rsnapshot vs Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup

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? Compare rsnapshot with Compare Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup with

RS rsnapshot Filesystem snapshot utility based on rsync VS BA Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup Time Machine-style backups for Linux and macOS using rsync

Feature	rsnapshot	Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup
Deploy effort	Read-the-docs project	Read-the-docs project
Health score	72 · Good	30 · At risk
Category	Backup & Recovery	Backup & Recovery
License	GPL-2.0	MIT
Language	Perl	Shell
Setup difficulty	Medium	Easy
Min. RAM	64 MB	32 MB
Deployment	binary, bare-metal	binary
GitHub stars	★ 3,683	★ 3,609
First released	2003	2014
Replaces	Time Machine	Time Machine

What are rsnapshot and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup?

rsnapshot

rsnapshot is a filesystem snapshot utility built on rsync that makes incremental backups of local and remote machines. It uses hard links to keep multiple full backups while saving disk space.

Hard-link snapshot rotation
Local and remote backups
Low storage overhead

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup

rsync-time-backup is a script that provides Time Machine-style incremental backups using rsync. It creates hard-linked snapshots so each backup appears as a full copy while saving disk space.

Time Machine-style snapshots
Hard-link deduplication
Single portable script

rsnapshot vs Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup: key differences

Rsnapshot is written in Perl, while Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is built with Shell. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for rsnapshot versus MIT for Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for rsnapshot. Rsnapshot is the more established project (first released 2003), while Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup arrived in 2014.

Why pick each one

Choose rsnapshot if…

Released under the GPL-2.0 license
Active community (3.7k GitHub stars)
Written in Perl
Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM

rsnapshot details

Choose Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup if…

Released under the MIT license
Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
Active community (3.6k GitHub stars)
Written in Shell

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup details

Frequently asked questions

Is rsnapshot or Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup better?

Neither is universally better. rsnapshot has the larger community, while Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are rsnapshot and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup free and open-source?

Yes. rsnapshot is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run rsnapshot and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup with Docker?

rsnapshot: check the project docs for container support. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, rsnapshot or Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup?

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for rsnapshot. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.