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IBM Spectrum Protect vs NAKIVO Backup & Replication comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM Spectrum Protect
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
16th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
149
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NAKIVO Backup & Replication
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
6th
Average Rating
9.4
Reviews Sentiment
8.1
Number of Reviews
88
Ranking in other categories
Disaster Recovery (DR) Software (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of IBM Spectrum Protect is 2.2%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NAKIVO Backup & Replication is 1.6%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

Syed Habib - PeerSpot reviewer
Manageable and comprehensive and integrates robust backup features for core banking
It's adequate for my core banking, however, I am looking for another solution for all systems. It is not compatible with other operating systems like Windows or Linux, and lacks a consolidated dashboard from Browser Spectrum. This is why I am searching for another solution. The product also lacks any centralized graphical user interface (GUI), such as Jarek Pod, and I am limited to using a console-based text user interface, which my local partner handles completely.
Mattia Sangiorgio - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhances data protection strategies and ensures the reliability of backups with helpful support
The features we have found most valuable in NAKIVO Backup & Replication include its cost-effectiveness, seamless integrations, comprehensive functionalities, and ease of installation and management. The pricing model is very competitive, providing excellent value for the robust features offered. Its seamless integration with our VMware infrastructure ensures smooth operation without any compatibility issues. The wide range of functionalities, including incremental and full backups, storage optimization, and disaster recovery options, meets all our backup needs comprehensively. Moreover, the simplicity of installation and the intuitive user interface have made it easy for our team to quickly set up and manage the backups without requiring extensive training.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"We have been using it for several years, and it is quite reliable and predictable. We are quite comfortable with this solution. They're coming up with new features as well. It has good scalability, and it provides good integrations with business-critical applications or databases, such as SAP HANA. It works as expected, and we don't see any issues."
"The D2D2T archive of my PACS data improved after I put Spectrum Protect 8.1.4 into production."
"Regarding technical support, if one has the entire enterprise support, I would rate it a nine out of ten...Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten."
"Incremental backup is highly valuable as it allows for significant time and cost savings."
"The amount of data that it protects with very little storage by doing incremental forever is one of its most valuable features."
"With the new features that we have added, it has made a difference as far as faster recovery and speed."
"Nothing beats this solution for file backup."
"It helps our customers protect their data, especially with stuff like ransomware, compliance, and regulatory requirements."
"Most valuable for DimenXional Cloud is the API provided by Nakivo which allows us to implement the software in all types of solutions."
"NAKIVO Backup & Replication is very easy to use."
"The VM Backup Verification is one of the features I appreciate the most."
"Before using Nakivo Backup & Replication, all our data backup processes took a long time and did not optimize the disk space reserved for backup. With the introduction of Nakivo Backup & Replication, saving times have been reduced by almost half (thanks to the use of several simultaneous transporters) and the space occupied has also had a very important reduction."
"The implementation of Nakivo made it possible to implement the information security policies currently in force in the company and to meet the statutory requirements in the field of IT security."
"It is fast, simple, powerful, and has a price without competition."
"It can be quickly configured via web pages."
"The main advantage from our perspective is the ability to plug this solution into an existing infrastructure on a cheap device and point the backup at the server targets and configure the backup options in a simple menu; linking to a cheap cloud resource for a simple solution for off-site storage."
 

Cons

"High availability (HA) is a scalability challenge."
"The stability could be improved."
"Probably educating the virtual group who are not as used to the product. Most of our expertise is with AIX servers and virtual server backups."
"It should have the ability to break down the data that's being backed up. It should have better reporting."
"Scalability is poor. As you get to bigger environments, this is where our gaps have been introduced. As we have grown over the past couple of years, the gaps have become more apparent."
"It does not do too well in our virtual environment."
"Software-wise, IBM Spectrum Protect didn't handle virtual machines that well. The license cost is mainly the area for improvement in IBM Spectrum Protect."
"The administration interface should implement more functionalities that exist only in the command line and needs improvement in how some reports are created."
"There is a familiar error that pops up and that is a VM error as much as it is a Nakivo error. It says that the job couldn't calm the VM and restores might be impacted. That error is, to say the least, a bit scary. I have seen this type of error on other backup systems also."
"Compression and data deduplication are okay, but they could be improved."
"While the solution provides mostly what we need, it would be ideal if there were some additional feature capabilities for the API."
"It would be a good thing to have some use case and architecture examples online to understand integration in complex infrastructure."
"They had given a feature of real-time replication which they stopped in NAKIVO. When we wanted to sell, they backed out, and currently, it is not available across platforms."
"One of the things I liked least about this software is when an update was pushed to one of the servers we had, somehow we didn't receive the update and needed some quick troubleshooting."
"The interface can be a little clunky at times."
"When you schedule some jobs, you should be able to see a list of the jobs contained within each. You have to open up the editor to see what is inside. You must click through and edit stuff. Each time, it asks you to save or discard changes. It's very annoying. You only see the name of the scheduled job, and you need to edit it to see what's it's inside."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"IBM Spectrum Protect has a fixed price and includes no additional costs."
"IBM Spectrum Protect can be considered an averagely-priced product."
"Licensing IBM Spectrum Protect can be somewhat confusing for new users due to the options available, such as licensing on a capacity or per server basis."
"You need to put it in a PoC and test it out if you can."
"The price of IBM Spectrum Protect is expensive and there is only a standard licensing fee."
"IBM provides an open license policy, which is more like a gentlemen's agreement."
"The solution's pricing is fair. Price-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten."
"It is very scalable, but the downside is that it costs money."
"As a free solution for a small environment, this is a great solution!"
"The price could be lower."
"This product is cheaper than other big rivals."
"The prices are high."
"Regarding the licensing, I would advise speaking to the Nakivo representatives and you can get the best option for your environment."
"We use a perpetual license that is priced well."
"The pricing, setup costs, and licensing are easy to understand, no matter how you want to implement it."
"The price is not a problem in NAKIVO, as it is the most competitive in the market."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
9%
University
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with IBM Spectrum Protect?
It's adequate for my core banking, however, I am looking for another solution for all systems. It is not compatible with other operating systems like Windows or Linux, and lacks a consolidated dash...
How does Nakivo compare with Veeam Backup & Replication?
Nakivo is my favorite backup software. Below are the main benefits of Nakivo compared to Veeam 1. Low cost. 2. Backup storage with global deduplication (this is the main requirement of a backup sol...
What do you like most about Nakivo?
NAKIVO Backup & Replication is very easy to use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Nakivo?
The product is affordable even for smaller organizations.
 

Also Known As

IBM TSM, IBM Tivoli Storage Manager
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

CERN, Einstein Healthcare, Nyherji, Allianz Australia, TZM, ABT Online, NCT, Kindred Healthcare Inc., Cobalt Iron, TransGrid, Baptist Health of Northeast Florida, Cash America, Piedmont Healthcare, RWGV, Arkansas Tech University, British Columbia Institute of Technology
Coca Cola, Honda, 3M, University of Arizona, University of Maryland, University of Arkansas, Johns Hopkins University, Marriott, Radisson Hotels and Resorts, Fujifilm, Eiffage
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Spectrum Protect vs. NAKIVO Backup & Replication and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,671 professionals have used our research since 2012.