iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
No single free backup tool is the best fit for every VMware and Hyper-V environment. Two no-cost editions name both hypervisors: Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition, which covers up to 10 workloads, and Hornetsecurity VM Backup Free Edition (formerly Altaro), which covers two VMs per host on unlimited hosts. Choose between them by how many workloads you run, which hypervisor versions you use, and whether you need to restore a complete VM or only its disk data. Vendor free tiers change, so confirm the current limits on the vendor’s page before you deploy.
Free options at a glance
| Product | Free allowance as published | How the limit is counted | Hypervisors named | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition | Free, protects up to 10 workloads (Veeam free-products page) | One pool of up to 10 mixed workloads, not 10 VMware VMs plus 10 Hyper-V VMs | VMware and Hyper-V, plus Proxmox VE, Windows and Linux servers, laptops and NAS | Hyper-V support depends on version and feature; see the Hyper-V limits below |
| Hornetsecurity VM Backup Free Edition (formerly Altaro) | Advertised as free for two VMs per host, with no stated end date | Two VMs on each host, with unlimited hosts; not two VMs in total | VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V, managed from one console | Paid features are marketed separately and are not confirmed as included in the free edition |
| NAKIVO | Not established as a free edition | Paid perpetual socket licensing or per-workload subscriptions | VMware and Hyper-V in its licensing policy | Treat as a paid product unless a current free offer is confirmed |
The Veeam and Hornetsecurity figures come from each vendor’s own product pages, which are live pages without a visible publication date. The Hyper-V limits for Veeam come from its technical documentation, last updated 2026-09-09 and applicable to build 13.1.1.18. Check the same pages on the day you install.
Veeam Community Edition
Veeam is the broadest free option in this group. Its free-products page describes Community Edition as free for up to 10 workloads and lists VMware and Hyper-V alongside Proxmox VE, Windows and Linux servers, laptops and NAS devices. A small lab can therefore run mixed platforms within one allowance, but a larger estate with more than 10 workloads will need a paid edition or a different tool.
Hyper-V limits to check
Veeam’s Hyper-V documentation lists Microsoft Hyper-V Server, the free hypervisor, as supported. It also records restrictions that matter in production:
#1 Best Overall
- Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
- Application-aware processing is not supported for Windows VMs with volumes larger than 64 TB on Hyper-V 2016 and later.
- Certain shielded-VM operations are unsupported.
- The page applies to build 13.1.1.18, so an older or newer build may behave differently.
If your environment depends on any of these items, read the full compatibility matrix for your exact hypervisor version before you rely on the free edition.
Hornetsecurity VM Backup Free Edition
Hornetsecurity, which now sells the former Altaro product, advertises free VM backup for two VMs per host and says the offer has no end date. Its free-solution page allows unlimited hosts, up to two VMs on each, and names Linux VM backup. The product covers VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V from one console, which suits a small business running both platforms.
Rank #2
- Easily store and access 5TB of content on the go with the Seagate portable drive, a USB external hard Drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
The page also describes SQL and Exchange virtual machine use cases that rely on Microsoft’s Hyper-V VSS Writer. Hornetsecurity markets additional capabilities as paid features. Do not assume those features are part of the free edition unless the current edition comparison says so.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The two-VM limit is per host. An environment with three hosts and two VMs on each can protect six VMs for free; a single host with three VMs cannot.
Rank #3
- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Why NAKIVO is not on the free shortlist
NAKIVO’s licensing policy covers both VMware and Hyper-V and describes paid perpetual socket licenses and per-workload subscriptions. It does not establish an ongoing free edition. A trial or community mention does not make it a permanent free choice, so budget for it only if you plan to buy a license.
Hyper-V recovery: whole VM or data only
Microsoft separates two backup outcomes on Hyper-V, and many free tools only deliver one of them well. Whole-VM backup captures configuration and data so the complete virtual machine can be restored to an earlier state. Data-only backup captures the contents of the virtual hard disks. To restore it, you create a new VM and attach the restored data to it, which takes longer and needs more manual work.
Rank #4
- Easily store and access 4TB of content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Microsoft also describes two host-side approaches:
- Hyper-V VSS Writer: designed for small-scale operations where all VMs on a server are backed up at the same time.
- WMI-based approach: available starting with Windows Server 2016. It uses reference points and resilient change tracking, which Microsoft describes as more scalable. It still uses VSS inside the guest, but not in the host operating system.
Microsoft Learn lists applicability for Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025. As Microsoft puts it in its Hyper-V Backup Approaches documentation, “Hyper-V allows you to backup virtual machines (VMs), from the host operating system, without the need to run custom backup software inside the virtual machine.” Whether a free tool uses these approaches, and which ones it supports, varies by product and version, so verify this against the vendor’s documentation.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesChoosing a free option
- Mixed platforms and up to 10 workloads: start with Veeam Community Edition, provided your hypervisor version and features appear in its compatibility documentation.
- Two or more VMs on several hosts, with VMware and Hyper-V in one console: Hornetsecurity VM Backup Free Edition fits when no host runs more than two VMs you need to protect.
- More than 10 workloads or more than two VMs per host: neither free tier covers the estate. Compare paid editions and their trial terms before you commit.
- Need a complete VM restore on Hyper-V: confirm that the tool provides whole-VM backup, not only data-only backup.
- Relying on SQL or Exchange inside VMs: confirm application-level support for your versions in the vendor’s documentation.
Before you deploy
- Record your exact VMware and Hyper-V versions, including any Hyper-V Server edition, and check them against the vendor’s compatibility page.
- Count the workloads you need to protect. For Veeam, count all mixed workload types together. For Hornetsecurity, count the VMs on each host.
- Decide whether you need a whole-VM restore, a file-level restore or an application-level restore, and confirm the free edition supports that restore type.
- Choose a backup destination that is separate from the production storage. Size it from your actual VM data and retention period, not from a generic figure.
- Check the current free-edition terms on the vendor’s site the day you install, because these limits are published on live pages.
What this comparison does not establish
This comparison is based on vendor product pages, Veeam’s Hyper-V documentation and Microsoft Learn. It is not based on side-by-side testing. It does not rank backup speed, restore speed, reliability or ease of use, and it does not show which product performs best in any given environment. Choose on workload fit and documented feature support, then test a restore in your own lab before you depend on a backup.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- [Upgraded Version] - This external hard drive features a mirrored logo stripe combined with a striped anti-slip design, and the rounded corners of the casing make it easier to grip. The stripes also have a heat dissipation function, ensuring stable and fast data transfer.
- 【Ultra-thin and quiet】 - The motherboard adopts JMicron 578 noise-free solution, giving you a quiet working environment. Lightweight and portable size designed to fit in your pocket for easy portability.
- 【Ultra-Fast Data Transfers】 - Pairing this external hard drive with JMicron 578 solution USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 interfaces enables blazing-fast data transfer. It boasts theoretical read speeds of up to 125MB/s and write speeds of up to 103MB/s.
- 【Plug and Play】 - With no software to install, just plug it in and the drive is ready to use.The hard disk chip is wrapped with an aluminum anti-interference layer to increase heat dissipation and protect data.
- 【What You Get】 - 1 x Portable Hard Drive, 1 x USB 3.0 Cable, 1 x User Manual, Gift-type shell packaging ,Three-year manufacturer's warranty and free technical support services.
The Bottom Line
“”
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
