Bareos

What Bareos does

Bareos GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German software company founded in December 2012 in Cologne, providing commercial services around the Bareos open-source enterprise backup and recovery platform. The software, licensed under AGPLv3, follows a client-server architecture comprising a Director, Storage Daemon, and File Daemon, and supports cross-platform environments including Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, and ARM64. Bareos is positioned for medium-to-large enterprises, government and public-sector organizations, and education and research institutions requiring scalable, vendor-neutral data protection with demonstrable deployments into the exabyte range, including a 1PB+ EU supercomputer and a 17,000-server French government initiative. The product surface spans a web-based management interface (currently being replaced by a Single-Page Application WebUI), a plugin ecosystem covering VMware (with Changed Block Tracking), Proxmox, Microsoft Hyper-V (with RCT), Kubernetes, Incus, databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB), LDAP, and S3-compatible object storage via Apache Libcloud, and client-side encryption for ransomware and compliance use cases. Bareos is officially certified for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, SUSE Enterprise Storage, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and markets GDPR and DORA compliance positioning as key differentiators.

The company's commercial model layers a free community download (self-serve, no support) with a paid Bareos Subscription priced on a backup-unit formula (larger of source data in TB or clients plus plugin jobs, rounded up to the next 10 units with a 10-unit minimum), plus professional services covering consulting, architecture reviews, health checks, training, and migration. Go-to-market combines a community-led motion (GitHub, Expert Circle events, open-source conferences, YouTube content) with an enterprise field-sales motion for subscription contracts, supplemented by a global partner network of resellers, managed-hosting providers, and certified training partners. The company is led by three Managing Directors — Stephan Dühr, Jörg Steffens, and co-founder Philipp Storz — and operates with a reported 1–10 person headcount, no disclosed external funding, and no parent company.

Name

Bareos

Legal name

Bareos GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://bareos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bareos GmbH & Co. KG, founded in 2012 in Cologne, provides commercial subscriptions, support, and professional services for the AGPLv3-licensed Bareos open-source enterprise backup and recovery platform, serving government, education, and enterprise customers across Linux, Windows, and macOS environments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Enterprise Backup and Recovery Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Backup & DR Software Implementation & Managed Platforms (BPAEALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

High Availability & Failover Architecture Services (BPAEALAE), Continuity for SaaS & Cloud Apps (M365/Salesforce Backup) (HDABAIAK), NAS Storage Systems (HDABAEAB)

Keywords

• Enterprise backup software
• Open source data protection
• Disaster recovery solutions
• Backup infrastructure management
• Virtual machine backup

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bareos Subscription: Subscription-based access to maintained binary packages, official subscription plugins, and professional support. Subscription size calculated based on backup units (larger of source data in TB or clients plus plugin jobs), rounded up to next 10 units with minimum of 10 units.
2. Professional Services: Consulting and services including backup architecture, setup reviews, health checks, training, and migration services. Also includes Open-Xchange migration expertise.
3. Community Download: Community packages available at bareos.org without vendor support. Open-source software under AGPLv3 allows free download and use with source code on GitHub.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bareos provides an open-source enterprise backup and recovery platform (AGPLv3) that protects data across Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, and ARM64 environments, scaling from single servers to exabyte-range deployments. The company monetizes the platform through a paid Bareos Subscription (maintained binaries, certified plugins for VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, Kubernetes, Incus, and databases) along with professional support, training, and consulting services. Customers include enterprises, governments, universities, and research institutions requiring ransomware protection, GDPR/DORA compliance, and avoidance of vendor lock-in.

