Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Borg Backup VS rdiff-backup

Compare Borg Backup VS rdiff-backup and see what are their differences

Borg Backup logo Borg Backup

Deduplicating backup program with compression and authenticated encryption

rdiff-backup logo rdiff-backup

rdiff-backup backs up one directory to another, possibly over a network.
  • Borg Backup Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-24
  • rdiff-backup Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-11

Borg Backup features and specs

  • Deduplication
    Borg Backup uses content-based deduplication, which saves space by storing only unique pieces of data. This effectively reduces the storage needed for backups, especially if there are many similar files.
  • Compression
    Borg supports multiple compression algorithms such as zlib and LZMA, allowing users to choose the level of compression that fits their needs and further reduce storage requirements for backups.
  • Encryption
    Borg provides strong encryption using AES256, ensuring that all backup data is securely protected from unauthorized access.
  • Performance
    Borg is designed for speed and efficiency, handling large datasets and producing backups quickly while minimizing resource usage.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, Borg is free to use and can be audited for security and reliability by anyone, ensuring transparency and community-driven development.
  • Cross-Platform
    Borg Backup can be used on various operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows (via WSL), making it versatile for different environments.

Possible disadvantages of Borg Backup

  • Complexity
    Borg Backup can be complex to set up and requires a good understanding of command-line operations and backup strategies, which could be challenging for non-technical users.
  • Resource Intensive
    During backup operation, Borg can be resource-intensive, especially CPU-bound during deduplication and compression, which may affect system performance.
  • Limited Front-End Tools
    While powerful, Borg lacks a wide range of GUI tools, which limits its appeal to users who prefer graphical interfaces for managing backups.
  • No Built-in Cloud Integration
    Borg does not have built-in support for cloud storage services, meaning users will need to handle cloud integration manually, which can complicate workflows.
  • Lack of Incremental Restore
    Borg lacks a native incremental restore feature, necessitating restoration of the entire snapshot which may not be efficient for all use cases.

rdiff-backup features and specs

  • Efficient Incremental Backups
    Rdiff-backup creates incremental backups by comparing files and storing only the differences, which reduces storage space and optimizes backup times.
  • Version History
    Allows you to restore files from any point in time since backups are maintained as a series of incremental changes.
  • Bandwidth Efficient
    By transferring only differences over the network, rdiff-backup is bandwidth efficient, making it suitable for remote backups.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Runs on multiple platforms including Linux, macOS, and Windows (via compatibility tools), providing flexibility across diverse environments.
  • Preserves File Metadata
    Ensures that file ownership, permissions, and other metadata are retained during the backup process.

Possible disadvantages of rdiff-backup

  • Complexity in Restoration
    Restoring files can be complicated for users unfamiliar with command-line tools as it requires precise commands to navigate and extract versions.
  • Limited Graphical Interface
    Primarily operated through command-line, limiting accessibility for users who prefer a graphical user interface (GUI).
  • Resource Intensive During Backup
    The process of generating diffs and maintaining a version history can be resource-intensive, potentially impacting system performance during backup operations.
  • Lack of Native Windows Support
    While it can run on Windows with compatibility tools, there is no native Windows version, which may lead to additional setup complexity.
  • Dependency on Python
    As rdiff-backup is written in Python, it requires Python to be installed, adding an extra layer of dependency that must be managed.

Borg Backup videos

The Borg Backup Project by Manuel Riel

More videos:

  • Review - Thomas Waldmann: Attic / Borg Backup

rdiff-backup videos

Backup unter Linux mit rdiff-backup

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Borg Backup and rdiff-backup)
File Sharing And Backup
79 79%
21% 21
Cloud Storage
0 0%
100% 100
File Sharing
69 69%
31% 31
Backup & Sync
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, rdiff-backup seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 16 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Borg Backup mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Borg Backup yet. Tracking of Borg Backup recommendations started around Mar 2021.

rdiff-backup mentions (16)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Borg Backup and rdiff-backup, you can also consider the following products

Duplicati - Free backup software to store backups online with strong encryption. Works with FTP, SSH, WebDAV, OneDrive, Amazon S3, Google Drive and many others.

Restic - Easy: Doing backups should be a frictionless process, otherwise you are tempted to skip it.

Online Vault Backup - Online Vault Backup is a cloud storage service that allows you backup your data while having unlimited storage.

rsync - rsync is a file transfer program for Unix systems. rsync uses the "rsync algorithm" which provides a very fast method for bringing remote files into sync.

Rebel Backup - Rebel Backup lets you make encrypted backups of your important files to Dropbox or Google Drive.

UrBackup - UrBackup is a open source client/server backup system, that through a combination of image and file...