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Veeam is the strongest all-round server backup tool, Commvault Cloud the only one with a published VM list price, and MSP360 the clearest self-serve price for a few Windows servers. Acronis bundles security with backup, NAKIVO is cheap per workload, and Hornetsecurity and Iperius suit small estates. All seven were scored on pricing transparency, platform coverage, immutability, and MCP and API maturity.
Veeam Backup & Replication is the best server backup software for most organizations in 2026. It protects VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix and physical Windows and Linux servers, offers immutable hardened repositories, and ships both a REST API and an official MCP server. The catch is price: Veeam sells by quote in packs of 10 instances. If a number on a web page matters more, Commvault Cloud lists about $10.25 per VM per month, and MSP360 lists $109.99 per Windows Server per year.
Server backup software copies the operating system, applications and data of your servers somewhere an attacker or a failed disk cannot reach. It matters because a backup you cannot restore, or that ransomware can delete, is not a backup. This guide ranks seven tools by what they actually publish, and where a vendor sells by quote we say so. Every fact comes from the vendor's own pages, checked on October 28, 2026. For the wider disaster recovery picture, see our guide to backup and disaster recovery software.
Compare server backup solutions for small business by restore requirements, operating systems and the storage you will actually use. The server backup software price should include the required workloads and any storage or recovery charges, not just a starting subscription. Test how a full-server recovery would work before treating a successful backup job as proof of recoverability.
Why You Need Server Backup Software
- Recovery from ransomware. Immutable copies and clean-restore checks mean an attacker with admin rights cannot erase the backup along with the data.
- Faster restores than rebuilds. Instant VM recovery and bare-metal restore bring a failed server back in minutes or hours, not days of reinstalling.
- Coverage for mixed estates. Physical servers, Hyper-V and VMware hosts, databases and cloud VMs rarely share one native backup tool.
- Compliance evidence. Retention rules, encryption and audit trails give auditors something to read.
- Predictable cost. Per-workload or per-host licensing lets you budget by server count rather than by raw storage alone.
How We Evaluated
Each product was scored on pricing transparency, platform coverage, immutability and ransomware controls, MCP and API maturity, and deployment flexibility. Facts come from each vendor's own pricing pages, product pages and documentation. Where a price sits behind a quote form, or a page did not render its numbers, we say so rather than guess. Aggregator price listings were left out because they disagree with vendor pages. We did not run the products hands-on. The full approach is on our methodology page.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication
Veeam Backup & Replication sits inside the Veeam Data Platform and is the backup engine most mixed Windows, Linux and hypervisor estates start with. It runs as software you host, on Windows or as a hardened Linux appliance.
Pricing: Custom-quoted. Veeam shows "Request Pricing" but no numbers. Foundation, Advanced and Premium editions are licensed per Veeam Universal License instance, sold in packs of 10, while the Essentials edition for small business is sold in packs of 5, up to 50. A server or VM normally counts as 1 instance. A free Community Edition allows 10 instances, where a workstation counts as 1 and a server as 3. Production support is included.
Top Features
- Instant recovery of VMs and workloads, including to Azure
- Immutable backups on a hardened Linux repository
- Continuous data protection and replication
- Malware detection with restore-point scanning in a sandbox
- Hardened Linux software appliance with automated updates
- Recovery orchestrator for tested disaster recovery on Premium
Pros
- Widest workload and hypervisor coverage in this guide
- One portable license across physical, virtual and cloud workloads
- Free Community Edition for 10 instances
Cons
- No published prices and a 10-instance minimum pack
- Advanced and Premium features need extra products such as Veeam ONE
AI/MCP Integration: Official. The Veeam Intelligence MCP Server launched on March 31, 2026 and covers Veeam Backup & Replication, Veeam ONE and the Service Provider Console. It is read-only for now and runs locally over stdio at no added cost.
API Integration: Yes. A REST API follows OpenAPI 3.0 on port 9419, with versioned documentation on the Veeam Help Center.
Cloud Based: Self-hosted software. Cloud workloads on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud are protected, and Veeam Data Cloud adds managed storage, but the core product is not SaaS.
