10 Best Tools for VMware Backups

Best Tools for VM Backups

Backing up data is something that most enterprises should be doing, but it can be tricky when you’re working in an environment that uses lots of virtualized infrastructure like VMware virtual machines. However, there are many solutions on the market designed specifically to simplify the process of VMware backups. In this article, we’re going to look at the 10 best tools for VMware backups.

Here is a list of the 10 best tools for VMware backups:

  1. SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (FREE TRIAL) Virtualization monitoring tool with custom dashboards, performance recommendations, alerts, and more.
  2. Acronis Cyber Protect (FREE TRIAL) Backup software with support for VMware and vSphere virtual machines with instant restore, automated recovery, remote recovery, smart alerts, and more. Start a 30-day free trial.
  3. Iperius Backup Backup software that supports VMware ESXi, vCenter ESXi Free, and Microsoft Hyper-V with incremental and differential backups.
  4. Veeam Backup and Replication Backup software that supports VMware and Hyper-V machines with image-based backups, multiple VM recovery, and more.
  5. Altaro VM Backup Virtual machine backup solution for VMware and Hyper-V with WAN-optimized replication, 256-bit encryption, and two-factor authentication.
  6. Uranium Backup Pro Virtual Virtual machine backup software for VMware ESX/ESXi, vSphere, and Hyper-V with incremental backups and instant recovery.
  7. Vembu Backup & Replication for VMware Agentless VM backup solution for VMware and vSphere that supports incremental VMware backups, file-level recovery, AES 256-bit encryption, and more.
  8. UniTrends – Backup software for VMware VM’s with individual file backup, complete VM backup, SLA policy automation, and more.
  9. Veeam Backup & Replication Community – Free backup software for VMware virtual machines with an Instant Recovery Engine, and malware protection.
  10. Storware vProtect – Backup and recovery platform that supports VMware with full and incremental backups, a recovery testing tool, and more.

The list above includes a mixture of tools for Windows, Linux, and macOS, including tools for monitoring VMware performance and for conducting backups. We’ve prioritized tools that provide user-friendly features like incremental, differential, and multiple VM backup and create an overall hassle-free backup experience.

The best tools for VMware backups

1. SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (FREE TRIAL)

solarwinds virtualization manager

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager is a virtualization monitoring tool that allows you to monitor the health and performance of VMware vSphere infrastructure. With SolarWinds Virtualization Manager you can use customizable dashboards to monitor all of your virtual resources to determine when you need to upscale your resources.

Key Features:

  • Customizable dashboard
  • Graphs and charts
  • Automatic mapping
  • Alerts
  • Recommendations

Why do we recommend it?

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager earns its spot as a top recommendation due to its robust features tailored for efficient VMware vSphere infrastructure monitoring. The customizable dashboards, graphs, and charts offer a comprehensive visual representation of virtual resources, empowering users to make informed decisions about resource scalability. The platform’s automatic mapping enhances transparency by linking virtual machines to related elements, such as hosts and datastores. Additionally, the tool’s recommendation feature provides actionable insights, guiding users on optimizing resource usage based on identified performance metrics.

Recommendations provide you with guidance on how to optimize your existing resources. For example, it can highlight virtual machines with high CPU or memory utilization so that you can take steps to optimize your performance. The platform also automatically maps VMs to elements like dependent host, datastore, and related objects, increasing transparency over your virtual services.

Similarly, alerts notify you about performance issues and include VMware-specific notifications on VM Swap, memory ballooning, co-stop, and more. Users can configure alerts by defining trigger conditions to determine when the system generates an alert.

Who is it recommended for?

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager is ideal for enterprises seeking a powerful yet cost-effective solution for monitoring VMware machines. Its customizable dashboards and automatic mapping make it well-suited for IT professionals responsible for managing and optimizing virtual resources. The platform’s alerting capabilities, including VMware-specific notifications, ensure that performance issues are promptly addressed. Whether used on a subscription or perpetual license basis, SolarWinds Virtualization Manager is a valuable asset for organizations prioritizing efficient VMware vSphere infrastructure monitoring.

