Minarca Backup vs nxs-backup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Minarca Backup | nxs-backup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 31 · At risk | 74 · Good |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 263 | ★ 276 |
| First released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Veeam | Veeam |
What are Minarca Backup and nxs-backup?
Minarca Backup
Minarca is a centralized backup solution built on rdiff-backup that lets users back up multiple machines and restore their own files through a web interface. It is designed for organizations protecting many endpoints.
- Centralized endpoint backup
- Self-service restore
- rdiff-backup engine
- Web management
nxs-backup
Nxs-backup is an open-source backup solution that simplifies the backup of files and databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB. It supports incremental backups and remote storage.
- File and database backups
- Incremental support
- Remote storage targets
Minarca Backup vs nxs-backup: key differences
Minarca Backup is written in Python, while nxs-backup is built with Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Minarca Backup versus GPL-3.0 for nxs-backup. Nxs-backup is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Minarca Backup. Minarca Backup is the more established project (first released 2016), while nxs-backup arrived in 2022.
Why pick each one
Choose Minarca Backup if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose nxs-backup if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Minarca Backup or nxs-backup better?
Neither is universally better. nxs-backup has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Minarca Backup and nxs-backup free and open-source?
Yes. Minarca Backup is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and nxs-backup under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Minarca Backup and nxs-backup with Docker?
Minarca Backup: yes. nxs-backup: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Minarca Backup or nxs-backup?
nxs-backup has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Minarca Backup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.