Reviews

  • Achindra K.G2“Commvault Cloud is instrumental in solving our organization’s data management challenges by offering a unified and user-friendly platform. It enables seamless scalability to accommodate our growing data needs while ensuring robust security measures and compliance adherence. The platform’s efficiency in backup and recovery minimizes downtime risks, and its cross-platform compatibility streamlines integration across our diverse IT infrastructure. Commvault Cloud’s cost-effective solutions, including optimized storage usage and proactive monitoring, contribute to operational efficiency and overall data management effectiveness, aligning well with our business objectives.”
  • Imran H.Capterra – “Commvault Disaster Recovery offers a comprehensive solution for disaster recovery, with features such as automated testing and failover, granular recovery options, and cloud integration. The initial setup process can be time-consuming and complex, requiring technical expertise. The pricing can be high, especially for smaller businesses or organizations.”
  • Randall D.G2 – “CommVaault helps us maintain an efficient backup infrastructure that stretches across multiple datacenters. This is done through a single interface, and is much more efficient than our old Java based NetBackup tools.”
  • Sean F.Capterra – “We’ve been using Commvault’s backup product for several years now and although a complex product due to all it can do it is still the best I’ve used in a corporate environment. In my opinion it really is only for larger businesses but I can see how a small business could still get some benefits from the product. We use it to backup our File, Email, Database servers and all of our VMware virtual infrastructure. As everything is located in one console you don’t have to go far to find what you need and there are agents for nearly any operating system or application typically used in an enterprise environment.”

The future of the backup software industry

The backup software market is vast, varied, and highly competitive. New solutions are being developed on a regular basis, and existing software providers have to stay at the top of their game to remain relevant and useful to their clients. This includes introducing new features and capabilities, as well as covering the following areas of interest:

  • Cloud storage solutions.
  • Improvements in communications performance that allow the optimization of bandwidth usage.
  • Creation and improvement of algorithms and mechanisms for encryption, encryption and protection of data and the transmission channel for the execution of backups to local or remote locations.
  • Implementation of new methodologies and types of backups for executing jobs that optimize the use of resources, such as storage, CPU, bandwidth, etc., and reduce the execution times of backup and recovery operations of the information in companies.

 

  • Implementation of hybrid environments in organizations, not only for the daily execution of operations but also for the execution of projects, such as massive data migrations, environments for disaster recovery, alternate data centers.
  • Increase in ransomware attacks and other cyber-threats.
  • New technologies such as containers and Kubernetes clusters.

Methodology for choosing Commvault alternatives

There are many alternatives to Commvault that could be found on the backup and recovery software market. Therefore, it is important to be clear about your needs and priorities. Here, we have used review aggregation websites such as Gartner and Peerspot to create a list of multiple different alternatives and competitors to Commvault regarding capabilities, price, accessibility, and more. However, it would be wise to go over the methodology that was used during our evaluation process.

General software description

A short description of the software in question is the first part of our explanation for every single competitor here. It does not have to be complex or detailed, since its prime purpose is to provide a basic explanation of the software’s capabilities.

Customer ratings

Customer opinion is one of the most important factors for any software in a competitive market – and the backup software market is incredibly competitive. While it might be difficult to look for and aggregate specific reviews on the Internet, there are plenty of well-known resources that already do that by default – resources such as Capterra, TrustRadius, G2, and others. All of these resources are well-known review aggregation platforms with hundreds of thousands of reviews posted in every single one of them – leaving little to no doubt when it comes to their credibility.

Advantages and shortcomings

Describing advantages and shortcomings of specific software can be a rather challenging task. A significant part of this process relies on public user reviews, as well, making it very difficult to segregate some capabilities that should be present in every single option.

To be fair, there is still a very basic set of requirements that we should be able to expect from any software example, such as versatility, speed, compatibility, and affordable pricing. However, none of these options are specific enough to be useful for every single solution, which is why we have chosen to provide case-specific shortcomings and benefits for each of the options below.

Commvault competitors and alternatives

 

Acronis Cyber Protect

Acronis Cyber Protect is the first combination of backup and cyber security solutions in a single package. Acronis puts a lot of emphasis on protection from cyber criminals in its solutions, and Acronis Cyber Protect is no exception – offering a secure and versatile data protection solution that has plenty of security features, as well as integrated backup capabilities, and ransomware protection.

4.3 out of 5 rating based on 671 customer reviews, according to G2

Advantages. It is relatively simple in terms of management, has reasonable backup and recovery speed, supports plenty of different storage types, scheduling, several variations of deployment, and more.

