resticprofile vs Tarsnap GUI
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | resticprofile | Tarsnap GUI |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 77 · Good | 7 · At risk |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | Go | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,425 | ★ 251 |
| First released | 2019 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Backblaze | Backblaze |
What are resticprofile and Tarsnap GUI?
resticprofile
Resticprofile is a configuration profiles manager for Restic that simplifies running scheduled backups. It lets you define complex backup workflows in YAML, TOML, or JSON files.
- Profile-based Restic config
- Scheduling integration
- Multiple config formats
Tarsnap GUI
Tarsnap GUI is a cross-platform graphical client for the Tarsnap secure online backup service, making encrypted deduplicated backups accessible without the command line. It manages archives, scheduling, and restores through a desktop interface.
- Tarsnap archive management
- Scheduling support
- Encrypted deduplicated backups
- Cross-platform UI
resticprofile vs Tarsnap GUI: key differences
Resticprofile is written in Go, while Tarsnap GUI is built with C++. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for resticprofile versus BSD-2-Clause for Tarsnap GUI. Resticprofile is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Tarsnap GUI. Tarsnap GUI is the more established project (first released 2016), while resticprofile arrived in 2019. Resticprofile has the considerably larger community, at 1,425 GitHub stars versus 251.
Why pick each one
Choose resticprofile if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Tarsnap GUI if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Tarsnap service is paid
- Requires Tarsnap CLI
Frequently asked questions
Is resticprofile or Tarsnap GUI better?
Neither is universally better. resticprofile has the larger community, while Tarsnap GUI is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are resticprofile and Tarsnap GUI free and open-source?
Yes. resticprofile is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Tarsnap GUI under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run resticprofile and Tarsnap GUI with Docker?
resticprofile: check the project docs for container support. Tarsnap GUI: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, resticprofile or Tarsnap GUI?
resticprofile has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Tarsnap GUI. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.