Platforms: Windows and Linux servers, VMware, Hyper-V and Nutanix AHV, NAS, Kubernetes, Microsoft 365, AWS, Azure and Google Cloud.
Best For: Mixed physical and virtual estates that need immutability and tested recovery.
Our take: Choose Veeam when breadth and recovery testing outrank a price you can read online. Licensing is the weak point: editions, packs and legacy socket licenses take a call to untangle, and company-level certifications such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are listed on its trust center rather than per product.
Editor score: 4.6/5. The deepest platform and an official MCP and API; the quote-only model keeps it from a perfect score.
2. Commvault Cloud
Commvault Cloud is the SaaS delivery of Commvault's platform, with self-managed software still available. It protects VMs, Kubernetes, SaaS apps and identity from one console.
Pricing: Published in USD for SaaS. VM backup is $102.49 per month for a 10-VM pack, about $10.25 per VM per month, with volume discounts above 50 VMs. Kubernetes is $90 per TB per month, and file and object start at $58.50 per TB per month. Self-managed software and enterprise deals are quote-based. The pricing FAQ says Commvault Cloud is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II compliant, with reports available under confidentiality.
Top Features
- End-to-end VM protection on-premises and in the cloud
- Snapshot and application-consistent backups
- Bring-your-own storage or an on-premises copy for fast recovery
- Anomaly detection and air-gapped copies
- Encryption in flight and at rest with role-based access and SSO
- Cleanroom recovery and threat hunting
Pros
- Only published VM list price among the enterprise-grade tools here
- Official MCP server and public REST API
- Covers VMs, Kubernetes, SaaS apps and Entra ID
Cons
- The published price covers VM backup only, not self-managed licensing
- Wide product surface takes planning to size and operate
AI/MCP Integration: Official. Commvault documents a hosted MCP service for release 11.46.20 or later and a self-hosted server in its public GitHub repository. Tools cover job management, clients, storage and plans, and a separate Kubernetes MCP server exists.
API Integration: Yes. REST API references are published at api.commvault.com and developer.commvault.com, with token-based authentication.
Cloud Based: Yes, as Commvault Cloud SaaS, and the self-managed 11.x software is also documented.
Platforms: VMware, VMware Cloud on AWS, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, Azure VMs, Amazon EC2, OCI VMs, Kubernetes, Microsoft 365, Salesforce and Entra ID. A full server operating system list was not confirmed.
Best For: Organizations that want a published VM price and one platform for VMs, containers and SaaS.
Our take: Choose Commvault when procurement wants a number before a call. Commvault's own documents disagree on whether WORM lock applies to its Air Gap Protect storage, so verify immutability scope before relying on it.
Editor score: 4.5/5. The best mix of published pricing, official MCP and API; scope and complexity trim the score.
3. Acronis Cyber Protect
Acronis Cyber Protect combines server backup with anti-malware, anti-ransomware and endpoint management in a single agent and console. It is sold as a self-hosted version 17 and as a cloud service.
Pricing: Per-server USD price not documented as of October 28, 2026. The licensing page shows "from $85.00 per year" with no workload type, and we infer that is a workstation price. Licensing is subscription, per workload: Windows Server and any Linux OS need a Server license, and a hypervisor host needs a Virtual Host license. Each Server or Virtual Host license includes 250 GB of Acronis cloud storage. Cyber Protect Cloud is partner-quoted. No perpetual license was found for version 17.
Top Features
- Agent-based and agentless image and file backup of physical and virtual servers
- Active Protection anti-ransomware with malware scanning of backups
- Immutable storage on Advanced and Backup Advanced editions
- Bare-metal recovery with Universal Restore and run-VM-from-backup
- Continuous data protection, deduplication and tape support
- Application and database backup with patch management
Pros
- Backup and security in one agent
- Wide hypervisor list including Proxmox VE and Nutanix
- Ransomware warranty program for qualifying recovery points
Cons
- No published per-server price
- Edition rules, such as Advanced being required under KVM, XenServer and Oracle VM, make cost hard to predict
AI/MCP Integration: No official server found. A community server from Servosity covers Cyber Protect Cloud tenants, and it is not vendor-verified.
