Backrest vs Bupstash
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Backrest
Web UI and orchestrator for Restic backups
VS
Bupstash
Easy and efficient encrypted backups
| Feature | Backrest | Bupstash |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 13 · At risk |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,394 | ★ 924 |
| First released | 2024 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Backblaze | Backblaze, CrashPlan |
What are Backrest and Bupstash?
Backrest
Backrest is a web-based backup orchestrator built on top of Restic, adding scheduling, monitoring, and a friendly interface. It targets users who want Restic's power with a GUI. It is deployed via Docker or a binary.
- Web UI for Restic
- Scheduling and retention policies
- Backup health monitoring
- Notifications
Bupstash
Bupstash is a tool for encrypted, deduplicated, and compressed backups. It is designed to be simple, secure, and efficient, storing backups locally or over SSH.
- Encrypted deduplicated backups
- Works over SSH
- Simple command-line interface
Backrest vs Bupstash: key differences
Backrest is written in TypeScript, while Bupstash is built with Rust. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Backrest versus MIT for Bupstash. Bupstash is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Backrest. Bupstash is the more established project (first released 2020), while Backrest arrived in 2024. Backrest has the considerably larger community, at 7,394 GitHub stars versus 924. Backrest lists first-class Docker deployment; Bupstash does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Backrest if…
- Makes Restic approachable
- Good scheduling
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Young project
- Depends on Restic underneath
Choose Bupstash if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Backrest or Bupstash better?
Backrest is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Bupstash if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Backrest and Bupstash free and open-source?
Yes. Backrest is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Bupstash under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Backrest and Bupstash with Docker?
Backrest: yes. Bupstash: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Backrest or Bupstash?
Bupstash has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Backrest. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.