restic
Focus: snapshots. Shares backup and encryption with BorgBackup. Rated 4.7 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
Desktop App
BorgBackup
Deduplicating, encrypted backups that only store what is new.
Rating
4.6 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Advanced
Works on
macOS, Windows, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is BorgBackup?
BorgBackup (Borg) is a backup program that stores only the pieces of your data it has not seen before, so repeated backups add just the changes. It can compress backups and add authenticated encryption, which suits storage you do not fully trust, and it can save over ssh and other remote options. Backups can be mounted and browsed like a normal folder.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what BorgBackup does well
- Saves space by storing only new data
- Encrypted and compressed backups
- Browse old backups like a folder
Cons: where it falls short
- Runs from the command line
- Windows support is still marked experimental
Who BorgBackup is for
People who want efficient, encrypted backups and are comfortable with a terminal.
Who can skip it
Anyone who prefers a point-and-click backup app.
BorgBackup alternatives
Not sold on BorgBackup? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Duplicati
Focus: cloud storage and scheduler. Shares backup and encryption with BorgBackup. Rated 4.5 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
fd
Focus: file search and developer tool. Shares command line and open source with BorgBackup. Adds Offline. Rated 4.7 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
Broot
Focus: file manager, terminal and navigation. Shares command line and open source with BorgBackup. Rated 4.5 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
PhotoPrism
Focus: photo library, self-hosted and face recognition. Shares backup and open source with BorgBackup. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Same 4.6 rating.
Web AppFreeWeb
4.6Visit
BleachBit
Focus: disk cleaner, privacy and free space. Shares open source and github with BorgBackup. Rated 4.5 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.5Visit
Free alternatives to BorgBackup
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
Double Commander
Focus: file manager, dual pane and batch rename. Shares open source and github with BorgBackup. Adds Offline. Rated 4.5 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
PDF Arranger
Focus: pdf editor, merge pdf and split pdf. Shares open source and github with BorgBackup. Adds Offline. Rated 4.5 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.5Visit
fzf
Focus: fuzzy finder and shell. Shares command line and open source with BorgBackup. Adds Offline. Rated 4.8 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
ripgrep
Focus: search tool and developer tool. Shares command line and open source with BorgBackup. Adds Offline. Rated 4.8 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
Atuin
Focus: shell history, terminal and sync. Shares command line and open source with BorgBackup. Rated 4.7 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
bat
Focus: file viewer and developer tool. Shares command line and open source with BorgBackup. Adds Offline. Rated 4.7 (BorgBackup: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
Are you the maker of BorgBackup?Get a free Featured badge for your site, a share image and ready-to-paste posts. No sign-up.
Free Notion database
1,100+ ways people are making money online
Real online businesses, creators and projects, broken down by how they make money: apps, online stores, AI tools and more. Free on Gumroad.
Get the free databaseFree Notion database
399+ ways to make money online
Hundreds of online income methods in one place, so you can compare options and pick one to try. Free on Gumroad.
Get the free listFor research and ideas only. Results vary and nothing here is a promise of income. See our Disclaimer.
Weekly newsletter
Everything new, every Monday.
One short email every Monday with everything shipped that week: new free tools and websites, new guides, new free browser tools and what's new in my free Gumroad libraries, plus how the site is growing. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Join the newsletterYou sign up on Gumroad, which stores your email to send the newsletter. See our Privacy Policy.