Shortcomings. It is also far from perfect – its firewall configuration process is rather cumbersome, the overall UI/UX can be rather confusing, and the solution itself lacks the capability to integrate with some hypervisors, and to work with third-party cloud storage services, limiting customers’ options to what Acronis themselves can offer.

Veritas NetBackup

Veritas NetBackup is an enterprise data management platform that combines speed and versatility to offer one of the best backup and recovery services in the industry, with over 100 exabytes of data in the world protected by Veritas’s solution.

4.0 out of 5 rating based on 110 customer reviews, according to G2

Advantages. It is a ransomware-resistant solution that offers quick backups, fast recovery times, and a variety of supported target locations, including physical storage appliances, cloud storage, applications, virtual machines, and more.

Shortcomings. NetBackup lacks the ability to use a policy-based approach to backup and recovery tasks, its pricing is well above the average market price for an enterprise backup solution, and its reporting features are somewhat basic.

Cohesity DataProtect

Cohesity DataProtect is a versatile backup and recovery platform. It is a simple but flexible data protection solution that offers many different capabilities to its users, including backup and recovery tasks, data security tasks, and more.

4.7 out of 5 rating based on 746 customer reviews, according to Gartner

Advantages. It has an instant mass restore feature, ransomware protection, data deduplication, backup immutability, and it can also be deployed in practically any form possible – as software with a subscription service, in a SaaS form, or even via a third-party service provider.

Shortcomings. Some users report Cohesity as having issues with database backups, and other reviews state support for more platforms and better documentation as some of the more necessary features that Cohesity is reportedly lacking.

Rubrik

Rubrik is a well-known name in the backup and recovery field. This backup and recovery software is often used as a centralized data management platform for different environment types – including virtual, physical, and even hybrid ones, offering data protection, data management, mobility and scalability.

8.8 out of 10 rating based on 217 customer reviews, according to TrustRadius

Advantages. Rubrik is easy to install, easy to manage, and has plenty of useful features for many different use cases and storage locations, from traditional media to cloud storage and virtual environments.

Shortcomings. Rubrik’s capabilities can be unsuitable for SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses), its reporting capabilities are not particularly user-friendly and can be confusing to work with, and Rubrik’s remote site backup capabilities are somewhat lacking in comparison with most alternatives.

Veeam

Veeam Backup & Replication can be considered the most popular solution on this list. Veeam as a company offers a number of different solutions, with this specific one being focused mainly on virtual machine backups. It can work with VMware and Hyper-V backup targets, as well as with applications such as SharePoint or Exchange, and even a few types of databases (Microsoft SQL and Oracle).

4.6 out of 5 rating based on 1,675 customer reviews, according to Gartner

Advantages. Veeam’s solution is easy to use and can integrate with a number of different applications and storage appliances, while also being a fast and flexible platform.

Shortcomings. There are also some reports from users about relatively high license pricing, security issues, the lack of compatibility with some of the more unconventional storage types (such as external HDDs), and rather basic cloud integration capabilities as a whole.

Dell Data Protection Suite

Dell Data Protection Suite is a solution with a somewhat self-explanatory name. It is a comprehensive data protection platform that claims to be able to protect a company’s data with consistency and flexibility while also remaining a fast and secure solution.

4.2 out of 5 rating based on 61 customer reviews, according to PeerSpot

Advantages. Dell’s solution can offer a wealth of different features, such as data compression and data deduplication, while also offering support for many different storage locations, decent levels of stability and scalability, and so on.

Shortcomings. This same solution also has its limitations when it comes to scalability in a general sense, the licensing costs tend to become uncomfortably high in a relatively short time frame, and there are few protections against ransomware and other malware types in place.

 

NAKIVO Backup & Replication

NAKIVO Backup & Replication is a versatile and effective backup and recovery solution with a lot of emphasis on VM backups. It is one of the most well-known backup solutions on the market, and its overall capabilities should be enough to satisfy many different client types.

4.8 out of 5 rating based on 378 customer reviews, according to Capterra

Advantages. NAKIVO is easy to use, it supports both VMware and Hyper-V, and can also be deployed either on-premise or in the cloud; it is generally considered one of the best solutions on the market when it comes to SMBs.

Shortcomings. The overall customer experience with this solution seems to be extremely inconsistent, and the solution itself seems to be lacking some of the rather important security features, such as Two-Factor Authentication.

Druva Data Resiliency Cloud

Druva Data Resiliency Cloud is a backup-centered solution with many different capabilities. Druva is a full-on SaaS data protection solution that offers not only data protection features but also data cybersecurity and data governance.

