Your infrastructure is evolving: +5 servers per year, hybrid cloud migration, containerization... But a paradox persists: your backup bill grows faster than your data.
Should you stick with a per-socket model (Veeam, Acronis) or switch to volume-based pricing (PBS, Backblaze)? Both models are legitimate, but not for the same contexts.
This guide objectively compares both approaches with concrete use cases (SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise),real 2026 figures, and a personalized decision matrix.
The Two Backup Pricing Models
Model 1 — Per-Socket/Server License (Legacy)
Principle: 1 license = 1 physical server or 1 CPU socket, regardless of actual data volume backed up.
Typical 2026 Pricing:
- Veeam Backup & Replication: €800-1,200/socket/year for backup server + free agents (Standard Edition)
- Acronis Cyber Protect: €60-80/workstation/year, €500/backed-up server/year
- Veritas Backup Exec: €600-900/backed-up server/year
Problems with this model:
- Fixed cost independent of actual data backed up
- Penalizes modern architectures (microservices, containers, multiple VMs)
- Encourages under-backing-up to save costs
- No granularity: backing up 100 GB or 10 TB = same price
Model 2 — Volume-Based Pricing with Deduplication (Modern)
Principle: Billing based on stored space after deduplication. You only pay for unique data actually backed up.
NimbusBackup Pricing (Backup-as-a-Service):
- Single rate, all volumes (no tiers)
- Deduplication included → 50-80% volume reduction
- No limit on source servers (Proxmox VMs, Windows servers, Linux...)
- Complete infrastructure included (servers, storage, maintenance)
Important: NimbusBackup = Complete BaaS Solution
Unlike Veeam where you only buy a license, NimbusBackup includes EVERYTHING (servers, storage, 24/7 maintenance):
| Component | Veeam On-Premise | NimbusBackup BaaS |
|---|---|---|
| Physical backup server | €5,000-10,000 CAPEX | ✅ Included |
| Windows Server OS | ~€1,100 license | ✅ Included (Linux PBS) |
| Storage (disks) | Your expense | ✅ Included |
| Power + cooling | €1,200-3,000/year | ✅ Included |
| Server maintenance | Your expense | ✅ Included (24/7) |
| Total hidden costs | €7,300-16,600 + recurring | €0 (all in €12/TB) |
To go beyond the example: the full grid (€12/TB unique, tiers, options) and real-world ranges are consolidated in our offsite Proxmox backup pricing guide. The pricing model decision (per-socket vs volume) is upstream; concrete pricing then lets you scope a realistic POC.
Architecturally, switching to a third-party backup operator isn't only a price argument: the BaaS logic — separating production and backup operators (GDPR Art. 32, NIS2, anti-ransomware) precedes the pricing decision. A cheaper BaaS operated by your own internal IT team does not deliver the same risk value.
Before locking a backup budget, check the other side of the equation: the real cost of an outage vs cost of backup (downtime calculator — hourly revenue loss, productivity, indirect costs). Once that figure is set, the gap between €288/year and €10,000/year stops being the topic: the real question becomes which downtime exposure you are buying.
Calculate Your Savings
Use our interactive calculator to estimate your savings by switching to NimbusBackup
Backup ROI Calculator
Estimate your savings by switching to NimbusBackup
Your parameters
Total raw volume before deduplication
Per socket/server (€/year)
Typical stored volume reduction (40-90%)
Comparison results
Cost breakdown
When to Choose Volume-Based Pricing?
✅ Choose NimbusBackup if:
- You have >5 servers to back up
- Controlled data volume (<100 TB)
- Predictable, low TCO is priority
- Externalized infrastructure acceptable
- Avoid vendor lock-in
💡 Cloud PBS is also a volume-based option. See our NimbusBackup vs Cloud PBS comparison
⚠️ Veeam/Acronis if:
- Strict compliance requiring vendor certification
- 100% on-premise infrastructure mandatory
- Team already trained on Veeam
- Comfortable, stable IT budget
But: Even in these cases, self-hosted PBS remains 100% free and open source.
Next Steps
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