Best Container Backup Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Velero is ranked #1 of 29 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Google Kubernetes Engine and Plakar. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Google Kubernetes Engine. The lowest first paid tier on this page is NetApp Disaster Recovery at $0.03/mo.
Container backup software helps protect container environments and restore the information and resources they rely on. Compared on Kubernetes support, persistent volume and cluster resource backup, and app-consistent backup, these entries show different aspects of backup coverage. Deployment model and maximum retention add context for how a product is delivered and how long backups can be kept; free plans and paid-from pricing help with cost comparisons. Google Kubernetes Engine, Plakar, and KubeSphere Backup are among the entries to compare. Consider which recovery needs matter for your environment, then review the listed coverage and retention details.
29 container backup software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
12 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VeleroWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | Google Kubernetes EngineWeb · Windows · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $0.10/mo | 6.5 | |
| 3 | PlakarWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 4 | KubeSphere BackupWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $65/mo | 6.4 | |
| 5 | RancherWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 6 | Storware Backup & RecoveryWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 7 | Veeam Agent for MacMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | Vinchin Backup & RecoveryWindows · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | Afi Kubernetes BackupWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $140/mo | 6.3 | |
| 10 | StashSelf-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 11 | Veeam Kasten for KubernetesWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 12 | KubeStashSelf-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | Free | 6.2 | |
| 13 | Dell APEX AIOps Incident ManagementWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | Trilio Site RecoveryLinux · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 15 | Bacula EnterpriseWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | Cohesity SiteContinuityWeb · Windows · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | RetourWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 18 | BnkrWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 19 | CloudCasaWeb · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $69/mo | 5.0 |
| 20 | Cohesity Kubernetes Backup and RecoveryWeb · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 21 | Commvault Cloud Kubernetes BackupWeb · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $90/mo | 5.0 |
| 22 | HYCU for KubernetesWeb · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 23 | K8upNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 24 | NetApp Disaster RecoveryWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $0.03/mo | 5.0 |
| 25 | Portworx EnterpriseWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Kubernetes support | Persistent volume backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Velero | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | — | — | — | Yes |
| 2 | Google Kubernetes Engine | 6.5 | Free plan | $0.10/mo | No | 9 /mo | — | Yes |
| 3 | Plakar | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | KubeSphere Backup | 6.4 | Free plan | $65/mo | Yes | 65 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Rancher | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | Storware Backup & Recovery | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | Veeam Agent for Mac | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | Vinchin Backup & Recovery | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | Afi Kubernetes Backup | 6.3 | Free plan | $140/mo | — | 140 /mo | — | Yes |
| 10 | Stash | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | Veeam Kasten for Kubernetes | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 12 | KubeStash | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | No | — | — | Yes |
| 13 | Dell APEX AIOps Incident Management | 5.4 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 14 | Trilio Site Recovery | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Bacula Enterprise | 5.2 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 16 | Cohesity SiteContinuity | 5.2 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 17 | Retour | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 18 | Bnkr | 5.0 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 19 | CloudCasa | 5.0 | No | $69/mo | No | 69 /mo | — | Yes |
| 20 | Cohesity Kubernetes Backup and Recovery | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | — | Yes |
| 21 | Commvault Cloud Kubernetes Backup | 5.0 | No | $90/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 22 | HYCU for Kubernetes | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 23 | K8up | 5.0 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 24 | NetApp Disaster Recovery | 5.0 | No | $0.03/mo | No | — | — | Yes |
| 25 | Portworx Enterprise | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | — | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which container backup software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Velero is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 6.6. Google Kubernetes Engine is second and Plakar third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, NetApp Disaster Recovery has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.03/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.