Bareos vs ZFS Autobackup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Bareos | ZFS Autobackup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 65 · Good |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,256 | ★ 794 |
| First released | 2010 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Veeam, CommVault | Veeam |
What are Bareos and ZFS Autobackup?
Bareos
Bareos is a cross-network open-source backup solution forked from Bacula. It preserves and recovers data from disk, tape, and other media, with a web-based management interface.
- Network-wide backup management
- Web UI for administration
- Tape and disk support
ZFS Autobackup
zfs-autobackup is a tool for automatically creating and replicating ZFS snapshots between hosts and pools. It handles retention thinning and supports encrypted transfers.
- Automated ZFS snapshots
- Cross-host replication
- Retention thinning
- Encrypted sends
Bareos vs ZFS Autobackup: key differences
Bareos is written in C++, while ZFS Autobackup is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Bareos versus GPL-2.0 for ZFS Autobackup. ZFS Autobackup is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Bareos. Bareos is the more established project (first released 2010), while ZFS Autobackup arrived in 2012. Bareos lists first-class Docker deployment; ZFS Autobackup does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Bareos if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Choose ZFS Autobackup if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bareos or ZFS Autobackup better?
Neither is universally better. Bareos has the larger community, while ZFS Autobackup is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bareos and ZFS Autobackup free and open-source?
Yes. Bareos is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ZFS Autobackup under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bareos and ZFS Autobackup with Docker?
Bareos: yes. ZFS Autobackup: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Bareos or ZFS Autobackup?
ZFS Autobackup has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Bareos. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.