CKAN 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?
| Feature | CKAN | Restic REST Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,088 | ★ 1,470 |
| First released | 2026 | 2016 |
| Replaces | — | Backblaze B2 |
Why pick each one
Choose CKAN if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 5.1k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 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 CKAN or Restic REST Server better?
Neither is universally better. CKAN 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 CKAN and Restic REST Server free and open-source?
Yes. CKAN is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Restic REST Server under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CKAN and Restic REST Server with Docker?
CKAN: check the project docs for container support. Restic REST Server: yes.