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.
| Feature | Back In Time | Timeshift |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 89 · Excellent |
| 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 | ★ 2,669 | ★ 4,286 |
| First released | 2008 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine, System Restore |
What are Back In Time and Timeshift?
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
Timeshift
Timeshift creates incremental snapshots of the Linux filesystem at regular intervals, allowing the system to be restored to an earlier state. It supports both rsync and Btrfs snapshot modes.
- Incremental system snapshots
- rsync and Btrfs modes
- Easy full-system restore
Back In Time vs Timeshift: key differences
Back In Time is written in Python, while Timeshift is built with Vala. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Back In Time versus GPL-3.0 for Timeshift. Back In Time is the more established project (first released 2008), while Timeshift arrived in 2014.
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 Timeshift if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (4.3k 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.