Backrest vs resticprofile
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
resticprofile
Self-hosted backup orchestration for Restic repositories
| Feature | Backrest | resticprofile |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 77 · Good |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,389 | ★ 1,425 |
| First released | 2024 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Backblaze | Backblaze |
What are Backrest and resticprofile?
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
resticprofile
Resticprofile is a configuration profiles manager for Restic that simplifies running scheduled backups. It lets you define complex backup workflows in YAML, TOML, or JSON files.
- Profile-based Restic config
- Scheduling integration
- Multiple config formats
Backrest vs resticprofile: key differences
Backrest is written in TypeScript, while resticprofile is built with Go. Resticprofile is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Backrest. Resticprofile is the more established project (first released 2019), while Backrest arrived in 2024. Backrest has the considerably larger community, at 7,389 GitHub stars versus 1,425. Backrest lists first-class Docker deployment; resticprofile 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 resticprofile if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Backrest or resticprofile better?
Backrest is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider resticprofile if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Backrest and resticprofile free and open-source?
Yes. Backrest is licensed under GPL-3.0 and resticprofile under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Backrest and resticprofile with Docker?
Backrest: yes. resticprofile: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Backrest or resticprofile?
resticprofile has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Backrest. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.