How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Veeam leads the data protection market with tape as part of its scale-out backup repository.
- Cohesity now owns Veritas' data protection business, including NetBackup.
- Bacula Enterprise works with practically all tape types and skips capacity-based pricing.
- NAKIVO offers native backup to tape in its Enterprise editions at a mid-market price.
- Uranium Backup starts from 80 EUR and lists tape as a first-class destination.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Veeam | market-leading data resilience | See website | No |
 Cohesity | enterprise backup platform | See website | No |
 Acronis | cyber protection for MSPs | See website | No |
 Arcserve | SMB data resilience | See website | No |
 Bacula Enterprise | high-security enterprise backup | See website | No |
 NovaStor | European mid-market backup | See website | No |
 Uranium Backup | affordable Windows backup | From 80 EUR | No |
 NAKIVO | mid-market VM backup with tape | See website | No |
 Retrospect | cross-platform SMB backup | See website | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best tape backup software
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Veeam is the data protection market leader: the Veeam Data Platform v13.1 delivers data resilience across cloud, on-premises, Kubernetes, SaaS, and identity workloads, with tape supported as part of its scale-out backup repository for long-term retention. Immutable-by-design protection and automated malware scanning mean recoveries come back clean, and the company holds the #1 global market share in data protection.
The honest trade: Veeam is a full data resilience platform, and tape is one retention tier among many. If tape is your entire strategy, the specialists are simpler. If tape is the archive layer of a modern backup architecture, Veeam is the strongest foundation.
What we like- #1 in data protection market share
- Immutable-by-design protection
- Restores up to 5x faster
Watch out for- Tape is one feature of a large platform
- Enterprise pricing
- The portfolio keeps expanding
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Cohesity is the combined company behind the Cohesity Data Cloud and the former Veritas data protection business, including NetBackup. The platform protects 1,000+ hybrid cloud and SaaS workloads with cyber recovery, threat detection, and compliance built in, and it continues to support tape as a long-term retention target for enterprises with existing libraries.
The honest note: the Veritas acquisition makes Cohesity the enterprise incumbent, but the integration is still recent and the product line is broad. Tape support continues for NetBackup customers. Enterprises standardizing on one backup vendor should evaluate Cohesity against Veeam on recovery capability, not just feature lists.
What we like- Unified data cloud for 1,000+ workloads
- Now includes Veritas NetBackup
- Gartner Magic Quadrant leader
Watch out for- The Veritas integration is still settling
- Enterprise pricing
- Tape is legacy-tier functionality
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Acronis is the AI-native cyber platform combining backup, security, and IT automation: 21,000+ service providers protect 750,000+ companies across 150+ countries. The platform supports tape as a backup destination for long-term retention, alongside cloud and local storage, with AI agents for threat detection and recovery.
The honest framing: Acronis sells cyber protection first and tape support second. MSPs and SMBs that want backup, security, and automation from one vendor get a strong package. Tape-only shops get more direct tools elsewhere.
What we like- Backup plus cybersecurity in one platform
- 21,000+ service providers
- 750,000+ companies protected
Watch out for- The platform breadth can overwhelm
- Pricing is tiered by edition
- Tape is not the focus
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Arcserve delivers AI-enabled data resilience designed for mid-size and SMB organizations: comprehensive protection across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments with immutable backups, automated recovery validation, and SaaS backup for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Tape remains a supported destination in the UDP line for long-term archival.
The honest catch: Arcserve's strength is simplicity and affordability for the mid-market, not enterprise scale. The many product editions need navigation. SMBs with a tape library and a small IT team get enterprise-class concepts without the enterprise overhead.
What we like- Simple and affordable for mid-size organizations
- UDP 11 with AI-assisted operations
- Immutable backups
Watch out for- Mid-market focus limits enterprise scale
- The product line has many editions
- Tape support varies by product
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Bacula Enterprise is the enterprise backup platform derived from the open-source Bacula project, and it is the tape specialist's choice: its architecture works completely with practically all types of tapes and tape drives. It skips capacity-based pricing entirely, so costs stay flat as data grows, and it claims the strongest ransomware protection in the market. Booking.com and Warner Bros Discovery run on it.
The honest note: Bacula is powerful and technical; it rewards trained administrators and punishes casual ones. Organizations with serious tape infrastructure and security requirements get unmatched value. Small teams without backup expertise should look at the simpler tools.
What we like- Works with practically all tape types and drives
- No capacity-based pricing
- Exceptionally high security backup
Watch out for- The interface is technical
- Training is recommended
- The open-source/community split confuses buyers
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
NovaStor is the Hamburg-engineered backup software for mid-market companies, municipalities, and MSPs: NovaStor DataCenter delivers automated, cyber-resilient backup and recovery with tape library support, and the company offers managed backup services for teams that want experts to run it. The 100% German development is a selling point for data sovereignty.
The honest framing: NovaStor is a European vendor, and US buyers get less local presence than the global competitors. European mid-market organizations that value local support and data sovereignty will find it excellent. US shops should confirm support coverage before committing.
