nxs-backup vs ZFS Autobackup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | nxs-backup | ZFS Autobackup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 65 · Good |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 276 | ★ 794 |
| First released | 2022 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Veeam | Veeam |
What are nxs-backup and ZFS Autobackup?
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
ZFS Autobackup
zfs-autobackup is a tool for automatically creating and replicating ZFS snapshots between hosts and pools. It handles retention thinning and supports encrypted transfers.
- Automated ZFS snapshots
- Cross-host replication
- Retention thinning
- Encrypted sends
nxs-backup vs ZFS Autobackup: key differences
Nxs-backup is written in Go, while ZFS Autobackup is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for nxs-backup versus GPL-2.0 for ZFS Autobackup. ZFS Autobackup is the more established project (first released 2012), while nxs-backup arrived in 2022. ZFS Autobackup has the considerably larger community, at 794 GitHub stars versus 276. Nxs-backup lists first-class Docker deployment; ZFS Autobackup does not.
Why pick each one
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
Choose ZFS Autobackup if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is nxs-backup or ZFS Autobackup better?
Neither is universally better. ZFS Autobackup has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are nxs-backup and ZFS Autobackup free and open-source?
Yes. nxs-backup is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ZFS Autobackup under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run nxs-backup and ZFS Autobackup with Docker?
nxs-backup: yes. ZFS Autobackup: check the project docs for container support.