BDRShield vs. Carbonite Server

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
BDRShield
Score 6.6 out of 10
N/A
Vembu BDR Suite is a universal backup solution catering to the backup, recovery, and disaster recovery needs of diverse IT environments. It is also optimized for service providers who deliver BaaS and DRaaS to their customers.
$12
per year per endpoint
Carbonite Server
Score 1.0 out of 10
N/A
Carbonite Server (also replacing the former EVault products acquired from Seagate in 2016) is a full backup and discovery solution. Designed to recover anything from a single file to an entire system with the click of a button, Carbonite Server users can protect virtually any type of file on both physical and virtual servers, NAS, SAN and external hard drives. The vendor’s value proposition is that their solution assures that users without an IT department and those that are the IT department…
$800.04
per year
Pricing
BDRShieldCarbonite Server
Editions & Modules
Endpoint / Workstation Backup
$12
per year per endpoint
SaaS Backup
$12
per year per user
VMs, Servers & Cloud Backup
$48
per year per VM
Apps & DB Backup
$72
per year Apps
Power
$800.04
per year
Ultimate
1,300.08
per year
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BDRShieldCarbonite Server
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsTrial and paying customers have access to our valet install free of charge. Call and speak to a specialist who can remotely connect to your machine to ensure it's installed and configured correctly to protect your critical data.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BDRShieldCarbonite Server
Considered Both Products
BDRShield
Chose BDRShield
Never used a product similar to Vembu. Our clients also use VEEAM for VMware backups especially on tape.
Chose BDRShield
We tried to use Altaro first of all but found it to be very big, take up a lot of resources and found the features we needed hard to use. When we compared Vembu we just found everything was so much easier and as it was also free this ticked nearly all of our boxes and the …
Chose BDRShield
The admin management is better, we already have a relationship with Vembu and it gives us more flexibility.
Chose BDRShield
Overall Vembu was much lower cost to implement and support long term.
Chose BDRShield
I used to recommend Aconis, but it gets super-expensive when you get to the server and hypervisor level stuff, and I'm finding myself to not like the latest user interface and options. I also used BackupAssist, which is actually a great product for Windows Servers, but Vembu …
Chose BDRShield
Vembu is cheaper and less complicated, with lower HW requirements which means it more apt for my customers who are mainly small and medium business.
Chose BDRShield
Clients either use Vembu or Cobian backup. Though Cobian is a free service the support and product you get with Vembu is worth it.
Chose BDRShield
I have used almost all Vembu products—BDR, VMbackup, Network Backup, Image Backup, and OffsiteDR. I haven't used the 360 for easy management of all the BDR servers but I'll probably eventually use it as I build out my VembuBDR servers.
Chose BDRShield
If you are looking for an enterprise capable backup suite that quickly does the job without hassles then you will quickly look past the freebee software like Microsoft NT Backup or the overly complex of the like such as Acronis.
Chose BDRShield
The reason for choosing Vembu was that the free version's limits were very reasonable, the installation could be performed on a Linux based operating system, and management could be done using a web UI.
Chose BDRShield
Although not available to select, I've used the VMWare vDP product. Vembu stacks up really well, feature for feature, and even comes out cheaper. That's why I went with it.
Chose BDRShield
  • Easy to deploy.
  • User-friendly console.
  • Value for money. Veeam is a good backup solution but it's very complicated and expensive. On other the hand, Altaro was not so reliable as it crashed the storage many times. It lacks a few important features.
Chose BDRShield
Vembu has been the only product that allowed us to backup mobile users (laptops) and the price [was a factor].
Chose BDRShield
Good Features
Better Pricing
Simple Interface
Chose BDRShield
I tested Vembu against Veeam and for the price, Vembu was the better option. I also had a great support experience as I had to contact Vembu twice after mistakes I made. While using Veeam the software was not as intuitive and support responses were not as swift and accurate.
