Bnkr vs Plakar

Bnkr is a free, open-source Kubernetes backup and migration application focused on valuable data inside a cluster rather than the whole cluster. It backs up files in Pods, Deployments, and StatefulSets, plus MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB databases. Schedules can run hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or through a cron formula, and manual backup and restore are available. Email notifications report successful or failed backups and migrations to multiple recipients. Bnkr describes bidirectional migration of files and supported databases between Kubernetes, servers, and S3. The project runs as a single-binary web server and can be deployed in Kubernetes with a service account able to access backup data. Its README recommends the official image because some dependencies are external tools. Bnkr is available on the web or for self-hosting, uses the MIT license, and lists more than 20 themes. The free plan is listed at free, with no usage limit stated.

Plakar is a computer backup product for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It supports mixed backup scope, file-level restores, and ransomware protection. The listed supported environments also include self-hosted use and an API. Plakar's Free plan costs nothing, has no time limit, and covers up to 500 GB of managed data. It includes deploying the Plakar Control Plane on infrastructure you own. The Enterprise plan is consumption-based and includes premium support, with pricing available by contacting sales. The maker, Plakar, was founded in 2024 and is headquartered in Paris, France. The Free plan's stated storage ceiling and self-managed deployment are central details for buyers weighing whether its backup scope fits their needs. Its file restore mode allows recovery at the individual-file level rather than requiring restoration of an entire backup.