Carbonite vs Commvault: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.
Carbonite
Cloud backup solution for small businesses and individuals with automatic file protection, endpoint backup, and server recovery options.
Commvault
8.6(3,200 reviews)
Enterprise data protection platform with backup, recovery, and cyber resilience for hybrid cloud environments across VMs, databases, and SaaS apps.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Carbonite | Commvault |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Non-technical small businesses that need simple cloud backup without managing complex infrastructure | Large enterprises with heterogeneous environments spanning multiple hypervisors, databases, and cloud platforms |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Contact Sales |
| Starting Price | $6/mo | Contact Sales |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud, on premise, hybrid |
| Platforms | WEB, WINDOWS, MAC | WEB, WINDOWS, LINUX |
| Rating | 7.2/10 | 8.6/10 |
Pros & Cons
Carbonite
Pros
- Dead simple set-and-forget backup that non-technical users can install and manage without IT help
- Unlimited cloud storage on personal plans eliminates capacity planning headaches
- Continuous background protection catches new and changed files automatically without scheduled windows
- Self-service web portal for file restores reduces IT support tickets significantly
- Affordable entry price at $6/month makes cloud backup accessible for individuals and tiny businesses
Cons
- Initial backup is painfully slow—500GB can take a week or more with throttled upload speeds
- No seed drive shipping option to accelerate the first full backup like Backblaze offers
- Business products feel disjointed post-acquisition: three separate product lines with different consoles
- Disaster recovery capabilities are basic compared to Datto or Veeam—no instant virtualization
- Support quality has declined since the OpenText acquisition according to multiple customer reports
Commvault
Pros
- Supports more data sources than any competitor — VMs, databases, NAS, SaaS, Kubernetes, and cloud-native workloads
- Database backup granularity is unmatched — restore a single table from a multi-TB Oracle or SQL database
- Threat Scan analyzes backup data for malware before restore, preventing reinfection during recovery
- Three deployment models (SaaS, self-managed, hybrid) fit virtually any enterprise architecture preference
- Policy-based management applies consistent backup rules across heterogeneous workload types from one console
Cons
- Initial deployment takes weeks and requires trained or certified administrators to configure properly
- Licensing model remains confusing despite recent simplification — always requires sales engagement for quotes
- Overkill for small and mid-market companies that do not have heterogeneous enterprise environments
- Management interface, while improved, still has a significant learning curve for new administrators
- Self-managed deployments require substantial on-premise infrastructure for backup servers and storage
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Pricing Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Carbonite | subscription | $6/mo |
| Commvault | contact sales | Contact Sales |
Our Verdict
Choose Carbonite if...
Non-technical small businesses that need simple cloud backup without managing complex infrastructure
Choose Commvault if...
Large enterprises with heterogeneous environments spanning multiple hypervisors, databases, and cloud platforms
Still Not Sure?
Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.