Chose BDRShield
The primary alternative to Vembu would be Veeam. This would be my second choice in a close race. If I remember correctly, Veeam only supported virtualized environments until just after my decision to go with Vembu. We had also previously tried Microsoft System Center Data …
Chose BDRShield
The modular approach was very appealing to only purchase what is needed. Didn't need to pay for functionality that would not be used.
Chose BDRShield
Configuration for Veeam is a daunting task. Also, it limits itself to VMware environments.
Chose BDRShield
We are trying this for endpoint backup now.
Chose BDRShield
We selected Vembu suite because of the price line and what they had to offer, the service still needs some work.
Carbonite Server
Chose Carbonite Server
We use Easus backup as our on site backup solution. Carbonite is definitely in line with what the industry is offering, with the added reliability of multiple offsite storage locations. I am not sure of a company with as good a reputation.
Chose Carbonite Server
Carbonite Server's direction wasn't really for cloud companies as they are more specialized in robust local backup services. I'm a novice when it comes to server backups and replication, but have learned and picked up a lot from talking to the customer center compared to Veeam …
Chose Carbonite Server
As the Carbonite Server Backup tool is one of the best among all backup tools in the market, we like to opt it for several customers. It's very user friendly and most reliable. Deployment part and support is also good.
Chose Carbonite Server
We migrated from NetBackup as we wanted to get rid of our Tape library and media used. We also compared with Veeam to replace the Carbonite server backup. We changed our plan, as we needed storage. It is not in our budget. We continued with Carbonite as they are cheaper in …
Chose Carbonite Server
I prefer code42's admin console, it was cleaner, more responsive, and easier to navigate. The backup system was very similar.
Chose Carbonite Server
EVault came back as a solid choice, without the added cost of retrieving our data in the event of the emergency.
Chose Carbonite Server
We used Symantec before EVault and our backups were large and took a long time. We were not confident in incremental backups given the amount of data we have, so we needed something that would take a backup and then only grab the changes. Carbonite EVault does that for us.
Chose Carbonite Server
We're in the financial industry, so there are certain standards that we make sure we're following. Outsourcing that role to a specialist in the area helps lighten our work load to we can concentrate on day-to-day business activities and not outside regulations. Flexibility, …
Chose Carbonite Server
We have looked at Symantec Backup Exec and actually use it for some of our less important systems. We are currently taking a look at Veeam as an alternative to EVault because of the real-time replication to live machines that Veeam may be able to provide. But so far, EVault has …
Chose Carbonite Server
We have not used or evaluated other similar products. My only experience in disaster recovery involved backing up to tapes and taking those tapes to an off-site location to restore the system, which was a much longer process.
Chose Carbonite Server
I have used HP Data Protector in the past - prefer EVault because I value the cloud solution for its ease of use and reliability. Like the online portal to manipulate backups because it provides mobility. Also like EVault central control software which is very easy to use just …
Chose Carbonite Server
Product was in place before I started working here. It works well for us because the cost was low and it supported our applications and operating systems. We will be evaluating backup and recovery within 12 months to see if EVault is still the best product for us.
Chose Carbonite Server
I was not involved but major factors were the cloud, no tapes and remote site management
Chose Carbonite Server
Went out of business but they had a sweet appliance that could be moved and the agents could still find it through a cloud/web site that directed it to it's serial number. Made it great to backup laptops too since they moved around and it wasn't always possible to reconfigure …
Chose Carbonite Server
EVault is a cheaper and more reliable solution and has less management and moving parts than the other vendors.
Chose Carbonite Server
Used Symantec Backupexec before Evault. Have not needed to evaluate another product in 8+ years.
Chose Carbonite Server
We use Symantec Backup Exec which backs up to an external hard drive. We wanted a secondary, offsite backup and chose Carbonite as it was reasonably priced and it suited our business needs at this time.
Chose Carbonite Server
Carbonite felt it was much better for us to be on Server Backup incase our server went down.
Chose Carbonite Server
They don't really compare as we use them in different ways.
