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restic

restic.net

Free plan Open source WindowsmacOSLinuxAPISelf-hosted
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Spec score 8.8 #25 of 151 in Backup software

What it is

restic is a free, open-source program for backing up files on Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD. It transfers only changed portions of backed-up files and runs as a single executable without a server or complex setup. Storage options include local repositories, SFTP, REST server, Amazon S3, S3-compatible services, OpenStack Swift, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, and rclone. Restic restores snapshots and checks repository metadata or full data integrity. Each repository requires a password, and multiple keys can be managed; losing the password prevents access to stored data. Official binaries are reproducibly built and can be checked with SHA-256 checksums and a PGP signature. The listed backup and restore scope is files. Mobile backup and ransomware protection are listed as unavailable. The latest listed release is restic 0.19.1, released July 5, 2026.

Spec sheet

What it does
restic is a backup program for files and directories that creates encrypted snapshots and stores them locally or on remote services.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Purpose
restic is a backup program for backing up files.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Supported platforms
windows,macos,linuxRead 20 Sep 2026 · restic.net
Free plan
YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · restic.net
Support
The project directs usage and support questions to its community forum.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Backup scope
fileRead 20 Sep 2026 · restic.net
Company status
A company-intelligence profile reports no commercial corporate entity, funding rounds or software-sales revenue for restic; it characterizes the project as community-driven open source.Read 21 Oct 2026 · checkthat.ai
Computer backup
YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · restic.net
Cryptography
The repository format uses AES-256-CTR encryption with Poly1305-AES authentication for encrypted data.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Deduplication
Identical content is stored once across files and snapshots, reducing repeated storage and uploads.Read 21 Oct 2026 · mangodeveloper.com
Documentation depth
The manual covers installation, every major backend, backup selection, snapshots, integrity checks, tuning, restore, pruning, encryption, scripting, troubleshooting, design and developer information.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Encryption
Repository data is encrypted on the client before it is sent to the storage backend.Read 21 Oct 2026 · datazone.de
Encryption keys
A repository requires a password, and multiple keys can be managed for one repository.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Incremental transfer
After the first backup, restic transfers only file parts that changed.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Incremental transfers
Restic transfers only the parts of backed-up files that changed.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Installation
Official instructions provide reproducible binaries plus package instructions for Alpine, Arch, Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, macOS, Nix and Windows tooling.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Integrity checking
The documentation provides repository checks and a full data-read check to validate stored data.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Licence
restic is open source under the BSD 2-Clause License.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Limit: command line only
Independent reviewers repeatedly identify the lack of a built-in graphical or web interface as a drawback for users who do not want CLI workflows.Read 21 Oct 2026 · selfhosting.sh
Limit: external scheduling
restic has no built-in scheduler, so recurring jobs normally require cron, systemd timers or another external runner.Read 21 Oct 2026 · selfhosting.sh
Limit: file-level scope
It is not a VM image backup, application-aware live-database backup or dataset replication system; databases generally need dumps first.Read 21 Oct 2026 · datazone.de
Limit: password recovery
If the repository password is lost, the encrypted backup cannot be recovered and the project offers no password reset path.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Limit: pruning downtime
Pruning can take substantial time, locks the repository and prevents backups from completing while it runs.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Mobile backup
NoRead 20 Sep 2026 · restic.net
Official binaries
The project says its official binaries are built reproducibly and can be checked using SHA-256 checksums and a PGP signature.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Open source
Restic is entirely free to use and completely open source under the BSD 2-Clause License.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Operating systems
The project supports Linux, BSD systems, macOS and Windows.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Password limitation
The manual warns that losing the repository password means the stored data cannot be accessed.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Praise: portability
An independent technical review describes restic as a portable encrypted backup tool suitable for engineers who manage their own schedules, credentials and restore testing.Read 21 Oct 2026 · mrkeyoor.com
Praise: storage flexibility
An independent self-hosting comparison selected restic as its best overall tool because it combines encryption, deduplication, cross-platform support and more than 20 storage backends.Read 21 Oct 2026 · selfhosting.sh
Praise: technical efficiency
An independent user guide praises the single binary, default encryption, cross-snapshot deduplication, integrity checking and broad cloud-backend support.Read 21 Oct 2026 · mangodeveloper.com
Project origin
Alexander Neumann said he started the project in 2014 and initially worked on it alone.Read 21 Oct 2026 · directory.libsyn.com
Public API
The repository format is treated as restic's public API for semantic-version compatibility, with a design document describing its structures.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Ransomware protection
NoRead 20 Sep 2026 · restic.net
Rating on TrustRadius
10 out of 10 from 1 reviewRead 21 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Release news
Version 0.19.1 was released on 5 July 2026 with fixes including JSON statistics output and latest-snapshot grouping behavior.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Release status
The homepage lists restic 0.19.1, released July 5, 2026, as its latest release.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.net
REST protocol
The project maintains a documented REST storage protocol using basic GET, PUT, POST and DELETE operations, making alternate servers possible.Read 21 Oct 2026 · directory.libsyn.com
Restore and integrity
Restic can restore snapshots and check repository metadata or full data integrity.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Restore modes
fileRead 20 Sep 2026 · restic.net
Retention management
The forget command removes snapshots according to policy, while prune deletes data no longer referenced.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Scripting
Environment variables cover repository locations, passwords, certificates, cache settings, compression and concurrency for automation.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Security reporting
Critical security issues should be reported privately by email, with PGP encryption recommended, instead of through public GitHub issues.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Self-hosting
The REST backend can be operated on a machine you control, including a local server or small home device.Read 21 Oct 2026 · directory.libsyn.com
Single executable
restic is distributed as a single executable and can run without a dedicated server or complex setup.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Snapshot restore
Users can list snapshots, restore a selected snapshot to a target directory, or browse it through a mount.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Standalone operation
Restic is a single executable that can run without a server or complex setup.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.net
Storage backends
The manual documents local repositories, SFTP, REST server, Amazon S3, S3-compatible services, OpenStack Swift, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, and rclone.Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io
Storage integrations
Native backends include local directories, SFTP, REST servers, Amazon S3 and compatible stores, OpenStack Swift, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob Storage and Google Cloud Storage; rclone adds other services.Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.readthedocs.io

Plans and prices

Free Free Entirely free to use · no paid tiers stated · storage-provider charges are separate Read 21 Oct 2026 · restic.net
restic Free Free to use; no charge stated No price or usage limits stated Read 11 Oct 2026 · restic.net

Every restic plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free and open source under BSD 2-Clause
  • Single executable with no server required
  • Transfers only changed file portions
  • Many local and cloud storage backends
  • Snapshot restore and integrity checks

Limits

  • No mobile backup
  • No ransomware protection
  • Lost repository passwords block data access
  • File backup and restore only

Who it suits

It suits people needing free file backup and restoration on Linux, macOS, Windows, or BSD. It is also suited to users comfortable choosing storage backends and managing repository passwords.

Verdict

restic is a portable, free file-backup utility with incremental transfers, many repository backends, and integrity checks. Its main constraints are desktop-focused file scope, no ransomware protection, and the need to protect repository passwords.

Where Specifiction places it

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