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

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 Sanoid with

BA Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup Time Machine-style backups for Linux and macOS using rsync VS SA Sanoid Policy-driven ZFS snapshot management and replication

Feature	Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup	Sanoid
Deploy effort	Read-the-docs project	Read-the-docs project
Health score	30 · At risk	69 · Good
Category	Backup & Recovery	Backup & Recovery
License	MIT	GPL-3.0
Language	Shell	Perl
Setup difficulty	Easy	Hard
Min. RAM	32 MB	128 MB
Deployment	binary	bare-metal
GitHub stars	★ 3,609	★ 3,861
First released	2014	2014
Replaces	Time Machine	Time Machine

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

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

Sanoid

Sanoid is a policy-driven snapshot management tool for ZFS filesystems, bundled with Syncoid for snapshot replication. Together they automate ZFS snapshots and offsite backup replication.

Policy-based ZFS snapshots
Syncoid replication included
Automated pruning

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

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is written in Shell, while Sanoid is built with Perl. Licensing differs — MIT for Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup versus GPL-3.0 for Sanoid. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Sanoid.

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 Sanoid if…

Released under the GPL-3.0 license
Active community (3.9k GitHub stars)
Written in Perl
Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM

Sanoid details

Frequently asked questions

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

Neither is universally better. Sanoid 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 Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup and Sanoid free and open-source?

Yes. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is licensed under MIT and Sanoid under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

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

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

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

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Sanoid. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.