Minecraft Backup vs Simple Backup

Minecraft Backup is a Linux script for backing up Minecraft server world folders. It can create tar archives or use the restic backend, and connects to servers managed with screen or tmux, as well as servers with RCON or Docker RCON enabled. The script works with vanilla servers and does not require plugins. Backups can be scheduled with cron; the README includes an hourly example. For older backups, users can choose no deletion, sequential deletion of the oldest backup, or thin retention. Thin retention keeps the last 24 hourly and 30 daily backups, then uses available space for weekly backups. Backups are stored locally, and restoration uses tar extraction for tar files or restic restore for restic backups. The script can post backup status messages in Minecraft chat. It requires tar and a compression program such as the default gzip; RCON also requires xxd. Player data can become out of sync with world data during backups, potentially duplicating or losing items. RCON is recommended because it waits for the server to confirm saving is complete. The README also warns that Minecraft bug MC-217729 can cause a backup to fail.

Simple Backup is a free, open-source utility for Minecraft Java server worlds. It schedules automatic backups at configurable intervals and can save them as ZIP archives, TAR.LZ4 archives, or direct directory copies. Backup jobs run asynchronously, and automatic runs can pause when no players are online. Configuration can cap the number of retained backups and stop a new backup when available disk space is too low. Server operators can start backups manually with commands for a general run, ZIP, LZ4, or directory output; the required permission level is configurable and defaults to level 4. Backups are stored in a `backup` folder in the game directory unless an absolute system path is configured. The mod runs only on the server, requires Fabric API, and lists Fabric and Quilt loader support. ZIP uses deflate level 5, while LZ4 files use `.tar.lz4` and need two extraction steps. Support is provided through a GitHub issue tracker.