Backup for GKE vs Velero

Backup for GKE8.6Visit VVelero7.5Visit

Higher score Backup for GKE #5 in Kubernetes Backup Software 8.6/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Google Cloud

vs

V Velero #16 in Kubernetes Backup Software 7.5/10 Open source ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Velero

• Backup for GKE fits best

  GKE users seeking low entry pricing

• Velero fits best

  Open-source Kubernetes backup and migration

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Side by side

Feature	Backup for GKE 8.6/10 Visit ↗	VVelero 7.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	7.5
Ranking	#5 in Kubernetes Backup Software	#16 in Kubernetes Backup Software
Best for	GKE users seeking low entry pricing	Open-source Kubernetes backup and migration
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	$0.04/GB/mo	Open source
Free plan	—	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Docs, Community	Community, Docs
Integrations	5 integrations	10 integrations
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Backup for GKE 3/3 · Velero 2/3
Persistent volume backup	✓	✓
Cross-cluster restore	✓	✓
Immutable backups	✓ (best)	—
Specs
Application consistency	Both	Both
Backup frequency	Scheduled	Scheduled
Retention options	Custom	Custom
Our review
Pros	Starts at $9 per namespace per month Supports cross-cluster and cross-project restores Offers RPO-based scheduling, retention locks, and restore rules	Backs up resources and persistent volumes with scheduled jobs Supports snapshots, file-system backups, hooks, and custom expiration Integrates with major clouds, storage platforms, and S3-compatible storage
Cons	Coverage centers on Google Kubernetes Engine clusters Persistent volume support is documented for Persistent Disk volumes There is no free plan	Immutable backups are not supported in its category profile Requires installation inside a Kubernetes cluster Provider plugins may be needed for snapshots and storage targets
Our verdict	Backup for GKE is a managed Google Cloud service for backing up and restoring Kubernetes workloads and persistent data in Google Kubernetes Engine clusters. It suits teams that need namespace- or application-based protection, scheduled… Read the review →	Velero is an open-source Kubernetes tool for backing up and restoring cluster resources and persistent volumes. It is designed for Kubernetes operators and platform teams managing workloads across cloud or on-premises environments. Its… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Backup for GKE — where it wins

  • Starts at $9 per namespace per month
  • Supports cross-cluster and cross-project restores
  • Offers RPO-based scheduling, retention locks, and restore rules

  Where it doesn't

  • Coverage centers on Google Kubernetes Engine clusters
  • Persistent volume support is documented for Persistent Disk volumes
  • There is no free plan

• Velero — where it wins

  • Backs up resources and persistent volumes with scheduled jobs
  • Supports snapshots, file-system backups, hooks, and custom expiration
  • Integrates with major clouds, storage platforms, and S3-compatible storage

  Where it doesn't

  • Immutable backups are not supported in its category profile
  • Requires installation inside a Kubernetes cluster
  • Provider plugins may be needed for snapshots and storage targets

• Backup for GKE8.6/10 · Paid

  A focused GKE backup service with low namespace-based entry pricing.

  Visit Google CloudFull verdict →
• VVelero7.5/10 · Open source

  A broad open-source toolkit for Kubernetes backup, recovery, and cluster migration.

  Visit VeleroFull verdict →