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager is recommended for enterprises looking for a cost-effective and reliable solution for monitoring VMware machines. available on a subscription or a perpetual license. You can download the 30-day free trial.

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager Download 30-day FREE Trial

2. Acronis Cyber Protect (FREE TRIAL)

Acronis Cyber Protect

Acronis Cyber Protect is a backup tool that offers support for VMware and vSphere virtual machines. With Acronis Cyber Protect, you can recover virtual machines to bare metal in 15 seconds or less. During instant restore you can start Windows and Linux machines directly from storage so that you can return to operation promptly.

Key Features:

  • Restore Vmware and vSphere virtual machines
  • Bare-metal recovery
  • Remote recovery
  • Automated recovery
  • Smart alerts

Why do we recommend it?

Acronis Cyber Protect stands out as a top recommendation for virtual machine backup, particularly for VMware and vSphere environments. Its ability to recover virtual machines to bare metal in 15 seconds or less is a standout feature, ensuring minimal downtime in case of system failure. The instant restore capability, allowing the direct startup of Windows and Linux machines from storage, contributes to swift operational recovery. Moreover, the software’s automated recovery and remote recovery functionalities streamline the recovery process, providing flexibility and reducing management overhead.

The software also offers automated recovery, where you can customize bootable media with scripts that determine how vSphere VMs are recovered. This helps reduce the amount of time you spend managing the recovery process. On the other hand, you can also use remote recovery to remotely access bootable media and conduct updates over a WAN.

The software lets you know about issues that could affect the availability of your storage. Alerts are aggregated so that you can deal with the most important concerns first and ensure that your backups are kept protected at all times.

Who is it recommended for?

Acronis Cyber Protect is highly recommended for enterprises seeking a robust and user-friendly virtual backup solution. Its quick recovery times, bare-metal recovery, and remote recovery capabilities make it well-suited for organizations prioritizing rapid restoration of VMware and vSphere virtual machines. The smart alerts feature enhances proactive monitoring by notifying users of potential storage availability issues. For businesses valuing reliability and an intuitive interface in their virtual backup tools, Acronis Cyber Protect is an excellent choice.

Acronis Cyber Protectis an excellent tool for enterprises that require a reliable virtual backup solution with a user interface that’s easy to use. Prices start at $559 (£395) per year. You can start the 30-day free trial.

Acronis Cyber Protect Access 30-day FREE Trial

3. Iperius Backup

iperius backup

Iperius Backup is a backup solution that offers backup for VMware ESXi, vCenter, ESXi Free, and Microsoft Hyper-V. Iperius Backup is an agent-less solution so you don’t need to install software agents in order to run it, making it an incredibly easy tool to deploy within enterprise environments.

Key Features:

  • Back up VMware ESXi, vCenter, ESXi Free, Microsoft Hyper-V
  • Incremental backup
  • Differential backup
  • Restore individual files
  • Agentless deployment

Why do we recommend it?

Iperius Backup earns its recommendation as a versatile and user-friendly backup solution for VMware ESXi, vCenter, ESXi Free, and Microsoft Hyper-V environments. Its agentless deployment eliminates the need for installing software agents, simplifying the deployment process for enterprises. The support for incremental and differential backups, along with the ability to replicate virtual machines and restore individual files, adds flexibility to the backup strategy. The diverse options for backup destinations, including disk, cloud services, NAS, LTO tape, and network, ensure adaptability to various storage requirements.

With Iperius Backup you can conduct incremental and differential backups and replicate virtual machines from host to host or datastore to datastore. There is also the option to restore individual files rather than having to restore an entire virtual machine. For example, you can use the user interface to open VHD and VHDX files, explore their internal content and then extract individual files to back up.

