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Commvault competitors in 2024

(13 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Updated 16th January 2024, Rob Morrison

Loss of data and interrupted services more than ever before represents a latent threat for organizations, despite the technical advances that have occurred over time in the areas of data security, protection, redundancy, recovery – and the notable improvements in performance and operation in hardware and storage.

Data loss happens through various causes, intentional or accidental and in most cases occurs in an unforeseen way. This in turn can jeopardize a company’s operations to various levels of severity. In serious cases, the company itself may be in danger of failing.

It is therefore vital to have mechanisms and solutions that allow rapid recovery from situations of this type, which not only recover the information, but do so in a timely and effective manner that guarantees the operation and business continuity of an organization.

These solutions not only involve the use of equipment and resources, but also the execution and/or application of standards, procedures and industry standard recommendations that must be met – not only by the administrators and implementers of the backup policies, but by all users in order to guarantee the integrity of the information.

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The use and appearance of new technologies and approaches have allowed some backup and recovery solutions to evolve, becoming more agile, modular, lower cost and more efficient. These solutions are able to:

Lighten and facilitate functional processes.
Adapt to changes and new organizational or legal requirements.
Grow and adjust to your technology platform easily and without much effort.

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.

One of these solutions is Commvault, originally called Commvault Simpana, which is 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.

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.

Data backup solutions have gone from simply being programs that copy data and information to and from the devices that contain the backed-up information of the computers and devices, to comprehensive applications that not only offer the integrity of the backup but also allow provide tools that significantly heighten the likely operative continuity of the business, using methodologies and paradigms that facilitate its use at many different levels, as well as greater flexibility to adapt to new requirements.

Backup solutions have also evolved due to other factors such as the emergence of open source, the decrease in storage costs, continuous improvements to storage hardware and communication devices and network, the need for greater security, virtualization etc., and the need for more easy integration into business environments.

Among the benefits that these improved solutions are likely to offer are:

Simple and convenient administration, which allows users to perform configuration, operation and management activities according to specified access levels.
Integrated execution of the backup and recovery operations of each of the clients configured in the company’s policy, without loss or inconsistencies in the data and information.
Ability to adapt to diverse operating environments in organizations, which may include servers, storage devices, storage arrays, media libraries, local and remote resources, etc.
Use of existing resources in companies as needs and requirements occurs.
Growth capacity in conjunction with the company, due to the easy adaptation to new operating and information needs that may arise, as well as user requirements.
Easy integration and without much effort to the technology platform of the organization, because they have specific characteristics that allow it, such as: network operation, sending notifications, information repository, among others.
Execution of different levels of support that adapt to the policies and operating requirements of the companies. In addition to the traditional types used (full, differential, incremental), it allows creating and making use of new types that optimize the use of resources and execution of backups.

Friendly and simple configuration of the backup policy of the organization, as well as when new requirements arise.
Storage of historical backup data in diverse and easily accessible repositories, with adequate levels of security and access, to be used for various purposes, such as:
- Recovery of information.
- Legal regulations.
- Operation methodologies and compliance with legal or management regulations.
Use of backed up information with specific and varied objectives by users, such as management and efficiency, capacity planning, management indicators, balance scorecards, etc.
Access to the backup platform from mobile devices for notifications, monitoring, and the possibility of performing administrative tasks, which allow the execution of a proactive management.
Ease of use and management of backup resources in the cloud. Commvault supports the use of the cloud for the destination of backups and from different environments, depending on the utility they wish to make in companies.

According to the above, although Commvault competitors share many common characteristics, there are some differences that distinguish them among themselves, some evolving in different ways. Among these are:

Use of open source technology as the main element of development, which allows access to state-of-the-art technology that is constantly evolving. Additionally, the wider open source community is a powerful user testing ground for new code and features, meaning the admitted code is especially stable and reliable compared to proprietary software.
Significant cost savings in relation to the resources used in the backup solution, such as media tapes, storage devices, server resources, etc.
Use of data repositories in independent applications for the registration and management of backup activities. Some backup solutions use databases as repositories, such as SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, among others, known as catalogs, and that can be consulted using native tools and their own.
Growth capacity according to the requirements and needs of the company, based on the requirements of the operating processes and/or users.
Source of information for estimating resources, not only for the technology area, but also for the other areas of the organization.
The use of resources in the cloud has allowed alternative backup solutions have emerged, and are constantly growing, due to the following reasons:
Storage of backups in remote sites, configured in high availability and redundancy environments.
Existence of different providers that offer Cloud storage services, such as Amazon. Azure, Google, Microsoft and Oracle. This translates into more storage choices, promoting competitive prices and services, as well as greater resources for the protection of information.
Remote access to the solution from different places and from any platform.
Scalability to the operation and information requirements of the organizations.
Reasonable and forecastable operating costs, since the measurement of resources is made considering the use of them, only paying for what is used, no data volume-related pricing. This facilitates resource planning for technology, also known as capacity planning.
Shared and safe environment.
Modern encryption of the data, both in the process of copying the information and the devices that contain the backups.
Savings in operation and maintenance costs, in terms of technology management.
Scheme for the management of the licenses of the simplest and most effective solution, but with the same levels of quality and support. In case of using an open source solution, the support and support of the community is a fundamental reference, and in most cases it helps in the identification of bugs and offers suggestions and new recommendations that are adapted for future versions or releases.

Taking into account the above and the fact that the operating scenarios will continue to grow and diversify, it is likely that new technologies, models and paradigms will continue to emerge. Commvault competitors will continue to be created and grow. These technologies are stimulated by the following changes in the IT industry:

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.

On the topic of Commvault alternatives, there are many. 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 10 different alternatives and competitors to Commvault in terms of capabilities, price, accessibility, and more.

Acronis Cyber Protect is the first combination of backup and cyber security solutions in a single package with a 4.4 out of 5 rating based on 305 customer reviews. 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. 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. However, it is worth noting that it is 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 is a solution with a 4.7 out of 5 points rating based on 663 user reviews. It 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. 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. At the same time however, 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 is a versatile backup and recovery platform with a 4.7 out of 5 stars rating based on 719 user reviews. 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. 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. 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 is a well-known name in the backup and recovery field, with a 4.8 out of 5 points rating based on 669 reviews. 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. 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. At the same time, 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 Backup & Replication can be considered the most popular solution on this list, with a rating of 4.6 out of 5 calculated from 1,625 customer reviews. 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). 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. 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 is a solution with a self-explanatory name that has a 4.8 out of 5 stars rating based on 915 user reviews. 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. 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. However, 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 has an impressive rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 409 user reviews. It is a versatile and effective backup and recovery solution with a lot of emphasis on VM backups – including both Hyper-V and VMware support, as well as general ease of use, capability of being deployed either on-premise or in the cloud, and is generally considered one of the best solutions on the market when it comes to SMBs. However, it would be fair to mention that 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 is a backup-centered solution with a rating of 4.8 out of 5 points based on 591 customer reviews. Druva is a full-on SaaS data protection solution that offers not only data protection features but also data cybersecurity and data governance. 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. However, 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 is a great data protection solution from Germany, it has an average score of 4.6 out of 5 points with 178 total user reviews. 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. 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. There are also some user reviews 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 has a significant rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars that were calculated using 204 customer reviews. It offers a range of features centered around data management and information security – all in a single platform. 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. However, 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.

Another notable backup and recovery that is worth mentioning is Bacula Enterprise, which shares many common features with Commvault, while also being more advanced in terms of security, ransomware protection and customization possibilities. 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.

Bacula Enterprise and Commvault share many common features in their approach to 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. Bacula is especially 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.

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.

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About the author

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.