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.
Not the right match-up?
Back In Time
Simple backup tool inspired by Apple Time Machine
VS
BackupPC
High-performance backup system for PCs and servers
| Feature | Back In Time | BackupPC |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 2,641 | ★ 1,621 |
| First released | 2008 | 2001 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | CrashPlan, Time Machine |
Why pick each one
Choose Back In Time if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.6k 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.