BackupNinja vs Minarca Backup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | BackupNinja | Minarca Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 2 · At risk | 31 · At risk |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 68 | ★ 263 |
| First released | 2004 | 2016 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan | CrashPlan, Veeam |
What are BackupNinja and Minarca Backup?
BackupNinja
Backupninja lets you coordinate system backups through a central configuration directory of simple files. It supports many backends including rdiff-backup, rsync, duplicity, and database dumps.
- Central config directory
- Many backup backends
- Database dump handlers
Minarca Backup
Minarca is a centralized backup solution built on rdiff-backup that lets users back up multiple machines and restore their own files through a web interface. It is designed for organizations protecting many endpoints.
- Centralized endpoint backup
- Self-service restore
- rdiff-backup engine
- Web management
BackupNinja vs Minarca Backup: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: BackupNinja's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Minarca Backup is actively maintained. BackupNinja is written in Shell, while Minarca Backup is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for BackupNinja versus AGPL-3.0 for Minarca Backup. BackupNinja is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Minarca Backup. BackupNinja is the more established project (first released 2004), while Minarca Backup arrived in 2016. Minarca Backup has the considerably larger community, at 263 GitHub stars versus 68. Minarca Backup lists first-class Docker deployment; BackupNinja does not.
Why pick each one
Choose BackupNinja if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Minarca Backup if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is BackupNinja or Minarca Backup better?
Neither is universally better. Minarca Backup has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are BackupNinja and Minarca Backup free and open-source?
Yes. BackupNinja is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Minarca Backup under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BackupNinja and Minarca Backup with Docker?
BackupNinja: check the project docs for container support. Minarca Backup: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, BackupNinja or Minarca Backup?
BackupNinja has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Minarca Backup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.