BorgBackup vs Acronis Cyber Protect
A detailed comparison to help you choose between BorgBackup and Acronis Cyber Protect.
Quick Verdict
4.3/5
BorgBackup
0 reviews
3.6/5
Acronis Cyber Protect
0 reviews
BorgBackup is rated higher (4.3 vs 3.6). BorgBackup is a free, open source, deduplicating backup program for Linux/macOS with compression, encryption, and deduplication. Pairs with BorgBase for managed repository hosting. Our long-standing pick for self-hosters. Acronis Cyber Protect combines backup with AI-based malware and ransomware protection. Physical, virtual, and cloud workload backup with 50+ cloud storage destinations.
BorgBackup Open source deduplicating backup — free self-hosted | Acronis Cyber Protect Backup with built-in anti-malware protection | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.3 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.6 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | free | paid |
| Starting price | Free✓ | From $85/mo |
| Best for | Technical users and self-hosters who want deduplicated, encrypted, versioned backups to storage they control, without per-gigabyte vendor fees | IT teams and MSPs running mixed physical, virtual, and Microsoft 365 estates who want backup and endpoint protection consolidated into one console, with control over where backup data is stored. |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ✓ | |
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | — | Acronis-operated sites plus Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure regions (26 data centers per 2021 briefing), incl. Singapore, Japan, Australia |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tieropen sourceself hostable | mobile appteam features |
| Visit BorgBackup → | Visit Acronis Cyber Protect → | |
BorgBackup
Pros
- + Deduplication plus per-repo compression makes repeated backups far cheaper in storage than full-image schemes
- + Authenticated encryption with a documented untrusted-server model; append-only mode defends backup history against compromise
- + Free BSD-licensed software with a decade-long public track record and detailed on-disk format documentation
- + Runs against any filesystem or SSH target — no lock-in, no required vendor
- + Mature companion ecosystem: Borgmatic for config-driven runs, Vorta for desktop GUI, BorgBase for hosted repos
Cons
- - Command-line only with no official GUI; keyfile and retention semantics take real learning
- - No native S3/object-storage repository mode in 1.4.x — cloud-object workflows need rclone-style workarounds
- - File-level tool: consistent database or VM backups need hooks or snapshots; no bare-metal restore agents
- - Support is community-based unless you pay for consulting or a hosting provider's SLA
Acronis Cyber Protect
Pros
- + Backup and endpoint security (anti-malware, patch management, EDR on Advanced) unified in one agent and console
- + Wide storage flexibility: 26+ Acronis/Google/Azure data centers plus S3, Wasabi, Swift, NFS and on-prem S3-compatible destinations
- + Image-based backups with incremental chains, deduplication, and pre-restore malware scanning fit ransomware recovery planning
- + Coverage across Windows/Linux servers, VMs, workstations, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, NAS, and mobile
- + Two licensing models (per-workload and per-GB) let matching your workload shape cut costs significantly
Cons
- - Licensing matrix is genuinely confusing; server protection at roughly $595–$925/server/year dwarfs workstation pricing
- - The combined agent can be heavy on CPU and memory on constrained endpoints
- - Backup-only buyers pay for a security platform they may not want; console complexity reflects five jobs in one product
- - Vendor scale figures and destination counts are marketing claims with limited independent verification
- - Support and SLA terms differ between direct business products and the service-provider platform
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