10 Best SQL Server Backup Tools of 2026

1. 1

   Veeam Backup & Replication

   Veeam's backup platform for virtual, physical and cloud workloads, with application-aware SQL Server processing, transaction log backup and a dedicated SQL Server plug-in.

   9.0overall

   Veeam's backup platform for virtual, physical and cloud workloads, with application-aware SQL Server processing, transaction log backup and a dedicated SQL Server plug-in.

   Best forIT teams that already back up VMs and servers and want SQL Server protection, log backups and item-level restores in the same console.

   Adoption data

   550,000+Veeam says it protects more than 550,000 customers worldwide, including 82% of the Fortune 500.

   Veeam Software, Veeam Recognized as a 2026 Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice for Backup and Data Protection Platforms (2026): “Veeam protects over 550,000 customers worldwide, including 82% of the Fortune 500”

   Veeam Backup & Replication is the platform most teams meet first, and its SQL Server support goes further than a VM snapshot. Backup jobs use application-aware processing with SQL Server transaction log settings, so you can truncate logs or run copy-only backups when another process owns the log chain. Separate transaction log backup jobs let Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server apply logs and bring a database to the point you need, and you can restore to another server. For DBAs who prefer database-level jobs, the Veeam Plug-In for Microsoft SQL Server keeps its own backup chain and retention. SureBackup and backup file validation help prove that VM backups boot and are readable. The free Community Edition covers 10 workloads, enough for a small SQL Server estate. The downsides are price clarity, since paid editions go through Veeam's pricing tools and partners, and the extra setup a full platform needs. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run test restores.

   Strengths

   • +One console for SQL Server, VMs, physical servers and cloud workloads
   • +Free Community Edition covers up to 10 workloads
   • +Largest customer base on this list at over 550,000

   Limitations

   • −Paid prices are not shown as plain USD figures on the pricing page
   • −Broad platform with more setup than a SQL Server only tool
   • −SureBackup verification is documented for virtual machine backups, not for every workload type

   SummaryPick Veeam when SQL Server runs on VMs or servers you already protect and you want log backups and point-in-time restores from one console. Start with the free Community Edition to confirm the workflow before buying.

2. 2

   Redgate SQL Backup Pro

   A SQL Server backup tool that compresses, encrypts and verifies native-format backups, and schedules restore jobs that run DBCC CHECKDB.

   8.4overall

   A SQL Server backup tool that compresses, encrypts and verifies native-format backups, and schedules restore jobs that run DBCC CHECKDB.

   Best forSQL Server DBAs who want compressed, encrypted backups and automated restore checks without adopting a full backup platform.

   Adoption data

   200,000+Redgate says its database tools have more than 200,000 users and are used by 92% of the Fortune 100; it does not publish a SQL Backup Pro figure.

   Redgate Software, Our company (2026): “200,000+ users 92% of the Fortune 100 use our tools”

   Redgate SQL Backup Pro is built for DBAs who live in SQL Server and want more than maintenance plans offer. It takes scheduled backups on whatever plan you set, compresses them by up to 95 percent according to Redgate, and encrypts them with 256-bit AES. The verification options are the strongest here: each backup can run CHECKSUM and RESTORE VERIFYONLY, and the Schedule Restore Jobs wizard restores backups on a timetable and runs DBCC CHECKDB, which is the test that actually proves a backup is usable. Network resilience settings retry transfers after outages, and log shipping queues interrupted log backups and restores them in the right order. A central GUI manages backups across servers. The price is published at $666 per server for a year for one to four servers, which is fair for a handful of instances but grows with each server. It protects SQL Server only. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run test backups.

   Strengths

   • +Clear published price per server
   • +Automated restore plus DBCC CHECKDB is the most complete verification on this list
   • +Centralized GUI manages many SQL Server instances

   Limitations

   • −Covers SQL Server only, so other workloads need another tool
   • −Price per server adds up quickly across large estates
   • −No permanent free edition

   SummaryChoose SQL Backup Pro when SQL Server is your main workload and you want restore checks with DBCC CHECKDB on a schedule. Large mixed estates will get more from a platform.

3. 3

   Ola Hallengren SQL Server Maintenance Solution

   A free set of T-SQL scripts and SQL Server Agent jobs for backups, integrity checks and index and statistics maintenance.

   8.3overall

   A free set of T-SQL scripts and SQL Server Agent jobs for backups, integrity checks and index and statistics maintenance.

   Best forDBAs comfortable with T-SQL who want free, scheduled native backups with verification and cleanup on every SQL Server edition.

   Adoption data

   3.5kThe solution's GitHub repository shows about 3,500 stars.

