Minarca vs BackupNinja
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?
Minarca
Cross-platform backup software with a central server
VS
BackupNinja
Lightweight backup configuration and scheduling system
| Feature | Minarca | BackupNinja |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 100 | ★ 68 |
| First released | 2015 | 2004 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan | CrashPlan |
Why pick each one
Choose Minarca if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose BackupNinja if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Minarca or BackupNinja better?
Neither is universally better. Minarca has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Minarca and BackupNinja free and open-source?
Yes. Minarca is licensed under GPL-3.0 and BackupNinja under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Minarca and BackupNinja with Docker?
Minarca: yes. BackupNinja: check the project docs for container support.