Chose Carbonite Server
Carbonite sever backup is easy to set up and configure. Cost per byte is reasonable.
Chose Carbonite Server
Honestly the first use I had of this product was because I had inherited it. My first interaction came from a new client who was utilizing the software, this was a few years ago. Since that first interaction I've become more impressed with the software over the years, and when …
Chose Carbonite Server
We used Symantec many years ago, so I don't know that I can compare the two fairly. Backup Exec was hard to use and we backed up on tapes, rather than in the cloud. I feel much more confident in the backups that we have with Carbonite.
Chose Carbonite Server
N/A - since I've always used Carbonite (in lieu of thumb drive backups).
Chose Carbonite Server
Much easier, I love how easy it is to verify my backups. With some other products, I did not really know how they were doing because it was too time-consuming to verify the backup. With carbonite, I get email reports every day with any issues and with successes! That is going …
Features
BDRShieldCarbonite Server
Data Center Backup
Comparison of Data Center Backup features of Product A and Product B
BDRShield
9.6
Ratings
12% above category average
Carbonite Server
8.6
Ratings
1% above category average
Universal recovery9.90 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Instant recovery9.60 Ratings8.20 Ratings
Recovery verification9.90 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Business application protection9.10 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Multiple backup destinations9.60 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Incremental backup identification9.60 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Backup to the cloud8.50 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Deduplication and file compression9.80 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Snapshots9.70 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Flexible deployment9.70 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Management dashboard9.50 Ratings7.50 Ratings
Platform support9.40 Ratings7.50 Ratings
Retention options9.80 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Encryption9.80 Ratings8.50 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BDRShieldCarbonite Server
Small Businesses
Cove Data Protection
Cove Data Protection
Score 9.9 out of 10
Cove Data Protection
Cove Data Protection
Score 9.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Bacula Enterprise
Bacula Enterprise
Score 9.2 out of 10
Bacula Enterprise
Bacula Enterprise
Score 9.2 out of 10
Enterprises
Bacula Enterprise
Bacula Enterprise
Score 9.2 out of 10
Bacula Enterprise
Bacula Enterprise
Score 9.2 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
BDRShieldCarbonite Server
Likelihood to Recommend
6.6
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(0 ratings)
4.8
(0 ratings)
Usability
6.6
(0 ratings)
5.5
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(0 ratings)
5.5
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(0 ratings)
6.4
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
BDRShieldCarbonite Server
Likelihood to Recommend
First of all Web UI makes it so much easier to manage, with few clicks you can schedule a backup, you can see the progress and you can instantly recover it. There is a multiple environment support which is great for hybrid environments. Pricing is more reasonable than other high priced backup solutions
Read full review
A key question is, "how much critical data needs to be backed up?". A follow-up question might be, "what impact would it have on your business and reputation if you were to lose this data or take more than a few days to recover?" If a company's data is not critical or valuable to the success of their business, then this is not a good solution.
Read full review
Pros
  • Bare metal system images. These are incredibly flexible, enabling you to do dissimilar hardware restores, local or online backups and restore to VHD
  • Full, differential and transaction log backups for SQL server, ensuring rapid backup and restore, with maximum storage efficiency.
  • Incremental backups for files, meaning only the changes which have been made to a file are backed up, dramatically reducing time to backup and increasing storage efficiency.
Read full review
  • Their web portal is easy to use to monitor server, check logs, restore or run an ad-hoc backup job.
  • Minimal problems, but when there is a problem, customer support is friendly and flexible in finding a solution. Contacting through their customer portal is convenient.
  • Competitive pricing for level of service provided.
Read full review
Cons
  • User interface on the servers do not have enough tools to better monitor the systems and finding information is difficult.
  • User interface at portal is difficult to navigate and confusing
  • Support documentation is too generic and rarely answers my questions.
  • Licensing and acquisition. As a reseller and partner the licensing model is confusing and the portal interface to manage licensing should be scrapped and rebuilt. It is difficult to navigate and the available information is too vague.
