btrbk 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 btrbk with Compare Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup with

BT btrbk Backup tool for Btrfs subvolume snapshots VS BA Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup Time Machine-style backups for Linux and macOS using rsync

Feature	btrbk	Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup
Deploy effort	Read-the-docs project	Read-the-docs project
Health score	78 · Good	30 · At risk
Category	Backup & Recovery	Backup & Recovery
License	GPL-3.0	MIT
Language	Perl	Shell
Setup difficulty	Medium	Easy
Min. RAM	64 MB	32 MB
Deployment	bare-metal, binary	binary
GitHub stars	★ 2,155	★ 3,609
First released	2014	2014
Replaces	Time Machine	Time Machine

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

btrbk

btrbk is a backup tool for creating and managing snapshots of Btrfs subvolumes and replicating them to local or remote targets. It is designed for incremental, atomic backups driven by a simple configuration file.

Incremental Btrfs backups
Remote replication over SSH
Configurable retention
Atomic snapshots

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

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

Btrbk is written in Perl, while Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is built with Shell. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for btrbk 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 64 MB for btrbk.

Why pick each one

Choose btrbk if…

Released under the GPL-3.0 license
Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
Written in Perl
Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM

Watch out for

Btrfs only
No graphical interface

btrbk 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 btrbk 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 btrbk if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

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

Yes. btrbk 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 btrbk and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup with Docker?

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

Which is lighter on resources, btrbk 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 64 MB for btrbk. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.