Product overview

Bareos is an open-source enterprise backup and recovery platform built on AGPLv3-licensed software. The core Bareos Core Platform provides cross-platform backup functionality across Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, and ARM64, scaling to exabyte range. The portfolio includes the WebUI (web-based management interface), a comprehensive plugin ecosystem (VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, Kubernetes, Incus, database plugins for PostgreSQL/MySQL/MariaDB, Apache Libcloud, LDAP), and commercial Bareos Subscription providing maintained packages, enterprise plugins, and certified compatibility with SUSE and Red Hat. Professional Support, Training, and Consulting Services complement the software offerings. All supported plugins are available through Bareos Subscription for production use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bareos Core Platform Open-source enterprise backup and recovery software licensed under AGPLv3, providing reliable data protection across major operating systems including Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, and ARM64, and scaling into the exabyte range.
• Bareos Subscription Commercial subscription delivering maintained binary packages, official subscription plugins (VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, Kubernetes, Incus, database plugins), and official vendor support, with certifications for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, SUSE Enterprise Storage, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
• Bareos Support Professional support service offering expert access, proactive issue resolution, and up to 24/7 availability to help customers minimize downtime and accelerate recovery.
• Bareos Training Professional training programs including Bareos Admin Training Part 1 and Part 2, offered in English and German through certified training partners via online workshops.
• Bareos Consulting Services Consulting services covering backup architecture design, setup reviews, health checks, training delivery, and migration projects, including Open-Xchange migration expertise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Scalability proven to exabyte range in production environments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SUSEcoreTechnology or IntegrationSUSE partnership includes official certification of Bareos for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and SUSE Enterprise Storage. Bareos is featured in the official SUSE Partner Software Catalog. This certification is important for enterprise customers running SUSE-based infrastructure.
• Red HatcoreTechnology or IntegrationBareos provides certified solutions for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, ensuring compatibility and support for Red Hat-based enterprise environments.
• SysElevenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSysEleven is a managed hosting provider that includes Bareos backup solutions in their service offerings, reselling Bareos subscriptions to their customer base.
• Dr. Stephan ReinminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCertified training partner providing Bareos Admin Training workshops (Parts 1 and 2) in English and German. Conducts online workshops and training sessions for backup administration.
• IMT AtlantiqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMT Atlantique (represented by Benjamin Somers) developed the Incus plugin for Bareos in collaboration with the Bareos team. Plugin has been merged and planned for upcoming major Bareos release.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Acronis: Cyber protection platform combining backup with anti-ransomware, disaster recovery, and endpoint security. Targets SMB through enterprise with both subscription and perpetual licensing, overlapping with Bareos in cross-platform backup scenarios.
• Rubrik: Public cloud-native data management and backup platform serving mid-market and enterprise customers. Competes with Bareos in enterprise data protection but with broader portfolio (security, DR, ransomware recovery) and SaaS delivery model.
• Commvault: Established enterprise data protection and information management vendor with broad portfolio spanning backup, archive, and data governance. Competes with Bareos for large enterprise backup contracts but at significantly higher price points and broader scope.
• Veritas NetBackup: Long-established enterprise backup solution serving large enterprises and government customers globally. Overlaps with Bareos in on-premises data protection, particularly for government and regulated industries where Bareos also has traction.

Direct peers

• Bacula Enterprise: Commercial open-source enterprise backup platform derived from the Bacula project. Closest direct competitor to Bareos: same open-source heritage, similar subscription model, and similar target customer base (enterprise, government, education).
• Veeam Software: Leading enterprise backup vendor offering data protection for virtual, physical, and cloud workloads. Directly competes with Bareos in the backup space for VMware, Hyper-V, and cloud workloads, with comparable plugin breadth but proprietary licensing model.
• Nakivo: Backup and disaster recovery vendor specializing in virtual environments (VMware, Hyper-V) with similar SMB-to-mid-market positioning to Bareos. Comparable feature set and price points make it a direct alternative for budget-conscious enterprise customers.
• Amanda (Zmanda): Open-source backup solution (Amanda) with commercial enterprise offering via Zmanda. Same open-source heritage and subscription/commercial support model as Bareos, targeting Linux and cross-platform enterprise backup scenarios.

Emerging players

• Druva: Pure-SaaS cloud-native data protection platform for enterprise endpoints, cloud workloads, and SaaS applications. Represents the cloud-delivered competitive alternative to Bareos's on-prem-first architecture for organizations shifting to cloud-first infrastructure.
• HYCU: Cloud-native backup and recovery platform purpose-built for SaaS, cloud, and Kubernetes workloads. Competes with Bareos's newer Kubernetes plugin offering while emphasizing SaaS delivery, an area where Bareos is less developed.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/bareos/bareos
• Xx.com/bareos_backup
• Facebookfacebook.com/bareosbackup

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bareos