The Best Borg Backup Alternatives for Robust Data Protection
BorgBackup, commonly known as Borg, is a highly regarded deduplicating backup program celebrated for its efficiency and security. It excels at daily backups by only storing changes and offers authenticated encryption for peace of mind when backing up to less trusted targets. However, like any software, Borg Backup might not be the perfect fit for everyone's specific needs. Perhaps you're looking for a different user interface, broader platform support, or a slightly varied feature set. If you're exploring options beyond Borg, this guide to Borg Backup alternatives is for you.
Top Borg Backup Alternatives
Finding the right backup solution is crucial for data integrity and peace of mind. Here are some of the leading alternatives to Borg Backup, each offering unique strengths to cater to diverse requirements.
Duplicati
Duplicati is a powerful and open-source backup client available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It stands out as an excellent Borg Backup alternative due to its focus on secure, encrypted, incremental, and compressed backups to various cloud storage services and remote file servers. Key features include scheduled backups, support for Amazon Glacier and Google Drive, web-based management, and robust encryption, making it a comprehensive solution for diverse backup needs.
Back In Time
Back In Time is a free and open-source backup tool specifically designed for Linux users. Inspired by the "FlyBack project," it offers a simple yet effective way to perform incremental backups. If you're a Linux user seeking a straightforward and free Borg Backup alternative for regular snapshots of your system, Back In Time is a strong contender.
Restic
Restic is a free and open-source backup program designed with ease of use, speed, verifiability, and security in mind. Available for Windows, Linux (including Arch Linux), FreeBSD, and OpenBSD, it provides command-line interface access for encrypted and incremental backups. Its focus on efficiency and security makes it a compelling Borg Backup alternative for users who prioritize these aspects and are comfortable with a command-line environment.
Duplicity
Duplicity is a free and open-source software suite that delivers encrypted, digitally signed, and versioned remote backups of files. It's available for Mac and Linux and requires minimal setup on the remote server. Its support for incremental backups and WebDAV, combined with strong encryption, makes it a robust Borg Backup alternative, especially for users needing secure, versioned backups to various remote destinations.
UrBackup
UrBackup is an open-source client/server backup system that offers a unique combination of image and file backups to ensure both data safety and rapid restoration times. Available for Windows and Linux, it features automatic backups, encrypted backups, incremental backups, and multi-user mode support. As a comprehensive backup solution, UrBackup is a strong Borg Backup alternative for users needing both file-level and image-level protection.
Veeam Agents
Veeam Agents (formerly Veeam Endpoint Backup Free Edition) provides robust backup capabilities for Windows and Linux systems, offering full system imaging, incremental backups, and bare metal recovery. While Freemium, it offers powerful features like disk imaging, encrypted backups, and the ability to recover deleted files. If you need a more enterprise-grade or feature-rich Borg Backup alternative, especially for endpoint protection, Veeam Agents is an excellent choice.
Rsnapshot
Rsnapshot is a free and open-source rsync-based backup utility that provides file system snapshot functionality. Available for Mac and Linux, it excels at taking incremental snapshots of local or remote file systems efficiently. For users who appreciate the simplicity and power of rsync and require incremental snapshots, Rsnapshot serves as an effective Borg Backup alternative.
BURP
BURP is a network backup and restore program that leverages librsync to minimize network traffic and storage space used by backups. It's a free and open-source solution available for Windows and Linux. While the provided data doesn't list specific features, its design goals suggest it's a solid Borg Backup alternative for network-centric backup needs where efficiency is paramount.
rdiff-backup
rdiff-backup is a free and open-source tool that backs up one directory to another, with support for network operations. It creates a copy of the source directory while storing extra reverse diffs, allowing for file-system view and easy recovery. Available for Windows and Linux, it's a straightforward Borg Backup alternative for users who prefer a direct copy approach with versioning capabilities.
DAR
DAR (Disk Archiver) is a free and open-source shell command for backing up directory trees and files. It intelligently handles hard links, Extended Attributes, sparse files, and more, across Mac, Windows, Linux, and BSD platforms. With its support for incremental backups and comprehensive file system handling, DAR presents a flexible Borg Backup alternative for users needing fine-grained control over their archives.
The world of backup solutions is rich and varied, offering a wide array of tools to protect your valuable data. While Borg Backup is an excellent choice for many, exploring these alternatives can help you discover a solution that perfectly aligns with your specific operating system, feature requirements, and technical comfort level. Evaluate their strengths and choose the best fit to ensure your data is always safe and recoverable.