When backing up virtual machines, you have the option to back up to disc, cloud service, NAS, LTO tape, or network. This allows you to make sure that your data is stored wherever you need to ensure business continuity.

Who is it recommended for?

Iperius Backup is highly recommended for businesses seeking a straightforward and efficient backup solution for their VMware and Hyper-V environments. Its agent-less deployment makes it particularly suitable for enterprises looking to streamline deployment processes. The support for different backup types and restoration of individual files provides a tailored approach to data protection. Whether backing up to on-premises storage, cloud services, or other destinations, Iperius Backup is a reliable choice for organizations prioritizing flexibility and ease of use in their virtual machine backup solutions.

Iperius Backup is suitable for enterprises that want a simple solution for backing up virtual machines. It is available for $266 (£187) with a single license that supports unlimited hosts and virtual machines. You can download the free trial via this link here.

4. Veeam Backup and Replication

Veaam Backup and Replication

Veeam Backup and Replication is a backup tool that can back up VMware, Hyper-V, and AHV machines. With Veeam Backup and Replication you can create image-based backups of VSS-aware applications. To back up VMware virtual machines, the platform uses VMware vSphere snapshot to create a VM snapshot that acts as a temporary snapshot of a virtual machine, which the software uses to collect information for backup.

Key Features:

  • Back up VMware, Hyper-V, and AHV VMs
  • Native backup and recovery for AWS and Azure
  • Alerts
  • Reports
  • Automated recovery testing

Why do we recommend it?

Veeam Backup and Replication stands out as a robust backup solution offering comprehensive support for VMware, Hyper-V, and AHV virtual machines. Its ability to create image-based backups for VSS-aware applications ensures reliable backup of critical data. The platform leverages VMware vSphere snapshot for efficient backup of VMware virtual machines, employing temporary snapshots to gather information for the backup process. With native backup and recovery support for AWS and Azure, Veeam Backup and Replication extends its capabilities to cloud environments, enhancing data protection across diverse infrastructures.

When it comes to recovering virtual machines, Veeam Backup and Replication offers an instant recovery engine that includes instant multiple VM recovery from a single image-level backup. If you’re concerned about the reliability of your backups you can use automated recovery testing to automatically test your VM backups

There are also alerts and reports that you can use to monitor backup issues. The software comes with over 340 alarms and over 150 reports that enable you to look for limitations in your environment that could leave your data vulnerable.

Who is it recommended for?

Veeam Backup and Replication is highly recommended for enterprises seeking a versatile and scalable backup solution for their virtualized environments, covering VMware, Hyper-V, and AHV. The instant recovery engine, allowing multiple VM recovery from a single image-level backup, is especially beneficial for organizations prioritizing quick restoration of services. The platform’s automated recovery testing feature adds an extra layer of reliability, ensuring the integrity of VM backups. With a rich set of alerts and reports, Veeam Backup and Replication is well-suited for businesses aiming to monitor and manage backup processes effectively.

Veeam Backup and Replication is worth evaluating if you’re looking for an enterprise-grade backup tool that offers automated VMware backups. To view pricing information for this product, you’ll need to contact the company to request a quote. You can start the 30-day free trial via this link here.

5. Altaro VM Backup

Altaro VM Backup

Altaro VM Backup is a backup solution for virtual machines. With Altaro VM Backup you can manage backups for VMware and Hyper-V virtual machines and conduct backups every 5 minutes. With WAN-optimized replication you can replicate virtual machines to a remote site continuously, reducing the amount of manual administration you have.

Key Features:

  • Back up VMware and Hyper-V machines every five minutes
  • WAN-optimized replication
  • Native cloud storage support
  • ConnectWise Automate plugin
  • Weekly, monthly, or yearly backup versions
  • AES-256 bit encryption

Why do we recommend it?

