Back In Time vs BackupPC
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
BackupPC
High-performance backup system for PCs and servers
| Feature | Back In Time | BackupPC |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 57 · Fair |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,669 | ★ 1,626 |
| First released | 2008 | 2001 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | CrashPlan, Time Machine |
What are Back In Time and BackupPC?
Back In Time
Back In Time is a simple backup tool for Linux inspired by Time Machine and rsnapshot. It takes snapshots of specified folders using rsync and hard links to save disk space.
- Time Machine-style snapshots
- Hard-link deduplication
- GUI and command-line modes
BackupPC
BackupPC is a high-performance system for backing up Linux, Windows, and macOS PCs to a server's disk. It uses pooling and compression to minimize disk usage, with a full web interface.
- File pooling deduplication
- Web management interface
- No client software required
Back In Time vs BackupPC: key differences
Back In Time is written in Python, while BackupPC is built with Perl. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Back In Time versus GPL-3.0 for BackupPC. Back In Time is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for BackupPC. BackupPC is the more established project (first released 2001), while Back In Time arrived in 2008. BackupPC lists first-class Docker deployment; Back In Time does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Back In Time if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Choose BackupPC if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
- Written in Perl
Frequently asked questions
Is Back In Time or BackupPC better?
Back In Time is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider BackupPC if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Back In Time and BackupPC free and open-source?
Yes. Back In Time is licensed under GPL-2.0 and BackupPC under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Back In Time and BackupPC with Docker?
Back In Time: check the project docs for container support. BackupPC: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Back In Time or BackupPC?
Back In Time has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for BackupPC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.