   GitHub, olahallengren/sql-server-maintenance-solution (2026): “Stars 3.5k stars”

   Ola Hallengren's SQL Server Maintenance Solution answers the question of how to back up SQL Server for many DBAs: a free install script creates stored procedures and SQL Server Agent jobs for backups, integrity checks and index maintenance. DatabaseBackup takes full, differential and log backups with wildcard database selection, compresses them, and with the Verify option runs RESTORE VERIFYONLY afterwards. Cleanup settings delete old backup files while making sure log backups newer than the latest full or differential are kept, so the restore chain stays intact. DatabaseIntegrityCheck schedules DBCC CHECKDB on the same server. Because the backups are native, you can restore them with plain T-SQL anywhere. The trade-off is that everything runs in T-SQL: there is no dashboard, alerting depends on SQL Agent and Database Mail, restore drills need their own scripts, and support comes from the community. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run test backups.

   Strengths

   • +Free, with no license per server
   • +Uses native SQL Server backups, so restores need no extra software
   • +Integrity checks and index maintenance come in the same install

   Limitations

   • −No GUI or central dashboard; jobs and alerts are set up in SQL Server
   • −No vendor support contract
   • −Restore testing must be scripted separately

   SummaryUse Ola Hallengren's scripts as the free default for native SQL Server backups and integrity checks. Add a test restore routine and monitoring, since the scripts do not provide them.

4. 4

   Commvault

   An enterprise data protection platform whose Microsoft SQL Server Agent handles full, differential and log backups, IntelliSnap snapshots and point-in-time restores.

   8.2overall

   An enterprise data protection platform whose Microsoft SQL Server Agent handles full, differential and log backups, IntelliSnap snapshots and point-in-time restores.

   Best forLarge enterprises that protect SQL Server across many sites and clouds and need one platform with policy-based retention.

   Adoption data

   100,000+Commvault says it is trusted by more than 100,000 organizations.

   Commvault, Commvault home page (2026): “Recognized by top analysts and trusted by over 100,000 organizations”

   Commvault is the most configurable SQL Server option here, which suits large estates and slows down small ones. Its Microsoft SQL Server Agent runs full, differential and transaction log backups, can start a log backup automatically after a full, back up the tail of the log before a restore, and take partial backups that skip read-only filegroups. IntelliSnap uses storage snapshots on Windows for very large databases, and Always On availability groups are supported. On restore, Commvault offers point-in-time recovery from the log chain and table-level restores, and its documentation covers applying logs only when another tool restored the full backup. The same platform protects cloud, SaaS, VMs and other databases, and the company says over 100,000 organizations use it. The cost is complexity and opacity: there is no public price, deployment usually involves Commvault or a partner, and documentation spans many versions. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run test backups.

   Strengths

   • +Deep SQL Server agent options for complex environments
   • +Covers cloud, SaaS, VMs and databases in one platform
   • +Large installed base of over 100,000 organizations

   Limitations

   • −No published prices
   • −Heavier to deploy and run than a SQL Server specialist
   • −Documentation is split across many product versions

   SummaryCommvault fits enterprises that need detailed control over SQL Server backups across many sites. Smaller teams will find it more than they need.

5. 5

   NAKIVO Backup & Replication

   A backup platform for VMs, physical servers and cloud workloads with transactionally consistent SQL Server backups and object-level recovery.

   8.1overall

   A backup platform for VMs, physical servers and cloud workloads with transactionally consistent SQL Server backups and object-level recovery.

   Best forSmall and mid-size businesses that want low per-workload pricing for SQL Server on physical or virtual machines.

   Adoption data

   16,000+NAKIVO says more than 16,000 customers use its software.

   NAKIVO, Microsoft SQL Server Backup from NAKIVO (2026): “16,000+ Customers Trust NAKIVO”

   NAKIVO Backup & Replication is the budget platform pick. It protects SQL Server on physical and virtual machines with incremental, transactionally consistent backups that copy only changed blocks, and it restores either a whole database or a single table to the original or a new location. Backups can go to local storage, public or private clouds, or storage devices, with encryption and immutability to keep ransomware away from them. For verification, NAKIVO can instantly check that VM backups are recoverable. The pricing page shows Pro Essentials from $1.95 per workload per month on a one-year subscription, billed annually with a five-workload minimum, and a Free Edition covers up to 10 workloads for one year. The limits are depth and scale: SQL Server specific controls are thinner than in Redgate or Idera, and the Essentials tiers cap out at 50 workloads per organization. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run test backups.