Altaro VM Backup stands out as a versatile solution designed for efficient backup management of virtual machines in both VMware and Hyper-V environments. Its notable feature allows users to conduct backups every five minutes, ensuring the preservation of critical data with a high level of granularity. The WAN-optimized replication capability further enhances data protection by continuously replicating virtual machines to a remote site, minimizing the need for manual intervention and ensuring a robust disaster recovery strategy.

When backing up virtual machines you can also choose between storing your data in a local backup or an offsite location such as a server, or Microsoft Azure, Amazon S3, and Wasabi with native cloud storage support. You also have the option to archive multiple versions of backups, so you can create new versions weekly, monthly, or yearly.

The platform comes with a range of security features that help protect your personal data. For instance, 256-bit AES encryption encrypts offsite backup copies automatically so they can’t be read by unauthorized users. Similarly, two-factor authentication ensures that only legitimate users can access the backup management platform.

Who is it recommended for?

Altaro VM Backup is highly recommended for organizations seeking a user-friendly yet powerful solution for managing VMware and Hyper-V backups. The platform’s ability to conduct frequent backups every five minutes is beneficial for businesses with dynamic and data-intensive virtualized environments. Native support for cloud storage, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon S3, and Wasabi, makes it an excellent choice for those looking to leverage cloud resources for offsite storage. Altaro VM Backup’s subscription and perpetual pricing options cater to a range of business preferences, making it accessible to various budgetary considerations.

Altaro VM Backup is suitable for organizations that require a VM backup tool with fast deployment options that’s easy for non-specialist users to use. Subscription and perpetual pricing options available. The subscription package starts at $369 (£260) per year for 5 VMs. You can start the 30-day free trial via this link here.

6. Uranium Backup Pro Virtual

Uranium Backup Pro

Uranium Backup Pro Virtual is a VMware backup tool that supports VMware ESX/ESXi, vSphere, and Hyper-V. The platform supports incremental backups so you can store generated data after your last backup. In the event of a technical issue, you can use the replica feature to instantly recover virtual machines and return to normal operation.

Key Features:

  • Back up VMware ESX/ESXi, vSphere, and Hyper-V
  • Usilio management console
  • Incremental backup
  • Instant restore
  • Cloud backup

Why do we recommend it?

Uranium Backup Pro Virtual is a robust VMware backup tool that distinguishes itself with versatile support for VMware ESX/ESXi, vSphere, and Hyper-V environments. Its standout feature, incremental backup support, allows users to efficiently store only the data generated since the last backup, optimizing storage resources. The platform’s instant restore capability through the replica feature ensures swift recovery of virtual machines, minimizing downtime and contributing to a resilient disaster recovery strategy.

Backups can be managed and monitored through the Usilio management console. Through the console, you can create backups and receive notification reports when you need to create backups.

The software provides you with many options when it comes to storing data collected from your virtual machines. You can back up to all the main cloud service providers including Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox. This ensures that you have a copy of your virtual machines available wherever you need them.

Who is it recommended for?

This tool is strongly recommended for enterprises seeking a cost-effective solution for managing VMware backups. The ability to leverage the Usilio management console for centralized backup management and monitoring enhances operational efficiency. Uranium Backup Pro Virtual’s support for major cloud service providers, including Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox, makes it an excellent choice for organizations looking to embrace cloud storage for backup redundancy. With a single license supporting an unlimited number of backups, it offers scalability to accommodate various virtualized environments and backup requirements.

Uranium Backup Pro Virtual is a tool worth researching for enterprises that need a low-cost but effective solution for managing VMware backups. A single license supports an unlimited number of backups. A single license costs $278 (£196) You can download the free trial via this link here.

7. Vembu Backup & Replication for VMware

Vembu Backup and Replication

Vembu Backup & Replication for VMware is a VM backup solution that supports VMware vSphere. The platform is agentless making it easy to deploy and provides image-level backup. With Vembu Backup & Replication you can conduct incremental VMware backups and boot virtual machines from backups in minutes.

