SHSelfHostIndex

Backup tool nono Plakar vs Tarsnap GUI

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?
BA Backup tool nono Plakar Effortless backup with built-in verification and UI VS TA Tarsnap GUI Cross-platform desktop front end for Tarsnap backups
FeatureBackup tool nono PlakarTarsnap GUI
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score86 · Excellent7 · At risk
CategoryBackup & RecoveryBackup & Recovery
LicenseISCBSD-2-Clause
LanguageGoC++
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM256 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarybinary, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 2,068★ 251
First released20212016
ReplacesBackblaze, CrashPlanBackblaze

What are Backup tool nono Plakar and Tarsnap GUI?

Backup tool nono Plakar

Plakar is a modern open-source backup solution that creates encrypted, deduplicated snapshots with built-in integrity verification. It includes a web UI for browsing and restoring data.

  • Encrypted deduplicated snapshots
  • Integrity verification
  • Web UI for restores

Tarsnap GUI

Tarsnap GUI is a cross-platform graphical client for the Tarsnap secure online backup service, making encrypted deduplicated backups accessible without the command line. It manages archives, scheduling, and restores through a desktop interface.

  • Tarsnap archive management
  • Scheduling support
  • Encrypted deduplicated backups
  • Cross-platform UI

Backup tool nono Plakar vs Tarsnap GUI: key differences

Backup tool nono Plakar is written in Go, while Tarsnap GUI is built with C++. Licensing differs — ISC for Backup tool nono Plakar versus BSD-2-Clause for Tarsnap GUI. Tarsnap GUI is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Backup tool nono Plakar. Tarsnap GUI is the more established project (first released 2016), while Backup tool nono Plakar arrived in 2021. Backup tool nono Plakar has the considerably larger community, at 2,068 GitHub stars versus 251. Backup tool nono Plakar lists first-class Docker deployment; Tarsnap GUI does not.

Why pick each one

Choose Backup tool nono Plakar if…

  • Released under the ISC license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Go
Backup tool nono Plakar details

Choose Tarsnap GUI if…

  • Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Written in C++
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM

Watch out for

  • Tarsnap service is paid
  • Requires Tarsnap CLI
Tarsnap GUI details

Frequently asked questions

Is Backup tool nono Plakar or Tarsnap GUI better?

Neither is universally better. Backup tool nono Plakar has the larger community, while Tarsnap GUI is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Backup tool nono Plakar and Tarsnap GUI free and open-source?

Yes. Backup tool nono Plakar is licensed under ISC and Tarsnap GUI under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Backup tool nono Plakar and Tarsnap GUI with Docker?

Backup tool nono Plakar: yes. Tarsnap GUI: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, Backup tool nono Plakar or Tarsnap GUI?

Tarsnap GUI has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Backup tool nono Plakar. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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