bup vs Restic REST Server
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?
bup
Efficient backup system based on the git packfile format
VS
Restic REST Server
High-performance HTTP backend for Restic backups
| Feature | bup | Restic REST Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,337 | ★ 1,470 |
| First released | 2010 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Backblaze B2 |
Why pick each one
Choose bup if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- Mature project with 7.3k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Restic REST Server if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is bup or Restic REST Server better?
Neither is universally better. bup has the larger community, while Restic REST Server is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are bup and Restic REST Server free and open-source?
Yes. bup is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Restic REST Server under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run bup and Restic REST Server with Docker?
bup: check the project docs for container support. Restic REST Server: yes.