Back In Time vs Timeshift
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
Timeshift
System restore tool for Linux using snapshots
| Feature | Back In Time | Timeshift |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,641 | ★ 4,219 |
| First released | 2008 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine, System Restore |
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 Timeshift if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (4.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Vala
Frequently asked questions
Is Back In Time or Timeshift better?
Neither is universally better. Timeshift has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Back In Time and Timeshift free and open-source?
Yes. Back In Time is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Timeshift under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Back In Time and Timeshift with Docker?
Back In Time: check the project docs for container support. Timeshift: check the project docs for container support.