  • Recently, communication with new channel contact. My previous contact was articulate and answered my questions.
  • Did I mention licensing? This is the most confusing and difficult process I've dealt with in 25 years. Makes Microsoft look simple.
Read full review
  • The granular restore tool for exchange, which is needed to restore a specific email rather than an entire mailbox, is a bit combersome. I wish the tool was incorporated into the 'normal' restore features.
  • The inline replication process is very sensitive to available bandwidth. And if bandwidth between source and replication site becomes overused, inline replication fails and 'regular' replication takes its place. I wish inline replication was a bit less 'touchy' and would have a built in 'pause' to allow for the clearing of bandwidth before it fails over to 'regular' replication.
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Likelihood to Renew
I think the product will remain useful for us and as the company keeps improving features it will continue to be relevant and useful. We don't like switching technology much and BDR solutions shouldn't be something that a company replaces every few years., that's why most likely we will keep using it.
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Carbonite Server Backup does not integrate or support any reporting; it is not good at it. We required monthly and quarterly reports for audit. If we fail in that we get fined or we have to pay a certain amount of money to customer. It does not support cloud instances and we are using N2WS for the cloud instances. This is an additional burden for customers.
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Usability
As outlined in are parts of this review, I have various issues with the way their KB center is structured and how error codes aren't documented or KBs for a specific error provide steps for older versions of the software and aren't applicable to the current version because of a design layout change. "Go here and select Y" where the "here" has been removed and doesn't exist anymore. Or they release a new version without any supporting documentation even though they restructured a lot of the interface and updated the error messages.
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Product needs a lot of improvements in some features like Cloud and Reporting.
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Support Rating
It often takes a very long time to get an issue fixed. the support folks seem committed to getting it fixed but they often seem to be trying different things and hoping something works. I did not get the sense that they had a clear idea what was wrong.
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Some of the requests we could not get resolved on time. They took a long time to provide the reason for the issue we had raised.
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Implementation Rating
Overall the implementation was not complicated. The linux version installation is rather easy step by step process. It's just when you do something for the first time, it always take a bit longer because it's new and you just need to be more focused to configure everything properly
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We had appliance and we just needed to setup the Director Console which was straight forward and easy.
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Alternatives Considered
I tested Vembu against Veeam and for the price, Vembu was the better option. I also had a great support experience as I had to contact Vembu twice after mistakes I made. While using Veeam the software was not as intuitive and support responses were not as swift and accurate.
Read full review
Carbonite Server's direction wasn't really for cloud companies as they are more specialized in robust local backup services. I'm a novice when it comes to server backups and replication, but have learned and picked up a lot from talking to the customer center compared to Veeam where it's mostly just self-learning reading lots of documentation which could be overwhelming at times. We started using Veeam as most of our on-prem servers are ceasing operations as we slowly transition to the cloud. I would still use Carbonite as a fall-back option just in case the cloud fails us. Our company cannot afford to have downtimes as we work closely with a lot of contractors and every minute counts.
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Return on Investment
  • Backups complete quickly each night saving me time from always having to modify client backups to fit within their backup windows.
  • Money: We are saving hundreds of dollars per year for us and our clients by switching to this product.
  • I no longer spend significant time managing backups, checking their status, etc. Alerts are consistent and warn me if there's a problem. It just works. I rarely have to touch it other than when I do random restore tests (as I do with any backup product) and the instant recovery feature works well for that.
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  • While EVault can become expensive if you have a lot of data to store, but you have to keep in mind that it does not cost you anything more to restore your data in the event of an emergency. Some systems give you a great upfront cost, until you actually need to retrieve your data.
Read full review
ScreenShots

BDRShield Screenshots

Screenshot of EncryptionScreenshot of Multiple recovery optionsScreenshot of ReportsScreenshot of RetentionScreenshot of SchedulingScreenshot of VM Selection