Backrest vs Obnam2
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
Obnam2
Simple, secure chunk-based backup program
| Feature | Backrest | Obnam2 |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,394 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2024 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Backblaze | Backblaze |
What are Backrest and Obnam2?
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
Obnam2
Obnam2 is a backup program that splits files into chunks for deduplicated, encrypted storage to a backup server. It is built with a focus on simplicity and verifiable correctness.
- Chunk-based deduplication
- Encrypted storage
- Backup server model
- Simplicity focused
Backrest vs Obnam2: key differences
Backrest is written in TypeScript, while Obnam2 is built with Rust. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Backrest versus AGPL-3.0 for Obnam2. Obnam2 is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Backrest. Obnam2 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 200. Backrest lists first-class Docker deployment; Obnam2 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 Obnam2 if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Backrest or Obnam2 better?
Backrest is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Obnam2 if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Backrest and Obnam2 free and open-source?
Yes. Backrest is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Obnam2 under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Backrest and Obnam2 with Docker?
Backrest: yes. Obnam2: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Backrest or Obnam2?
Obnam2 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.