   Strengths

   • +Lowest published per-workload price on this list
   • +Covers SQL Server on both physical and virtual machines
   • +Free Edition gives one year of protection for up to 10 workloads

   Limitations

   • −Free Edition is limited to one year, not a permanent plan
   • −Pro and Enterprise Essentials are capped at 50 workloads per organization
   • −Fewer SQL Server specific options, such as log shipping, than DBA tools

   SummaryNAKIVO is a good value choice for SMBs that back up SQL Server with the rest of their servers. DBAs who need fine-grained log control should look at a specialist.

6. 6

   Rubrik

   A cyber resilience platform that protects SQL Server through SLA policies, immutable backups and Live Mount databases served from the Rubrik cluster.

   7.9overall

   A cyber resilience platform that protects SQL Server through SLA policies, immutable backups and Live Mount databases served from the Rubrik cluster.

   Best forEnterprises with hundreds or thousands of SQL Server databases that want immutable, policy-driven protection.

   Adoption data

   3,084Rubrik had 3,084 customers paying $100,000 or more in subscription ARR as of July 31, 2026, up 23% from a year earlier.

   Rubrik, Rubrik Reports Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2027 Financial Results (2026): “As of July 31, 2026, Rubrik had 3,084 customers with Subscription ARR of $100,000 or more, up 23% year-over-year.”

   Rubrik treats SQL Server protection as a policy problem. You assign SLA policies that define backup frequency, retention, replication and archival, and instances and databases inherit them, including how often transaction logs are backed up. If another process owns log backups, Rubrik can take copy-only backups instead. It uses the native SQL Writer Service and covers standalone instances, failover clusters, Always On availability groups and encrypted databases on premises and in the public cloud. Live Mount serves a read/write database straight from the Rubrik cluster, which is useful for checking a backup or refreshing test data without provisioning storage. Security is the main selling point: the immutable file system cannot be disabled, and a logical air gap, MFA and role-based access protect backups from attackers. Rubrik reported 3,084 customers paying $100,000 or more a year. Prices are only available through sales. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run test restores.

   Strengths

   • +Policy-driven protection scales to thousands of databases
   • +Immutability is built in and cannot be switched off
   • +Live Mount gives instant read/write copies for checks and test refreshes

   Limitations

   • −No published prices
   • −Built for larger enterprises, so small estates may overpay
   • −Requires a Rubrik cluster or cloud service rather than a simple install

   SummaryRubrik suits large SQL Server estates where ransomware recovery is the top concern. Smaller teams will get similar basics for less from Veeam or NAKIVO.

7. 7

   SQLBackupAndFTP

   A Windows application that schedules SQL Server, MySQL and PostgreSQL backups and sends them to local folders, FTP or cloud storage.

   7.8overall

   A Windows application that schedules SQL Server, MySQL and PostgreSQL backups and sends them to local folders, FTP or cloud storage.

   Best forSmall businesses and solo admins who want scheduled SQL Server backups to cloud storage set up from one window.

   Adoption data

   50,000+SQLBackupAndFTP says more than 50,000 companies use it.

   SQLBackupAndFTP, SQLBackupAndFTP home page (2026): “50000+ Companies”

   SQLBackupAndFTP is the simplest way here to get scheduled SQL Server backups off the server. From one window you pick databases, choose destinations such as a NAS, FTP, Amazon S3, Azure Storage, Google Drive, OneDrive or Backblaze B2, set a schedule for full, differential and transaction log backups, and choose where alerts go, including email, Slack, Teams and webhooks. It also backs up remote SQL Server, Azure SQL and Amazon RDS instances, compresses and encrypts files with AES before upload, and applies GFS retention to keep weekly, monthly and yearly fulls longer. Restores run from the same form and replay the backup chain in order. Pricing is the draw: a free edition covers two databases, and Lite costs a one-time $39 per computer, with Standard at $89 and Professional at $129. Licenses never expire, but updates and support need a yearly service. Verification is limited compared with Redgate. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run test backups.

   Strengths

   • +Cheapest paid license here, sold once per computer
   • +Free edition handles 2 databases
   • +Many cloud destinations without scripting

   Limitations

   • −Updates and support need an optional yearly service
   • −Lite is limited to 5 databases
   • −No built-in restore test with DBCC CHECKDB

   SummarySQLBackupAndFTP is the low-cost pick for small teams that need SQL Server backups in cloud storage quickly. Schedule your own test restores, since the tool does not run integrity checks for you.

8. 8

   Cohesity

   A data security and backup platform that discovers SQL Server databases, keeps immutable copies and restores them to any point in time.

   7.7overall

   A data security and backup platform that discovers SQL Server databases, keeps immutable copies and restores them to any point in time.

   Best forEnterprises that want SQL Server backup, immutability and fast database clones for dev and test on one platform.

