Commvault vs Rubrik
Written by Connor Blake ·
Edited by Sebastiaan Smits ·
Fact-checked by Mateus Rocha ·
Published September 30, 2026 · Updated September 30, 2026
Commvault's case is coverage: one policy engine across physical, virtual, cloud, database, Kubernetes and SaaS workloads, usually implemented with a partner. Rubrik's case is recovery from an attack, built on a Zero Trust, immutable design. Both are quote-only with no free trial. Heterogeneous, regulated estates point to Commvault; ransomware-focused security teams point to Rubrik.
Side by side
 Commvault |  Rubrik | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Enterprise data protection across everything a large estate holds | Zero Trust Data Protection for cyber resilience at scale |
| Best for | Large enterprises with heterogeneous, regulated environments | Large, security-conscious enterprises prioritizing ransomware recovery |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
| Pricing model | Quote only | Quote only, sales-led |
| Pricing | Quote-only; no pricing information or calculator is published anywhere on the main site, with "request a demo" as the only path to a number. | Quote-only, enterprise sales-led with "Contact Sales" as the only path on product pages; no calculator, no published numbers and no self-serve trial found. |
| Free option | None | None |
| Place in our backup and disaster recovery software ranking | #10 of 12 | #11 of 12 |
| Website | commvault.com | rubrik.com |
Both are reviewed in full in Best Backup & Disaster Recovery Software in 2026. Position in that ranking can be paid for; the wording of a review or of this comparison cannot. Placement disclosure.
Which one to choose
Choose Commvault if
your estate mixes older physical systems, databases, Kubernetes and cloud-native AWS workloads, you need compliance and e-discovery tooling, and a partner-led implementation is acceptable.
Commvault, #10 in the ranking · Visit Commvault →
Choose Rubrik if
the driving requirement is getting back up within hours after ransomware, with air-gapped immutable copies and fast file-level search across on-premises and multi-cloud environments.
Rubrik, #11 in the ranking · Visit Rubrik →
Where they differ
Range of workloads under one policy
Commvault covers physical, virtual, cloud and SaaS workloads plus databases and Kubernetes through a single policy engine, and its 2023 Clumio acquisition extended cloud-native AWS backup. Rubrik unifies protection across on-premises, AWS, Azure, GCP and SaaS, with automated workload discovery. For an estate with many kinds of system, including older ones, Commvault reaches more of it.
Edge: Commvault
Designed-in attack recovery
Rubrik was built around cyber resilience instead of adding ransomware features to an older architecture: logical air gaps, encryption, strict access controls, and recovery measured in hours. Commvault answers with AI-driven anomaly and ransomware detection and isolated recovery environments. Both take the threat seriously; Rubrik's architecture starts from it, and that shows in threat hunting and file-level search.
Edge: Rubrik
Effort to stand up and run
Commvault is normally implemented with a partner and can be complex to configure and administer, and a mid-sized company ends up paying for workload types it does not run. Rubrik's entry flags a formal, sales-led procurement but not operational complexity, and lists policy-driven automatic discovery of workloads. On the evidence we have, Rubrik is the lighter system to operate.
Edge: Rubrik
Compliance and legal requirements
Commvault lists compliance and e-discovery tooling alongside global deduplication, which suits regulated organizations that must search and produce data on request. Rubrik offers encrypted, access-controlled backups and rapid file-level search, aimed more at security response than legal process. Where auditors and legal teams are stakeholders in the backup platform, Commvault has the more direct answer.
Edge: Commvault
Tally: Commvault 2, Rubrik 2, even 0.
When neither fits
Neither makes sense for a company with a straightforward, mostly virtualized environment and no large security or compliance program. NAKIVO Backup & Replication publishes starting prices and needs no sales call, and Veeam is the usual benchmark for virtualized infrastructure at mid-market scale.
See NAKIVO Backup & Replication and Veeam among the 12 products in Best Backup & Disaster Recovery Software in 2026.
Questions and answers
Can I trial Commvault or Rubrik before talking to sales?
Not on a self-serve basis. Commvault's only route to a number or a product view is requesting a demo, and Rubrik has no self-serve trial, with Contact Sales as the single path. Plan for a formal evaluation and insist on a timed restore test within it.
Is Commvault or Rubrik better for databases and Kubernetes?
Commvault lists database and Kubernetes backup explicitly, alongside cloud-native protection from its Clumio acquisition. Rubrik's entry describes unified protection across on-premises, the three large clouds and SaaS without naming those workloads, so ask Rubrik to confirm coverage for your specific platforms.
How do Commvault and Rubrik compare on price?
Our data cannot settle it, because neither publishes anything: no price list, no calculator, no ballpark. Both are quote-only. The only fair comparison is to send each vendor the same written configuration and ask whether storage and immutable copies are included.