Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs Proxmox Backup Server

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager9.1Visit Proxmox Backup Server8.8Visit

Higher score Dell PowerProtect Data Manager #4 in Server Backup Software 9.1/10 Pricing on request · 90-day trial Free trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Dell

vs

Proxmox Backup Server #7 in Server Backup Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Proxmox

• Dell PowerProtect Data Manager fits best

  Dell-centered enterprise environments

• Proxmox Backup Server fits best

  Proxmox environments needing open-source backup

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Side by side

Feature	Dell PowerProtect Data Manager 9.1/10 Visit ↗	Proxmox Backup Server 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.8
Ranking	#4 in Server Backup Software	#7 in Server Backup Software
Best for	Dell-centered enterprise environments	Proxmox environments needing open-source backup
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Pricing on request · 90-day trial	€560/device/yr
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	90 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Linux	Web, Linux
Support	Live chat, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7	Tickets, Community, Docs
Integrations	14 integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Dell PowerProtect Data Manager 4/4 · Proxmox Backup Server 0/4
Virtual server backup	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Bare-metal restore	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Application-aware backup	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Immutable backups	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment	Hybrid	Not checked yet
Free retention	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Covers VM, file, bare-metal, application, and Kubernetes protection Adds immutable retention locking, anomaly detection, and recovery orchestration Supports Dell storage, VMware, Hyper-V, databases, NAS, and public-cloud deployment	Incremental backups with deduplication and Zstandard compression AES-256-GCM encryption plus granular file and directory restoration Remote synchronization, tape support, access control, and REST API
Cons	Pricing requires a sales quote rather than a published software price The strongest integrations are concentrated in the Dell ecosystem The 90-day trial is time-limited and there is no free plan	Integrations are centered on Proxmox Virtual Environment Self-hosted deployment requires Linux-based infrastructure Paid subscriptions start at 560 EUR per server per year
Our verdict	Dell PowerProtect Data Manager is software-defined data protection for physical, virtual, cloud, and application workloads. It is designed for organizations managing mixed environments that include VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, Kubernetes,… Read the review →	Proxmox Backup Server is a self-hosted, open-source backup platform for virtual machines, containers, physical hosts, and file archives. It is designed for teams running Proxmox Virtual Environment alongside Linux systems and needing… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Dell PowerProtect Data Manager — where it wins

  • Covers VM, file, bare-metal, application, and Kubernetes protection
  • Adds immutable retention locking, anomaly detection, and recovery orchestration
  • Supports Dell storage, VMware, Hyper-V, databases, NAS, and public-cloud deployment

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires a sales quote rather than a published software price
  • The strongest integrations are concentrated in the Dell ecosystem
  • The 90-day trial is time-limited and there is no free plan

• Proxmox Backup Server — where it wins

  • Incremental backups with deduplication and Zstandard compression
  • AES-256-GCM encryption plus granular file and directory restoration
  • Remote synchronization, tape support, access control, and REST API

  Where it doesn't

  • Integrations are centered on Proxmox Virtual Environment
  • Self-hosted deployment requires Linux-based infrastructure
  • Paid subscriptions start at 560 EUR per server per year

• Dell PowerProtect Data Manager9.1/10 · Pricing on request · 90-day trial

  A broad enterprise backup platform with its strongest fit in Dell-centered environments.

  Visit DellFull verdict →
• Proxmox Backup Server8.8/10 · Free plan

  A capable self-hosted backup platform for Proxmox-centered infrastructure.

  Visit ProxmoxFull verdict →