Best Server Backup Software: 7 Picks for 2026

Veeam is the default pick for a small team because the free edition is genuinely useful, not a short trial. Community Edition covers up to 10 workloads with backup and replication, which is enough for a small server room, a handful of virtual machines, or a mix of physical and cloud workloads. That lets a team set up real protection before spending anything, and learn the console before choosing a higher plan.

• The trade-off is the pack model.
• Essentials starts at 5 instances, while Foundation, Advanced and Premium start at 10 instances.
• One limit is that adding an 11th workload can push you into a second pack, so costs jump in steps.
• Choose Veeam if you have 10 or fewer workloads and want a free start.

Visit Veeam Backup and Replication →

Acronis suits a team that wants backup and security in one product, with cloud storage included in the price. The Standard plan starts at $85 per year for one workstation or device on a 1-year term, and it includes 50 GB of Acronis Cloud Storage per workstation, or 250 GB per server or virtual host. That bundled storage removes a separate storage bill for many small setups, and the free trial lets you check the agent before you commit.

• The trade-off is the split between workstation and server licences.
• A server licence costs more than a workstation licence, and Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup sit only in Backup Advanced, sold in 5-seat pack
• One limit is that a team with three Microsoft 365 users still buys five seats.
• Choose Acronis if you value bundled cloud storage and one agent for backup and protection.

Visit Acronis Cyber Protect →

Commvault Cloud fits larger organisations that already think in terabytes rather than in servers. File and Object Backup starts at $58.50 per TB per month, with volume discounts above 50 TB and above 750 users. Database Backup is $90 per TB per month, and Microsoft 365 Standard is $1.70 per user per month with 5 GB per user.

• Those separate rates let a large team price each workload type on its own terms, rather than buying one flat licence for everything.
• The trade-off is that there is no simple per-server price.
• SaaS cost rises with every terabyte, and the self-managed Commvault Cloud software is quote only.
• One limit is that small teams get no free plan and no low entry tier to test the platform.

Visit Commvault Cloud →

NAKIVO is the value pick for mixed environments. Pro Essentials starts at $2.35 per workload per month on a subscription billed annually, and one licence covers VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix, Proxmox, EC2, physical machines and Microsoft 365 in one console. That breadth matters for a team with more than one hypervisor, because it avoids buying a separate tool for each platform.

• The free edition covers up to 10 workloads for 1 year, which gives a real test window.
• The trade-off is in the higher tiers and licence rules.
• Enterprise Plus is quote only, and perpetual and subscription licences cannot be combined in one deployment.
• One limit is that cloud and tape backup start only from Enterprise Essentials upward.

Visit NAKIVO Backup and Replication →

MSP360 suits a small business that already uses cloud storage and wants backup software priced per computer. The Server plan starts at $109.99 per computer per year, while Desktop starts at $29.99 per computer per year. The free plan includes 1 network share, 5 TB of cloud storage, 5 TB of local storage and community support, which is generous for a single machine or a small test setup.

• Managed Backup is a separate option at $2.50 per workload per month with a $25 per month minimum.
• The trade-off is that storage is billed separately from the licence in the higher plans, so the headline price is not the full cost.
• One limit is that a team must add its cloud storage bill to the per-computer licence before comparing MSP360 with a tool that bundles storage.
• Choose MSP360 if you like per-computer pricing and you already pay for cloud storage.

Visit MSP360 Backup →

Unitrends is worth a look for a very small site that wants a free start with a clear cap. Unitrends Free covers up to 1 TB of protection at no cost, which fits a single small server or a limited set of virtual machines. That simple cap makes it easy to know when you have outgrown the free tier, and the product is aimed at teams that want backup and recovery without a complex licence model at the start.

• The trade-off is the jump to the higher tiers.
• Essentials starts from $349 per resource, Standard from $549, Enterprise from $1,099, and Enterprise Plus from $1,699, with full details via sales.
• One limit is that there is no published price for the main product, so budgeting beyond the free tier needs a sales quote.
• Choose Unitrends if 1 TB is enough for now and you want free protection today.

Visit Unitrends Backup and Recovery →

Rubrik Security Cloud is built for enterprises that treat backup as part of cyber recovery, not just file restore. The editions are tiered as Foundation, Business and Enterprise, with higher tiers adding more recovery and security controls for larger estates. That structure fits a team with a formal recovery plan, a security team, and a need to prove that data can be restored after an attack, rather than a team that only needs nightly copies.

• The trade-off is total price opacity.
• There is no published entry price at all, and Foundation, Business and Enterprise are all priced through sales, so budgeting requires a quote.
• One limit is that a small team cannot compare Rubrik with a published-price rival without starting a sales process.
• Choose Rubrik if you are an enterprise buyer planning cyber recovery at scale.

Visit Rubrik Security Cloud →