   Adoption data

   12,000+Cohesity says it has more than 12,000 customers worldwide.

   Cohesity, Cohesity home page (2026): “12,000 + Global customers”

   Cohesity protects SQL Server as part of a broader data security platform. It discovers databases automatically and shows them in a dashboard, and its search across database backups supports granular recovery of whole databases, tables or transactions. Recovery can target any point in time and any location, which matters both for ransomware recovery and for restoring a single bad change. Backups are protected with immutability, and can be isolated, archived and replicated to the cloud, while global deduplication and compression cut storage. A practical extra for DBAs is instant cloning: backups can be presented as database copies for development, testing and analytics without extra capacity, and Cohesity says databases can be migrated without log shipping. The company reports more than 12,000 customers. As with Rubrik and Commvault, there are no public prices, and the platform carries more infrastructure than a SQL Server only tool. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run test restores.

   Strengths

   • +Granular recovery down to tables and transactions
   • +Instant clones reuse backups for testing without extra copies
   • +Database migration without log shipping

   Limitations

   • −No published prices
   • −Enterprise platform with more infrastructure than a SQL Server tool
   • −Product pages describe features at a high level

   SummaryCohesity fits enterprises that want SQL Server backups to double as clean test copies. Budget-conscious teams should price Veeam or NAKIVO first.

9. 9

   Idera SQL Safe Backup

   A SQL Server backup and recovery tool with compression, encryption, instant restore and virtual databases attached from backup files.

   7.6overall

   A SQL Server backup and recovery tool with compression, encryption, instant restore and virtual databases attached from backup files.

   Best forDBAs who want policy-based SQL Server backups and the option to query a backup as a live database without restoring it.

   Idera SQL Safe Backup is a full SQL Server backup tool with two features the others lack in this form. Instant restore brings a database online right away while the rest of the data streams in the background, which cuts downtime after a failure. Virtual Database attaches a full backup in SSMS so it looks and behaves like a live database, including inserts, updates and DBCC commands, which makes spot checks and change comparisons possible without restoring. Day-to-day features cover compression and multi-threading, 128-bit and 256-bit AES encryption, backups to AWS S3 and Azure Blob, mirrored backups to several locations, preferred replica backups in availability groups and recovery from network failures. Policy-based management automates backup, restore and log shipping across servers, with central history and alerts. The price starts at $648 per instance, though the page does not say whether that is a perpetual or term license. Idera publishes no customer numbers, which lowers its adoption score. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run test restores.

   Strengths

   • +Virtual databases let you check a backup without a full restore
   • +Policy-based backup, restore and log shipping across many servers
   • +Published starting price per instance

   Limitations

   • −No published customer or usage figures
   • −License term is not stated next to the price
   • −Covers SQL Server only

   SummaryIdera SQL Safe Backup suits DBAs who want instant restores and backup files they can query directly. Confirm the license term with Idera before comparing it with Redgate.

10. 10

    Acronis Cyber Protect

    A backup and endpoint security suite that protects SQL Server clusters, servers and databases, with backup validation and Acronis Cyber Notary.

    7.5overall

    A backup and endpoint security suite that protects SQL Server clusters, servers and databases, with backup validation and Acronis Cyber Notary.

    Best forBusinesses that want SQL Server backup bundled with endpoint security in one agent and console.

    Adoption data

    750,000+Acronis says more than 750,000 companies and 21,000 service providers use its products.

    Acronis, Acronis home page (United States) (2026): “750,000+ Companies”

    Acronis Cyber Protect bundles backup with endpoint security, so the same agent that backs up a SQL Server host also runs anti-malware protection. For SQL Server, Acronis says it protects clusters, servers and databases and adds backup validation plus blockchain-based authentication through Acronis Cyber Notary, which records a fingerprint of the backup so you can later show it was not altered. The platform also covers Exchange, virtual and physical machines and endpoints, which suits small IT teams and managed service providers that want one console for everything. Acronis reports more than 750,000 companies and over 21,000 service providers as users. The weak spots for DBAs are depth and pricing: the product pages describe SQL Server protection at a high level, without the log shipping, restore testing or virtual database options of Redgate or Idera, and we could not find USD prices on the pages we checked. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run test backups.

    Strengths

    • +Security and backup managed together
    • +Large customer base of over 750,000 companies
    • +Covers many workloads beyond SQL Server

    Limitations

    • −No USD prices found on the pages we checked
    • −SQL Server detail on product pages is thin compared with DBA tools
    • −Security features add cost if you only need backups

    SummaryAcronis makes sense when you want backup and endpoint security from one vendor. DBAs who need detailed SQL Server controls should pick a specialist.

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