API Integration: Yes. The Acronis developer portal references a public API and API library; we did not open the API documentation itself.
Cloud Based: Both. Cyber Protect 17 runs with a management server in your network, cloud-hosted management is available on subscription licenses, and Cyber Protect Cloud is the partner-delivered SaaS.
Platforms: Windows Server through 2025, Linux, VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, Virtuozzo, Proxmox VE, Nutanix AOS, KVM, RHV, XenServer, Oracle VM, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
Best For: Teams that want one vendor for server backup and endpoint security.
Our take: Choose Acronis when consolidating security and backup is the goal. Its trust center lists ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS and FIPS 140-2 at company and cloud level, and we could not confirm which apply to the self-hosted version 17.
Editor score: 4.3/5. Strong coverage and a security-first design; opaque server pricing and no official MCP cap it.
4. NAKIVO Backup & Replication
NAKIVO Backup & Replication is self-managed software for virtual, physical, cloud and NAS workloads. It installs on Windows or Linux, as a virtual appliance, as an AWS image, or directly on a NAS.
Pricing: Per workload or per CPU socket. NAKIVO's own marketing pages quote entry prices of about $1.95 to $2.90 per workload per month, depending on edition, per its SMB page and search excerpts of its homepage. Its pricing page showed the labels but not the numbers when we fetched it, so confirm in a browser before budgeting. Subscriptions are billed annually for 1 to 5 years with a 5-workload minimum, and perpetual licenses are priced per socket. A free edition covers 10 workloads and 5 Microsoft 365 users for one year. Enterprise Plus is contact-sales.
Top Features
- Agentless VM backup and replication
- Instant VM boot and granular recovery
- Real-time replication for VMware on Enterprise tiers
- Site recovery orchestration
- Backup targets including cloud, tape and deduplication appliances
- Policy-based protection with a built-in backup malware scan
Pros
- Low entry price and a perpetual per-socket option
- Backs up to NAS appliances, tape and many cloud targets
- Immutable repositories on Linux, S3, Wasabi, Backblaze B2 and Azure Blob
Cons
- Pricing page numbers did not render, and marketing pages show different starting figures
- API, role-based access control and the federated repository are tied to the contact-sales Enterprise Plus tier
AI/MCP Integration: None found as of October 2026. No official or community NAKIVO MCP server turned up.
API Integration: Yes. A JSON-RPC API over HTTP covers jobs, inventory, repositories, licensing and reporting. Whether lower editions can use it is not documented.
Cloud Based: Self-hosted only. Hosted backup-as-a-service is available through MSP partners using multi-tenant mode.
Platforms: VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, Proxmox VE, Windows Server 2012 to 2025, Ubuntu, Debian, RHEL, SLES, Oracle Linux, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Amazon EC2 and Microsoft 365.
Best For: Small and mid-size teams that want low per-workload cost and flexible storage targets.
Our take: Choose NAKIVO when budget and storage flexibility lead. No compliance certifications are named on its ransomware page, which says only that the product helps meet NIST and NIS2 requirements.
Editor score: 4.2/5. Excellent value and platform reach; unclear pricing display and gated API keep it behind the top three.
5. MSP360 Backup
MSP360 Backup, formerly CloudBerry, is vendor-neutral backup software that writes to your choice of cloud or local storage. The standalone Pro editions are locally managed, and a Managed edition adds a web console for service providers.
Pricing: Published in USD per computer per year for Pro, excluding VAT: Windows Server $109.99, SQL Server $124.99, Ultimate $179.99, Linux $19.99, and a Hyper-V, VMware and Proxmox VM edition at $379.99 per host with 2 sockets included. A free edition for Windows, macOS and Linux includes Object Lock, with limits of 5 TB to cloud and 5 TB local. A 15-day trial is available. Managed Backup is custom-quoted, and storage is billed by your chosen provider.