What we like- German-engineered with local support
- Cyber-resilient backup for SMBs and municipalities
- Managed backup services available
Watch out for- European focus limits US support
- The site defaults to German
- Smaller ecosystem than the giants
Starting priceFrom 80 EUR
Free planNo
Uranium Backup is the versatile Windows backup software that treats tape as a first-class destination alongside hard disks, NAS, cloud, and FTP. It handles files, databases, drive images, and virtual machines with scheduling, encryption, and AES-256 security, starting from 80 EUR. More than 700,000 devices are protected with 450 petabytes copied monthly.
The honest note: Uranium is Windows-centric and the interface shows it, but the value is undeniable for Windows shops with tape libraries. Small businesses that need real tape backup without enterprise pricing should shortlist it first.
What we like- Tape listed as a first-class destination
- 100,000+ users in 120 countries
- Affordable perpetual-style pricing
Watch out for- Windows-focused
- The interface is utilitarian
- The vendor is smaller than the giants
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
NAKIVO Backup and Replication is the mid-market data protection platform with native backup to tape built into its Enterprise editions: one platform for virtual, physical, cloud, and NAS workloads with instant recovery and ransomware-proof immutable storage. The company serves 16,000+ businesses in 190 countries with a 4.8 average rating and claims 50% lower total cost of ownership.
The honest catch: tape support sits in the Enterprise tiers, so the entry price buys disk and cloud only. VM-heavy environments get the most value. Tape users should price the Enterprise edition, not the headline tier.
What we like- Native backup to tape in Enterprise editions
- 16,000+ businesses in 190 countries
- 50% lower TCO claim
Watch out for- Tape requires Enterprise tiers
- The pricing page hides exact numbers
- VM-focused heritage
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Retrospect is the veteran backup software for businesses: complete data protection with backup, archive, and duplicate features across Windows, Mac, and Linux, with tape, disk, and cloud destinations. Customers praise its reliability and support, with one noting it costs far less than Veritas while backing up all three platforms. Educational institutions from Harvard to public schools trust it.
The honest framing: Retrospect's interface and company size reflect its heritage, not the modern enterprise. SMBs, schools, and creative shops with mixed platforms and tape libraries get dependable, affordable protection. Large enterprises should look at Veeam or Cohesity.
What we like- Decades of cross-platform backup heritage
- Strong Mac support
- Affordable versus Veritas-class products
Watch out for- The interface feels dated
- Smaller company than the leaders
- Enterprise scale is limited
How we chose
We verified each tool's current homepage by opening the live site and using the final resolved URL. Veritas is being folded into Cohesity; per our merger rule we list the surviving company, Cohesity, rather than the Veritas brand. Comet Backup and MSP360 were considered but their homepages did not verify tape support, so we replaced them with Uranium Backup and NAKIVO, whose pages explicitly list tape destinations. Pricing comes from vendor homepages where shown; where not shown we list "See website". We reviewed product pages and public documentation. We did not test any tool hands-on.
Buying tape backup software
Match the software to your library
Not all tape support is equal. Bacula works with practically all tape types and drives; NAKIVO builds native tape into its Enterprise tiers; Veeam and Cohesity treat tape as an archive tier. Bring your library model to the demo and make the vendor show it working.
The 3-2-1 rule still applies
Three copies of data, on two different media, with one offsite. Tape is the offsite air-gapped copy that ransomware cannot touch. Every tool here can be part of that architecture; the question is which one your team will actually operate.
Price the whole system
Software licenses are one cost. Tape drives, libraries, media, and offsite rotation add up. Bacula's flat licensing and Uranium's 80 EUR entry look different once hardware is included, so budget the system, not the software.
Why tape survives
Tape endures because it solves two problems nothing else solves as cheaply: true air-gap against ransomware and decades-long archival at minimal cost per terabyte. LTO generations keep raising capacity while cloud egress fees keep rising. Tape is not nostalgia; it is the cheapest insurance in the data center.
Frequently asked questions
Is tape backup still relevant?
Yes. Tape provides the cheapest air-gapped storage available, which makes it the best defense against ransomware that targets online backups. LTO media keeps increasing in capacity, and many compliance regimes accept tape for long-term archival.
What is the best tape backup software?
Veeam leads the overall backup market; Bacula Enterprise is the tape specialist's choice with support for practically all tape types; NAKIVO offers native tape backup at mid-market prices; Uranium Backup is the affordable Windows option.
What happened to Veritas?
Veritas' data protection business, including NetBackup, was acquired by Cohesity. The veritas.com site now directs visitors to cohesity.com. Existing NetBackup customers are supported under Cohesity.
How much does tape backup software cost?
It ranges from Uranium Backup at 80 EUR to enterprise suites priced by capacity or workload. Bacula notably skips capacity-based pricing. Most vendors do not publish prices, so get quotes.
Can I back up to tape and cloud with one tool?
Yes. Veeam, NAKIVO, Acronis, and Retrospect all support disk, tape, and cloud destinations in one platform. The common architecture is fast disk for recent backups, tape for air-gapped archives, and cloud for offsite copies.
What tape formats do these tools support?
LTO is the current standard, and Bacula explicitly works with practically all tape types and drives. Confirm your specific library and drive models with the vendor before buying, since support varies.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://www.veeam.com/
- https://www.cohesity.com/
- https://acronis.com/
- https://www.arcserve.com/
- https://www.baculasystems.com/
- https://www.novastor.com/
- https://www.uranium-backup.com/
- https://www.nakivo.com/
- https://retrospect.com/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.