Back In Time vs Open Archiver
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
Open Archiver
Email archiving solution with full-text search and eDiscovery search
| Feature | Back In Time | Open Archiver |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,641 | ★ 2,224 |
| First released | 2008 | 2026 |
| Replaces | 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 Open Archiver if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Back In Time or Open Archiver better?
Back In Time is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Open Archiver if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Back In Time and Open Archiver free and open-source?
Yes. Back In Time is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Open Archiver under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Back In Time and Open Archiver with Docker?
Back In Time: check the project docs for container support. Open Archiver: yes.