Altaro VM Backup for VMware Unlimited – Virtual Machine Backup, Unlimited VMs, Disaster Recovery

What is included in Altaro VM Backup for VMware Unlimited?

VMware vSphere support – Backs up ESXi hosts and vCenter clusters.
Augmented Inline Deduplication – Shrinks backup storage during each backup job.
Granular restore – Recovers single files and Exchange mailbox items.
Cross-platform restore – Moves VMware backups onto Hyper-V hosts.
Core Capacity – Backs up unlimited VMs per host.
Important – Cloud backup, immutable storage and CDP need Unlimited Plus.

What are the main benefits of Altaro VM Backup for VMware Unlimited?

Altaro VM Backup for VMware Unlimited is the per-host edition of Hornetsecurity's VM Backup that protects every virtual machine on a VMware vSphere host. It centres on fast local and offsite backups with deduplication and restores you can verify before you trust them.

No VM limit – Add hosts without counting individual virtual machines.
Faster backups – Inline deduplication cuts storage use and backup time.
Verified recovery – Sandbox test-restores prove backups will actually work.
Quick restores – Boot a VM straight from its backup.
Easy migration – Restore VMware machines onto Hyper-V hosts.
Encrypted backups – AES protects both primary and offsite copies.

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What does Altaro VM Backup for VMware Unlimited do?

It backs up and restores virtual machines running on VMware vSphere (ESXi) hosts, with no cap on how many VMs you protect per licensed host. It connects to standalone ESXi hosts and to vCenter, takes hot backups without shutting VMs down, and writes them to local disk and to an offsite location over LAN or the internet. Augmented Inline Deduplication removes repeated data while the job runs, so a host packed with similar VMs consumes far less repository space. Day-to-day operation is mostly drag-and-drop: drop VMs onto a schedule and onto a backup drive.

How is the Unlimited edition different from Standard and Unlimited Plus?

The Unlimited edition removes the Standard edition's five-VM-per-host limit and adds deduplication, Boot from Backup, Exchange item-level restore and multiple offsite locations, but it leaves out the cloud and continuous-protection features reserved for Unlimited Plus. Standard caps you at five VMs per host and encrypts offsite copies only, while Unlimited protects every VM on the host and encrypts primary and offsite backups. Unlimited Plus is the only edition with Continuous Data Protection, WAN-Optimized Replication, cloud backup to Azure, Amazon S3 and Wasabi, and immutable (ransomware-resilient) storage. Choose Unlimited when you back up to your own local and offsite storage and do not need managed cloud object storage.

Does the Unlimited edition include cloud backup, immutable storage, or CDP?

No. Cloud backup to Microsoft Azure, Amazon S3 and Wasabi, immutable (WORM) cloud storage for ransomware resilience, and Continuous Data Protection are all exclusive to the Unlimited Plus edition. The Unlimited edition can still send offsite copies over a LAN or the internet to storage you control, and it encrypts both primary and offsite backups with AES, but it cannot push to managed immutable cloud object storage. CDP, which lets selected VMs back up as often as every five minutes, also requires Unlimited Plus. If ransomware-proof offsite copies or near-continuous recovery points are part of your plan, you need Unlimited Plus rather than Unlimited.

Which VMware restore options does it support?

It supports whole-VM restore, restore to a different host, file-level restore, on-premises Exchange item-level restore, Boot from Backup, and cross-platform restore from VMware to Hyper-V. Boot from Backup starts a VM directly from its backup, so a failed machine can keep running while you repair the original. File-level and Exchange item-level recovery let you pull back a single document or a single mailbox item without restoring the whole VM. Every backup can be checked with the Sandbox & Verification job, which test-restores it in the background and confirms it is recoverable before you ever need it.

What should you check before choosing the Unlimited edition?

Confirm whether your backup strategy depends on immutable cloud storage, Continuous Data Protection or WAN-Optimized Replication, because all three require the Unlimited Plus edition instead. Licensing is counted per host regardless of CPU sockets, so the Unlimited edition suits hosts with many VMs far better than the five-VM Standard edition. If you back up only to local disks and to an offsite location you own, Unlimited covers that and encrypts both primary and offsite copies. Note also that VM Backup protects virtual machines; physical servers need the separate dedicated Physical Server Backup tool.

Frequently asked questions about Altaro VM Backup for VMware Unlimited

Is Altaro VM Backup the same as Hornetsecurity VM Backup?

Yes. Hornetsecurity renamed Altaro VM Backup to VM Backup after acquiring Altaro, and the Unlimited edition and its feature set carried over unchanged. The current product line is version 9, so retail listings labelled "Altaro VM Backup" refer to the same software you install and update today.

Does the Unlimited edition support VMware vCenter and clustered hosts?

Yes. The Unlimited edition supports VMware vCenter and Hyper-V cluster shared volumes, which the Standard edition does not. That means you can declare hosts through vCenter and manage backups across a cluster from one console rather than configuring each standalone ESXi host separately.