DAEMON Tools Lite vs Relax-and-Recover
DAEMON Tools Lite
daemon-tools.ccRelax-and-Recover
relax-and-recover.orgSide by side
| Figure | DAEMON Tools Lite | Relax-and-Recover |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 12 | 1 |
| Spec score · Disk Imaging Software | 9.2 (#2) | 8.1 (#13) |
| Intended users | The Commercial License is described as being for business institutions and developers. | The project describes ReaR as a system administrator tool and framework, used in particular on enterprise Linux distributions such as RHEL and SLES. |
| Purpose | DAEMON Tools Lite is imaging software for creating disc images and mounting virtual discs, VHDs, and TrueCrypt files. | ReaR creates bootable disaster recovery images for bare-metal recovery with data restore on physical or virtual replacement hardware. |
| Support | The free license includes limited support, while the Personal License lists 24/7 support and the Commercial License lists dedicated technical support. | Community support is offered through GitHub issues; the site also lists contributors offering professional services and says 24x7 contracts can be arranged through IT3 Consultants. |
Plans
DAEMON Tools Lite
- DAEMON Tools LiteFree
- Free LicenseFree
- Disc Burn$3, paid once
- Personal License$3.99, paid once
- Image Editor$5, paid once
- Unlimited Devices$5, paid once
- Virtual HDD$5, paid once
- Bootable USB$6, paid once
- iSCSI Initiator$7, paid once
- Commercial License$18.99, paid once
In their own words
DAEMON Tools Lite
DAEMON Tools Lite creates disc images and mounts virtual discs, VHDs, and TrueCrypt files on Windows. It can create MDX, MDS, and ISO images; its Image Editor can make images from discs, files, folders, and Audio CDs, and convert or edit those formats. The free edition emulates up to 4 DT and SCSI devices. Paid editions list capacity for up to 256 DT and 32 SCSI devices. Virtual HDD tools include VHD creation, RAM disks, and TrueCrypt file support. Disc Burn handles images, data, and audio on optical media, as well as copying and erasing discs. Windows Explorer integration can mount associated images and archives. The iSCSI Initiator connects to iSCSI targets so remote images can be used as local ones. Catch! lets users browse and back up Android, iOS, and Windows PC content over a local wireless network. The free license includes limited support and partner offers. The free plan is free; the Personal License is $29.99 as a one-time purchase, billed as a Lifetime Subscription, with lifetime updates and additional features. A 14-day trial is also listed.
Relax-and-Recover
Relax-and-Recover (ReaR) is a free, GPL-licensed Linux disaster-recovery framework from Relax-and-Recover, founded in 2006. It creates bootable recovery images for restoring systems to replacement physical or virtual hardware. The workflow rebuilds storage layouts, restores data through a backup program, and installs a boot loader. Recovery can be guided or fully unattended, including physical-to-virtual, virtual-to-physical, physical-to-physical, and virtual-to-virtual moves. Boot media includes ISO, USB, eSATA, bootable tape, and PXE. Built-in backup methods include tar and rsync, with integrations such as Bacula, Borg, Commvault, NetBackup, and Veeam. Supported storage technologies include RAID, LVM, multipathing, DRBD, iSCSI, and LUKS. ReaR is written in Bash with a modular design for extensions, and Disaster Recovery Linux Manager can centrally manage deployments. It must run as root, exposes no network services or ports, and version 2.9 was released in January 2025.