Key Features:

  • VMware vSphere backup
  • Incremental backups
  • Granular file-level recovery
  • AES 256-bit encryption

Why do we recommend it?

Vembu Backup & Replication for VMware stands out as a reliable VM backup solution, specifically tailored for VMware vSphere environments. The agentless design simplifies deployment, offering image-level backup for seamless protection. Notably, the platform’s support for incremental backups ensures efficient storage usage, while the ability to boot virtual machines directly from backups enhances the recovery process, minimizing downtime.

The recovery process is fast and precise, allowing you to instantly recover at the file level for Microsoft Exchange, Active Directory, SQL Server, and Sharepoint. You also have cross hypervisor migration which allows you to convert VMs from a VMware environment to Hyper-V, giving you more control over your backups.

All backup data is protected with AES 256-bit encryption in transit and at rest so that it can only be read by privileged users. Users can also configure an encryption key for an extra layer of security.

Who is it recommended for?

This solution is highly recommended for organizations relying on VMware vSphere seeking a robust backup tool. Vembu Backup & Replication excels in providing granular file-level recovery for critical applications like Microsoft Exchange, Active Directory, SQL Server, and Sharepoint, enabling precise restoration. The added feature of cross-hypervisor migration adds versatility, allowing users to convert VMs from VMware to Hyper-V seamlessly. The AES 256-bit encryption ensures robust security for backup data, both in transit and at rest. With a free version supporting up to 10 VMware VMs, it provides an accessible entry point for smaller environments or those with limited VM requirements.

The free version supports backing up to 10 VMware VMs free. Paid editions start with the Standard Essentials Edition which allows you to back up and restore VMware VMs at $18 (£12) per virtual machine per year. You can start the 30-day free trial via this link here.

8. UniTrends

Unitrends

UniTrends is a backup solution that supports backups for VMware machines. With UniTrends you can back up individual files and full virtual machines. There are also application-aware backups you can use to back up virtual machines running Microsoft Exchange, Active Directory, SharePoint, and SQL.

Key Features:

  • VMware backup
  • File or full VM backup
  • Application-aware backups
  • SLA policy automation

Why do we recommend it?

UniTrends emerges as a robust backup solution catering to VMware environments, offering versatile backup options for individual files and entire virtual machines. Its distinctive feature lies in the ability to conduct application-aware backups, ensuring the seamless protection of critical virtual machines running Microsoft Exchange, Active Directory, SharePoint, and SQL. Moreover, the platform’s SLA policy automation streamlines the setup process, allowing users to create automated policies for backup, replication, and archiving, enhancing operational efficiency.

The platform’s SLA policy automation reduces the amount of setup you need to do by allowing you to create automated SLA policies that automate the backup, replication, and archiving processes. For example, you can configure the frequency of backups and determine how long backups are kept.

Who is it recommended for?

UniTrends is strongly recommended for enterprises seeking a straightforward yet comprehensive backup management solution tailored for VMware environments. The platform’s support for application-aware backups makes it particularly suitable for organizations relying on Microsoft’s suite of applications, ensuring the secure backup of critical data. The SLA policy automation feature is a notable advantage, simplifying the configuration of backup frequency and retention periods. While specific pricing details are not provided, reaching out to the company directly for a quote is recommended, making it a viable option for organizations of various sizes and requirements.

UniTrends is designed for enterprises that require a simple backup management solution that supports automated backups. To view pricing information for this solution, you need to contact the company directly to request a quote. You can start the 30-day free trial via this link here.

9. Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition 

Veeam Backup and Replication Community Edition

Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition is a free backup tool that supports VMware virtual machines. With Veeam Backup & Replication Community edition, you can back up virtual machines on-premises and in the cloud. When you need to restore VMs, you can do so using the Veeam Instant Recovery Engine with file and application-item level restores.

Key Features:

  • Free VMware backup
  • Veeam Instant Recovery Engine

Why do we recommend it?

Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition stands out as an exceptional free backup tool catering to VMware virtual machines. It provides a comprehensive solution for both on-premises and cloud-based virtual machine backups, ensuring the flexibility needed in dynamic environments. The standout feature is the Veeam Instant Recovery Engine, facilitating swift and efficient restores at both file and application-item levels. Additionally, the software incorporates robust security measures by enabling users to verify the malware-free status of backups before initiating the restoration process, fortifying data against potential ransomware and malware threats.

The software also protects your backups against ransomware and malware by enabling you to verify that backups are malware-free before you restore them. This reduces your backup’s exposure to malicious actors.

Who is it recommended for?

Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition is highly recommended for enterprises seeking a cost-effective backup solution tailored for VMware environments. The free offering for up to 10 workloads makes it an attractive option for small to medium-sized businesses or larger organizations with modest backup requirements. The inclusion of the Instant Recovery Engine ensures rapid recovery times, enhancing overall data resilience. It’s particularly suitable for those looking for a reliable backup tool without the financial commitment, making it an excellent choice for a broad spectrum of users.

Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition is ideal for enterprises that require a low-cost solution for backing up virtual machines. The software is free for up to 10 workloads. You can download it via this link here.

10. Storware vProtect 

Storware vProtect

Storware vProtect is a backup and recovery solution for virtual machines that supports all open source and commerce virtual environments including VMware and Hyper-V. With Storware vProtect you can back up virtual machines to multiple destinations with full and incremental backups.

Key Features:

  • VMware and Hyper-V support
  • Full and incremental backups
  • Recovery testing
  • Open API

Why do we recommend it?

Storware vProtect earns our recommendation as a versatile backup and recovery solution catering to diverse virtual environments, including support for both VMware and Hyper-V. Its capability to perform both full and incremental backups enhances flexibility in data protection strategies. Notably, the software facilitates backup to multiple destinations, offering a wide array of choices such as AWS S3, Azure Blob storage, Google Cloud Storage, and more. The inclusion of an Open API further adds to its appeal, allowing seamless integration with other third-party software and enhancing interoperability.

Backup destinations supported by Storware vProtect include AWS S3, Azure Blob storage, Catalogue DPX, Ceph, Dell EMC DataDomain, Dell EMC NetWorker, ExaGrid, Google Cloud Storage, IBM Cloud Object Storage, Nutanix Objects, Veritas NetBackup, OpenStack SWIFT, and more. You can also use an Open API to integrate the platform with other third-party software.

The software comes with a recovery tool that allows you to test backups automatically to ensure they can be covered. This helps you to verify that the backups you’ve taken will be available to you when it comes time to restore your systems.

Who is it recommended for?

Storware vProtect is ideal for organizations seeking a comprehensive backup solution that accommodates various virtual environments. Its support for multiple backup destinations, including leading cloud services and storage solutions, caters to businesses with diverse infrastructure needs. The recovery testing feature is particularly valuable, ensuring that backups are not only taken but also verified automatically for reliability. The software’s availability on Linux and CentOS makes it accessible to a wide range of users, while the free version, albeit limited to 10 virtual machines, provides an opportunity for users to explore its capabilities before committing to a purchase.

Storware vProtect is a great choice if you need a solution that can back up multiple types of virtual machines. It is available on Linux and CentOS. You need to request a quote from the company directly to view pricing information. There is also a free version that’s limited to 10 virtual machines. You can start the 60-day free trial via this link here.

Best Tools for VM Backups: Editor’s Choice 

If you’re using VMware machines as part of your IT infrastructure, then it’s critical that you have a solution to monitor and back them up. SolarWinds Virtualization Manager is a great place to start if you want to monitor virtual machines but if you want to back them up then a platform like Iperius Backup is a better choice.

Iperius Backup offers incremental and differential backups so you can create the backups needed to keep your information safe. Please note, we recommend that you research multiple tools before committing to a purchase to ensure that you discover the solution that’s right for your environment.

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