borgmatic vs resticprofile
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | borgmatic | resticprofile |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,000 | ★ 1,425 |
| First released | 2013 | 2019 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Backblaze | Backblaze |
What are borgmatic and resticprofile?
borgmatic
borgmatic is a command-line tool that wraps BorgBackup to make it easy to schedule and configure backups. It adds features like database dumps, monitoring hooks, and consistency checks.
- Declarative YAML configuration
- Database backup integration
- Monitoring service hooks
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
borgmatic vs resticprofile: key differences
Borgmatic is written in Python, while resticprofile is built with Go. Resticprofile is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for borgmatic. Borgmatic is the more established project (first released 2013), while resticprofile arrived in 2019. Borgmatic lists first-class Docker deployment; resticprofile does not.
Why pick each one
Choose borgmatic if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
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 borgmatic or resticprofile better?
Neither is universally better. borgmatic has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are borgmatic and resticprofile free and open-source?
Yes. borgmatic is licensed under GPL-3.0 and resticprofile under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run borgmatic and resticprofile with Docker?
borgmatic: yes. resticprofile: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, borgmatic or resticprofile?
resticprofile has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for borgmatic. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.