Top Features
- File-level and image-based backup with bare-metal restore
- Object Lock immutability and AES encryption
- Hyper-V, VMware and Proxmox backup with changed block tracking
- Synthetic full backups and GFS retention
- Restore verification that boots the backup as a VM
- SQL Server backup and a white-labeled web console on the Managed edition
Pros
- Clear per-machine USD prices
- Bring your own storage with no markup on Pro
- Free edition includes Object Lock
Cons
- Pro has no central console, so managing many servers needs the quote-only Managed edition
- Server edition lists 1 TB of cloud storage, and Linux is file-level only
AI/MCP Integration: None found. No official or community MSP360 MCP server turned up in our search.
API Integration: Yes, for the Managed Backup service. The documentation page returned an error when we fetched it, and a vendor forum thread points to a REST endpoint. The standalone Pro agent lists no API.
Cloud Based: Partly. It is an on-premises agent that writes to cloud storage, and the Managed edition adds a hosted console.
Platforms: Windows Server 2008 R2 through 2025, Linux and macOS at file level, VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, Proxmox VE, SQL Server, Amazon S3, Wasabi, Backblaze B2, Azure, Google Cloud and any S3-compatible target.
Best For: Small businesses protecting a few Windows servers on a fixed budget.
Our take: Choose MSP360 when you want to see the bill before you start. The vendor's own pages name no compliance certifications, so ask for current reports if you need them.
Editor score: 4.1/5. The most transparent small-business pricing; no central console on Pro and no MCP hold it back.
6. Hornetsecurity VM Backup
Hornetsecurity VM Backup, formerly Altaro VM Backup, protects Hyper-V, VMware and Proxmox hosts. A separate free Physical Server Backup tool covers Windows Server.
Pricing: No price is published on the vendor site; its pricing page returns an error. Official licensing is a monthly subscription charged per backed-up VM on Unlimited Plus only, or perpetual licenses per host in Standard, Unlimited and Unlimited Plus editions, with a paid maintenance agreement for support and updates. A free edition covers 2 VMs per host, and a 30-day trial is available. Figures in third-party reviews are in pounds and euros and disagree, so we do not quote them.
Top Features
- Immutable cloud storage for ransomware protection
- Augmented inline deduplication across jobs
- Continuous data protection with WAN-optimized replication
- Cloud backup to Azure, Backblaze B2, Amazon S3, Impossible Cloud and Wasabi
- Instant boot, sandbox restore and backup verification
- Granular file and Exchange item restore
Pros
- Free edition for 2 VMs per host
- Free physical server backup tool
- Backups as often as every 5 minutes
Cons
- No public pricing
- Physical Server Backup supports Windows Server only, restores to Hyper-V and has community support only
AI/MCP Integration: None found as of October 2026.
API Integration: Not documented as of October 28, 2026. Management is through the local console and the cloud Control Panel.
Cloud Based: Self-hosted software with a cloud Control Panel for central management; it is not SaaS.
Platforms: Hyper-V, VMware and Proxmox. Physical Server Backup lists Windows Server 2008 R2 to 2022. Targets include local disks, NAS shares, iSCSI and the cloud services above.
Best For: Small Hyper-V and VMware estates that want to start free.
Our take: Choose Hornetsecurity when you run a handful of VMs and want to test before you pay. Compliance certifications are not documented on the product page, and the edition split for immutability comes from third-party reviews, so confirm which edition you need.
Editor score: 3.8/5. Friendly free tier; hidden prices, no API and no MCP limit the score.
7. Iperius Backup
Iperius Backup is Windows-focused backup software sold on a perpetual license. The company now also sells Iperius ONE, a subscription platform with monitoring, remote access and backup modules.
Pricing: Listed in euros, not dollars, and we could not confirm USD. Classic Iperius Backup is a perpetual license quoted per PC or server, with editions for basic server backup, databases, virtual machines, Microsoft 365 and a Full edition that includes all modules. A Free edition covers file copy and incremental backup with AES-256 encryption, and the vendor's own FAQ describes it as usable on servers in business. Volume discounts apply from 2 licenses. Iperius ONE prices per module did not render, and Premium Support is optional.
