Our verdict: Veeam Agent FREE brings business-grade image backup to home PCs at no cost. It backs up the whole computer, single volumes or folders and can restore everything from a bootable USB stick. The free edition allows only one backup job, and the download requires a free Veeam account.
About Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows FREE
Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows is built on the same technology as Veeam Backup & Replication, Veeam's backup product for businesses. The FREE edition needs no license and backs up desktops and laptops to an external drive, a NAS share over SMB or a Veeam Backup & Replication repository.
You can back up the entire computer, individual volumes or chosen files and folders. A recovery media wizard creates a bootable USB drive, CD/DVD or ISO image for bare-metal restores, and single files can be restored from any backup. Compared with the paid editions, the FREE edition has one backup job and no direct backup to object storage or Veeam Cloud Connect.
What it does well
- Image-based backup. Back up the whole PC, selected volumes or individual folders.
- Bootable recovery media. Create a USB drive, disc or ISO to restore a PC that will not start.
- File-level restore. Bring back single files or folders from any backup.
- Flexible targets. External drives, SMB network shares and Veeam repositories.
- BitLocker support. Backs up BitLocker-encrypted volumes while they are unlocked.
Who it is for
Good fit
Home users who want a reliable full-system backup to an external drive or NAS.
Look elsewhere
Users who want several backup jobs or cloud backup without paying, and anyone unwilling to create a Veeam account.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Full-system image backups for free
- Bootable recovery media for bare-metal restore
- Backs up to USB drives, NAS or a Veeam server
- Same technology as Veeam's business products
Cons
- Download requires a Veeam account
- Free edition is limited to one backup job
- 64-bit Windows only; exFAT drives are not supported as backup targets
How to install Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows FREE
Sign in or create a free Veeam account on the download page, then download and run the installer. Setup also installs the .NET Desktop and ASP.NET Core runtimes if they are missing. After installation, create the recovery media first so you can restore even if Windows does not boot. USB sticks and SD cards are not supported as backup sources, and exFAT drives cannot be backup targets.
Questions about Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows FREE
Is Veeam Agent for Windows FREE really free?
Yes. The FREE edition needs no license. Paid Workstation and Server editions add features such as more backup jobs, cloud targets and advanced scheduling.
What are the limits of the free edition?
You can configure only one backup job targeted at a local drive, network shared folder or Veeam repository. Direct backup to object storage, Veeam Cloud Connect, GFS retention and the Veeam CBT driver are not included.
