No. 1 of 30 ·Kubernetes Backup Software

Velero

Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API

Freedom report

Three barsScore 6.6

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely3 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Velero is ranked #1 of 30 in Kubernetes backup software on Freedom251. It runs on API, Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Windows. There is a free plan.

Velero plans and pricing

All plans

Velero Free Open source tool; cloud or on-premises; requires Kubernetes and storage provider plugins velero.io · 5 Oct 2026

Compared on Kubernetes backup software

Persistent volume backup: Yes

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The record

Purpose: Velero is an open source tool for backing up and restoring Kubernetes resources and persistent volumes, disaster recovery, and cluster migration.
Backups: Backups can cover an entire cluster or selected resources using namespaces or label selectors.
Scheduling and hooks: Velero supports recurring backup schedules and pre- and post-backup hooks for custom operations.
Restore and migration: Velero can restore a cluster after data loss and migrate resources between clusters, including replicating production clusters to development and test clusters.
Deployment: Velero consists of a server that runs on a Kubernetes cluster and a command-line client that runs locally.
Platforms: The install guide documents the CLI for macOS and Windows, and says the server runs on Linux nodes; it requires access to a Kubernetes cluster.
Storage integrations: Maintainer-supported provider plugins cover AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and VMware vSphere; the provider list also includes community-maintained plugins.
Extensibility: Velero’s plugin architecture lets users add storage integrations and custom backup or restore functionality without modifying the core binary.
On-premises use: Velero can run with cloud-provider or on-premises environments, using object storage and optionally supported block-storage systems.
Support: The project provides community support through GitHub issues and the Kubernetes Slack #velero-users channel.
Governance: Velero identifies itself as a Cloud Native Computing Foundation Sandbox project.
Storage limitation: Velero’s documentation says backups may not work as expected with some object-storage immutability settings because Velero needs to update backup metadata.
Maker: The site footer identifies the project as “Velero a Series of LF Projects, LLC.”
Backup scope: Backups can cover an entire cluster or selected namespaces or label-matched resources.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Kubernetes Backup Software in 2026#1 of 30
Best Container Backup Software in 2026#1 of 29

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Sources

velero.io· checked 4 Oct 2026
velero.io/docs/v1.18/· checked 4 Oct 2026
velero.io/docs/main/basic-install/· checked 4 Oct 2026
velero.io/docs/main/supported-providers/· checked 4 Oct 2026
velero.io/docs/main/overview-plugins/· checked 4 Oct 2026
velero.io/docs/v1.18/backup-reference/· checked 4 Oct 2026
velero.io/docs/main/csi/· checked 5 Oct 2026
velero.io/docs/v1.18/customize-installation/· checked 5 Oct 2026
velero.io/docs/main/· checked 5 Oct 2026