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

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 Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup with Compare snapper with

BA Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup Time Machine-style backups for Linux and macOS using rsync VS SN snapper Btrfs snapshot management tool with rollback

Feature	Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup	snapper
Deploy effort	Read-the-docs project	Read-the-docs project
Health score	30 · At risk	83 · Excellent
Category	Backup & Recovery	Backup & Recovery
License	MIT	GPL-2.0
Language	Shell	C++
Setup difficulty	Easy	Medium
Min. RAM	32 MB	64 MB
Deployment	binary	bare-metal
GitHub stars	★ 3,609	★ 1,171
First released	2014	2011
Replaces	Time Machine	Time Machine

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

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

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

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

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is written in Shell, while snapper is built with C++. Licensing differs — MIT for Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup versus GPL-2.0 for snapper. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for snapper. Snapper is the more established project (first released 2011), while Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup arrived in 2014. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup has the considerably larger community, at 3,609 GitHub stars versus 1,171.

Why pick each one

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

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

snapper details

Frequently asked questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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