Veeam vs Commvault

Quick verdict

Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) is the core of Veeam Software's Veeam Data Platform. It takes image-level backups of VMware, Hyper-V, Proxmox VE and Nutanix AHV VMs, physical Windows and Linux servers through Veeam agents, and cloud workloads, and stores them on disk, hardened Linux repositories, object storage, deduplicating appliances or tape. Version 13 added a Linux-based Veeam Software Appliance and a web console; Veeam KB2680 lists 13.1.2 (build 13.1.2.57) as released on 27 October 2026, and the 12.3 line still receives patches.

Commvault Cloud is the platform name Commvault Systems uses for its backup, recovery and cyber resilience products. Its fiscal 2026 annual report describes deployment as customer-managed software, SaaS run by Commvault, or hybrid, with HyperScale Grid and HyperScale Flex as on-premises infrastructure options. The documentation portal lists Innovation Release 11.46 and Long-Term Support releases 11.44 and 11.40. The former Metallic SaaS brand and the acquired Clumio service are part of the portfolio.

Side by side

Key differences

Image-first versus agent-first database protection

Veeam starts from the machine. A VM or server backup uses application-aware processing to quiesce SQL Server, Oracle or PostgreSQL, can back up transaction logs or archived redo logs between image backups, and restores single databases or objects through Veeam Explorers without restoring the whole VM. For database-native workflows, managed plug-ins plug into the vendor tools: Oracle RMAN, SAP HANA Backint, SAP on Oracle, SAP MaxDB and IBM Db2 (Windows, new in 13.1). Version 13.1 added application-aware protection with point-in-time recovery for PostgreSQL clusters managed by Patroni.

Commvault starts from the application. Database protection is agent-based, and its supported technologies page lists far more engines: classic enterprise databases (SQL Server, Oracle including RAC and Exadata, PostgreSQL and EDB, MySQL, SAP HANA, MaxDB, Db2, Sybase, Informix), NoSQL and big data systems (MongoDB, Cassandra, Couchbase, CockroachDB, YugabyteDB, HBase, Hive) and cloud database services. If your estate includes Sybase, Informix, Cassandra or many cloud database services, Commvault covers them in one product; with Veeam you would need other tools for some of them.

Point-in-time restore for SQL Server

Both document point-in-time restore for SQL Server, built on SQL Server's own log chain, so the database must be in the full (or bulk-logged) recovery model with log backups running. Veeam backs up logs alongside image backups and restores to a chosen time with Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server. Commvault's SQL Server agent documentation (11.40) describes point-in-time restores, time-range restores and restores to a transaction mark, in place or out of place; its restore chain is the latest full backup, the latest differential, the log backups after it and the next log backup after the chosen time.

Whichever product runs the backups, avoid a second tool taking log backups of the same database, which breaks the log chain. You can check what is being written to a database's backup history with a native query:

-- T-SQL (SQL Server): recent backups and the software that took them
SELECT TOP (20) b.database_name, b.type, b.backup_finish_date,
       m.physical_device_name
FROM msdb.dbo.backupset AS b
JOIN msdb.dbo.backupmediafamily AS m ON m.media_set_id = b.media_set_id
WHERE b.database_name = N'Sales'
ORDER BY b.backup_finish_date DESC;

Deployment: run it yourself or buy it as a service

Veeam Backup & Replication is software you run: a backup server on Windows or, from v13, the Linux-based Veeam Software Appliance, plus proxies and repositories. You patch and size it yourself, and you get immutable restore points on hardened Linux repositories and object storage. That model suits infrastructure teams who already run their own virtualisation.

Commvault Cloud offers a choice. You can run it as customer-managed software, buy Commvault-run SaaS, or mix both, and Commvault sells HyperScale Grid (an integrated appliance or customer-configured infrastructure) and HyperScale Flex (compute and storage scaled separately) for on-premises deployments. Commvault Cloud is also sold through the AWS and Azure marketplaces. In our view, the SaaS option matters most for teams that do not want to run backup infrastructure for cloud databases and SaaS data.

Licensing models

Veeam licenses mainly through the Veeam Universal License (VUL), counted per protected instance: a VM, cloud VM or physical or application server uses one instance, a workstation three, and 500 GB of unstructured data one. A workload counts if it had a restore point in the last 31 days, and restores consume nothing. That means database size does not change the licence count for a VM or server. Per-socket perpetual licences are no longer sold to new customers.

Commvault says in its fiscal 2026 10-K that its move from perpetual to subscription licensing (SaaS and term software) is substantially complete, with perpetual licences still offered. For SaaS it publishes per-workload rates: databases per TB per month, VMs in 10-packs per month, Microsoft 365 per user. The licensing unit for self-managed software was not published on the pages checked, so ask for it in writing.

Pricing and licensing

Veeam Backup & Replication. Veeam does not publish list prices on its site; paid editions of Veeam Data Platform (Foundation, Advanced, Premium, plus Essentials for small businesses up to 50 licences) are sold by quote or through partners, licensed per instance through the Veeam Universal License. The Community Edition is free for up to 10 workloads, without technical support.

Commvault Cloud. Self-managed software is sold by subscription with pricing by quote (perpetual still offered), and Commvault Cloud is also offered through the AWS and Azure marketplaces. Commvault's SaaS pricing page (last modified August 2026, prices shown in "$") lists Database Backup from 90 USD per TB per month for SQL, Oracle, SAP HANA, Oracle RAC and AWS databases on physical or cloud hosts, with volume discounts over 50 TB and a note that databases running on a VM are not supported under that offer; Virtual Machine Backup at 102.49 USD per 10-pack of VMs per month; and File and Object Backup from 58.50 USD per TB per month. The page does not say whether storage is included for these workloads. Note that the units differ from Veeam's per-instance model, so compare on your own estate.

Pricing checked on the vendors' official pages on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.

Where each one leads

Limitations

When to choose each

When neither is right

• Everything runs on AWS managed services: AWS Backup covers RDS, Aurora and DynamoDB without extra software.
• Ransomware recovery and a SaaS control plane over appliances are the main buying reasons: see Rubrik vs Cohesity.
• You only need SQL Server backups with compression and verification: see Redgate SQL Backup Pro vs IDERA SQL Safe Backup.
• You run a small VM estate on a tight budget: NAKIVO Backup & Replication is another option to price.

Final recommendation

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Veeam KB2680: build numbers and versions
• Veeam Backup & Replication 13 What's New: enterprise application and database protection
• Veeam user guide: application-aware processing
• Veeam licensing policy
• Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition
• Commvault supported technologies
• Commvault SaaS pricing
• Commvault documentation 11.40: restore SQL Server data
• Commvault Form 10-K, fiscal year ended 31 March 2026 (SEC)

Checked November 2026.

How we research comparisons: our editorial method.