CKAN vs Time Machine
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 | Time Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | WTFPL |
| Language | Python | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,088 | ★ 9 |
| First released | 2026 | 2023 |
| Replaces | — | — |
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 Time Machine if…
- Released under the WTFPL license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is CKAN or Time Machine better?
Neither is universally better. CKAN has the larger community, while Time Machine is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are CKAN and Time Machine free and open-source?
Yes. CKAN is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Time Machine under WTFPL. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CKAN and Time Machine with Docker?
CKAN: check the project docs for container support. Time Machine: check the project docs for container support.