Top Features
- Disk image backup with bare-metal restore to dissimilar hardware
- Incremental backup of VMware, Hyper-V and Proxmox with unlimited VMs
- Database backup for SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Oracle
- Cloud and remote targets including S3, Azure, Wasabi and tape
- Microsoft 365 and Exchange backup
- AES-256 encryption and open-file backup
Pros
- Perpetual licensing with no required renewal
- Full edition covers VMs, databases and Microsoft 365
- Free edition usable on servers
Cons
- Prices are in euros with no USD option
- Windows-centric, with no public REST API
AI/MCP Integration: None found as of October 2026.
API Integration: No public REST API documented. A command-line launcher starts named backup jobs, but it is a job runner, not an API.
Cloud Based: Self-hosted agent software. Iperius ONE and the Console add remote management, with backup data sent to your chosen destination.
Platforms: Windows, VMware ESXi and vCenter, Hyper-V, Proxmox, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Exchange and Microsoft 365. Storage targets include S3, Azure Blob, Wasabi, Backblaze, FTP, NAS and LTO tape.
Best For: Windows shops that prefer a one-time license over a subscription.
Our take: Choose Iperius when subscription fatigue is the problem. Immutability is documented through Amazon S3 Object Lock, and no SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification is documented.
Editor score: 3.7/5. Strong value for a Windows estate; euro-only pricing, no API and no MCP narrow its reach.
Comparison Table
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Standout Feature | AI-MCP Support | API Integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veeam Backup & Replication | Mixed estates needing immutability | Custom-quoted; free Community Edition | Hardened repository and instant recovery | Official server | REST (OpenAPI 3.0) |
| Commvault Cloud | Teams wanting a published VM price | $102.49 per 10 VMs per month | VMs, Kubernetes and SaaS in one platform | Official server | REST |
| Acronis Cyber Protect | Backup plus endpoint security | From $85 per year (workload type not stated) | Anti-ransomware in the backup agent | Community only | Public API |
| NAKIVO Backup & Replication | Low cost per workload | About $1.95 to $2.90 per workload per month | NAS, tape and cloud targets | None found | JSON-RPC |
| MSP360 Backup | A few Windows servers | $109.99 per Windows Server per year | Object Lock on every edition | None found | Managed edition only |
| Hornetsecurity VM Backup | Small Hyper-V and VMware estates | Not published; free for 2 VMs per host | Immutable cloud storage | None found | Not documented |
| Iperius Backup | Windows shops avoiding subscriptions | Euro pricing; free edition | Perpetual license | None found | Command line only |
How to Choose
- Count your workloads first. Per-workload pricing favors many small servers, and per-host or per-socket pricing favors dense virtual hosts.
- Decide on immutability early. Confirm the storage target and the edition that enables it, not just the feature name.
- Match the platform list to your real estate. Check your exact Windows Server, Linux distribution and hypervisor version, since vendors list ranges.
- Ask for the restore test. Prefer tools that boot a backup in a sandbox and report the result.
- Price the storage separately. Several tools charge nothing for storage because you supply it, while others bundle capacity.
- Check the console model. Per-machine consoles do not scale past a handful of servers.
- Read the support terms. Perpetual licenses often need a separate maintenance plan for updates.
What This Actually Costs
Take a small business with three physical Windows servers and one VMware host with two sockets, before any storage. On MSP360 Pro that is 3 x $109.99 plus one $379.99 VM host edition, or $709.96 per year. Ten VMs on Commvault Cloud's published rate come to $102.49 per month, about $1,229.88 per year, and that covers VM backup only. Ten workloads on NAKIVO at its marketing-page $1.95 to $2.90 per month would be $234 to $348 per year, subject to confirming the live price. Veeam, Acronis and Hornetsecurity need a quote for the same estate.
Final Thoughts
Pick Veeam if your estate mixes hypervisors and physical servers and you value tested recovery over a price tag. Pick Commvault Cloud if procurement wants a number and you also protect containers or SaaS. Pick MSP360 when the estate is a few Windows servers and the budget is fixed.
Acronis earns its place for teams that want one vendor for backup and security, though its server price takes a quote. NAKIVO is the value play once you confirm its live price. Hornetsecurity and Iperius fit small, specific estates and make the most sense as free-tier starting points. For adjacent coverage, see endpoint security software, RMM software and database management software, or browse the IT, security and DevOps category.
