Restic Browser vs snapper
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Restic Browser | snapper |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,306 | ★ 1,171 |
| First released | 2022 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine |
What are Restic Browser and snapper?
Restic Browser
Restic Browser is a cross-platform desktop application that lets you explore the contents of Restic backup repositories and restore individual files. It provides a graphical alternative to the CLI.
- Browse Restic snapshots visually
- Restore individual files
- Cross-platform desktop app
snapper
Snapper is a tool for managing filesystem snapshots on Btrfs and LVM thin volumes. It can create automatic timeline snapshots and roll back the system to a previous state.
- Automatic timeline snapshots
- Btrfs and LVM support
- System rollback
Restic Browser vs snapper: key differences
Restic Browser is written in TypeScript, while snapper is built with C++. Licensing differs — MIT for Restic Browser versus GPL-2.0 for snapper. Snapper is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Restic Browser. Snapper is the more established project (first released 2011), while Restic Browser arrived in 2022.
Why pick each one
Choose Restic Browser if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose snapper if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Restic Browser or snapper better?
Restic Browser is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider snapper if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Restic Browser and snapper free and open-source?
Yes. Restic Browser is licensed under MIT and snapper under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Restic Browser and snapper with Docker?
Restic Browser: check the project docs for container support. snapper: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Restic Browser or snapper?
snapper has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Restic Browser. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.