BackupPC vs Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup

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? Compare BackupPC with Compare Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup with

BackupPC High-performance backup system for PCs and servers VS BA Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup Time Machine-style backups for Linux and macOS using rsync

Feature	BackupPC	Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup
Deploy effort	Under-an-hour setup	Read-the-docs project
Health score	57 · Fair	30 · At risk
Category	Backup & Recovery	Backup & Recovery
License	GPL-3.0	MIT
Language	Perl	Shell
Setup difficulty	Hard	Easy
Min. RAM	512 MB	32 MB
Deployment	bare-metal, docker	binary
GitHub stars	★ 1,626	★ 3,609
First released	2001	2014
Replaces	CrashPlan, Time Machine	Time Machine

What are BackupPC and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup?

BackupPC

BackupPC is a high-performance system for backing up Linux, Windows, and macOS PCs to a server's disk. It uses pooling and compression to minimize disk usage, with a full web interface.

File pooling deduplication
Web management interface
No client software required

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup

rsync-time-backup is a script that provides Time Machine-style incremental backups using rsync. It creates hard-linked snapshots so each backup appears as a full copy while saving disk space.

Time Machine-style snapshots
Hard-link deduplication
Single portable script

BackupPC vs Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup: key differences

BackupPC is written in Perl, while Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is built with Shell. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for BackupPC versus MIT for Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 512 MB for BackupPC. BackupPC is the more established project (first released 2001), while Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup arrived in 2014. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup has the considerably larger community, at 3,609 GitHub stars versus 1,626. BackupPC lists first-class Docker deployment; Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup does not.

Why pick each one

Choose BackupPC if…

Released under the GPL-3.0 license
First-class Docker support for quick deployment
Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
Written in Perl

BackupPC details

Choose Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup if…

Released under the MIT license
Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
Active community (3.6k GitHub stars)
Written in Shell

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup details

Frequently asked questions

Is BackupPC or Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup better?

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider BackupPC if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are BackupPC and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup free and open-source?

Yes. BackupPC is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run BackupPC and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup with Docker?

BackupPC: yes. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, BackupPC or Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup?

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for BackupPC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.