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Why I Transitioned from Veeam to Acronis: A Guide for Organizations Considering a Change
Over the years, Veeam has been a go-to solution for many organizations looking to back up and protect their virtual environments. However, recent changes in Veeam’s licensing models and escalating costs have led me to reconsider my backup strategy. In this article, I will share my experience transitioning from Veeam to Acronis Cyber Protect Advanced, and provide a detailed comparison to help others who may be in a similar situation.
The Changing Landscape of Veeam Licensing
When we initially purchased Veeam Backup Essentials in 2017, the pricing and flexibility were attractive. At that time:
- We paid 4,814.84 EUR for a 5-year license, covering 2 hosts, each with 2 CPU sockets and 18 cores per CPU.
- The socket-based licensing allowed us to back up an unlimited number of virtual machines (VMs) without additional costs, making it highly scalable.
Fast forward five years, and Veeam’s licensing structure had shifted to an instance-based model, where licenses are tied to the number of VMs or workloads being protected. For example:
- Extending our environment to cover 50 VMs for one year was quoted at 6,750 EUR.
- With a temporary 58% discount, the cost dropped to 2,835 EUR per year, but this still resulted in a 14,175 EUR cost over 5 years, nearly three times the price of the old model.
For enterprises using Veeam Enterprise, costs can be even higher. This shift made us question whether the value matched the investment, especially as adding more VMs would significantly increase costs.
Why Acronis Became the Logical Choice
After researching alternatives, we decided to switch to Acronis Cyber Protect Advanced. Here’s why Acronis emerged as the clear winner for our needs:
1. Cost Efficiency
- Acronis licenses are host-based, allowing us to protect all VMs on a given host without worrying about additional per-VM costs.
- For our 2 hosts, each with unlimited VMs, a 5-year license cost 4,100 EUR (2,050 EUR per host), offering substantial savings compared to Veeam’s instance-based pricing.
2. Comprehensive Functionality
- Acronis provides almost all the features Veeam offers, including:
- Reliable backups and restores for virtual environments.
- Disaster recovery capabilities.
- Advanced monitoring and reporting.
- Additionally, Acronis offers built-in Cyber Protection, which includes features like:
- Complete backup and recovery: Full-image and file-level backup and recovery for more than 20 platforms, restoring data to physical, virtual, or cloud environments.
- Advanced cybersecurity: AI-based detection blocks malware, ransomware, and zero-day attacks while vulnerability assessments monitor for potential threats.
- Proactive endpoint management: Fully managed cybersecurity services that secure your data and systems.
3. Scalability Without Cost Penalty
- Unlike Veeam’s instance-based model, Acronis’ host-based licensing means we can freely add VMs without incurring extra costs, making it ideal for growing environments.
4. Ease of Transition
- Acronis offers a user-friendly interface and seamless migration tools, making the transition from Veeam straightforward.
*Feature Comparison: Veeam vs. Acronis
| Feature | Veeam (Instance-Based) | Acronis Cyber Protect |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing Model | Per VM/Instance | Per Host |
| Cost (5 years, 2 hosts, 50 VMs) | ~14,175 EUR (with discount) | 4,100 EUR |
| Unlimited VMs per Host | No | Yes |
| Cybersecurity Features | Add-on (limited) | Included |
| Disaster Recovery | Yes | Yes |
| Proactive Endpoint Management | No | Yes |
| Vulnerability Assessments | No | Yes |
| Scalability Costs | High | None |
*Disclaimer: All prices mentioned in this article are based on estimates and quotes from 2022-2023. Pricing may vary based on the vendor or region and should be confirmed with the respective manufacturer. Additionally, for the most accurate and up-to-date list of features, please refer to the manufacturer’s official website.
https://www.acronis.com/en-eu/resource-center/resource/acronis-cyber-protect-editions-comparison-including-cloud-deployment/
Additional Features of Acronis
- Fully managed backup, recovery, and cybersecurity services: Protect critical endpoints and systems with a comprehensive solution that secures your business and data.
- Management: Receive remote assistance, continuous monitoring of endpoints, systems, and data, along with up-to-date reporting.
- Disaster recovery (DR): Ensure business resilience in the event of a cybersecurity incident, natural disaster, or IT disruption.
- Backup and recovery: Minimize data loss with advanced backup and recovery to local and cloud storage, including AES-256 encryption for stored and in-transit data.
- Vulnerability assessments: Identify and close security gaps by scanning machines for vulnerabilities, ensuring systems are up to date and secure.
- File sync and share: Increase productivity by securely sharing corporate content from any device, anywhere, at any time.
Considerations for Switching to Acronis
While Acronis offers compelling advantages, there are a few points to keep in mind:
- If you have heavily customized Veeam workflows, migrating to a new platform may require some effort to replicate these.
- Acronis’ backup solutions are comprehensive, but it is still essential to evaluate whether specific advanced features of Veeam (e.g., certain granular recovery options) are critical to your organization.
Conclusion
For organizations like mine, where cost-efficiency and scalability are crucial, Acronis Cyber Protect Advanced has proven to be a superior choice. It not only matches Veeam in terms of core backup and recovery capabilities but also adds value with integrated cybersecurity features—all at a fraction of the cost.
If you are evaluating your backup solutions and feel that Veeam’s instance-based pricing is limiting your growth or stretching your budget, I encourage you to explore Acronis. The savings, combined with robust functionality, make it an excellent alternative for businesses looking to optimize their IT investments.