4.6 out of 5 rating based on 531 customer reviews, according to G2

Advantages. It claims to be one of the fastest solutions on the market in terms of both backup and recovery speed, while also having extensive archival capabilities, backup air gapping, compliance monitoring, automatization, and a feature-rich dashboard.

Shortcomings. The solution’s overall complexity can be overwhelming to some users, especially the ones with little or no prior experience with data protection solutions, and the licensing model has a number of issues if the license in question was not originally bought from an MSP.

SEP sesam

SEP sesam is a great data protection solution from Germany. It is a backup and recovery solution for both physical and virtual environments that is highly effective, secure, versatile, and can guarantee support for many different data storage types.

4.6 out of 5 rating based on 178 customer reviews, according to Gartner

Advantages. It can work on Windows, Linux, and Unix-based systems, supports a variety of database types such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, MariaDB, and SAP HANA, and a variety of virtualization environments, such as VMware, Hyper-V, KVM, Red Hat, Citrix, and others.

Shortcomings. Some user reviews are stating that the initial setup is long and complicated, the process of implementing new features and fixing bugs in the existing ones is rather slow, and the overall UI/UX is far from perfect.

Zerto Platform

Zerto Platform offers a range of features centered around data management and information security – all in a single platform. It is a fast and reliable data recovery platform with multiple features and capabilities included in the package.

9.1 out of 10 rating based on 119 customer reviews, according to TrustRadius

Advantages. Zerto is easy to set up initially, and it can also offer a user-friendly interface, low RPO/RTO, bubble testing capabilities, and many others.

Shortcomings. There are also some parts of Zerto that are not exactly favorable, such as its lackluster customer support, rigid-structured dashboard, limited compatibility with hypervisors, a lack of extensive automation capabilities, and more.

Bacula Enterprise

These examples are just a fraction of the backup software market, with many other solutions capable of keeping up with Commvault’s feature set or even exceeding it in some cases.

Another notable backup and recovery that is worth mentioning is Bacula Enterprise, which shares many common features with Commvault, but tends to be more advanced in terms of security, ransomware protection, customization possibilities and more modern GUI. In addition, Bacula’s open source base reduces the risk of vendor lock-in, and its subscription model typically offers significantly reduced licensing costs.

Bacula allows companies to implement a solution that makes optimal use of the platform’s resources, readily integrating with a wide range of technologies and lowering operating costs. For managers, Bacula is especially strong in the area of reporting, monitoring and helping organization leaders meet compliance and regulatory needs.

9.7 out of 10 rating based on 56 customer reviews, according to TrustRadius

Advantages. Bacula Enterprise is a backup platform with an impressive number of capabilities and features, and the overall feature set can also be expanded using the system of modules that the software provides. The solution also excels at data security and supports plenty of different storage types and environment variations.

Shortcomings. The total number of different features and capabilities can make the software slightly overwhelming to new users. Some of the lesser known modules also have a separate price tag, on top of the subscription fee that Bacula takes.

There is plenty of overlap in terms of features between Bacula Enterprise and Commvault as competitors in the field of enterprise backup software. Their architectures are somewhat similar, however Bacula allows companies to implement a solution that makes optimal use of the platform’s resources, maximizing on existing technology with low operating costs. It also provides a wider choice of deduplication options too, and more interoperability with different VM’s and container-types.

Bacula is also exceptionally adaptable to the requirements of processes and users in an agile and flexible way. With its centralized administration and control console, coupled with easy to use interfaces, it offers an exciting alternative. The Trial software can be found here.

 

Conclusion

In reality, the high level of competition on the backup market often leads to overlap in the available features. As such, the deciding factor for some companies often becomes that of a specific feature, or ease of migration, reduction of vendor lock-in, ease of use, security levels, or significant cost reduction.

As such, companies that are looking for a VM-centered backup solution may find NAKIVO or Veeam to be the best options for them. Alternatively, companies looking for a backup solution for specific technologies and are not afraid to pay above the market average may find Acronis or Veritas to be the best fit for them.

If especially high levels of security and scalability is what a company is looking for, Bacula Enterprise may be the best bet. Its lack of data volume-based licensing for all of its pricing plans, combined with a broad variety of features makes it a highly sustainable backup and recovery solution. In conclusion, with a large choice of solutions available, every company can find a solution that fits them well.

About the author
Rob Morrison
Rob Morrison is the marketing director at Bacula Systems. He started his IT marketing career with Silicon Graphics in Switzerland, performing strongly in various marketing management roles for almost 10 years. In the next 10 years Rob also held various marketing management positions in JBoss, Red Hat and Pentaho ensuring market share growth for these well-known companies. He is a graduate of Plymouth University and holds an Honours Digital Media and Communications degree, and completed an Overseas Studies Program.