Timeshift vs UrBackup

Timeshift is a free Linux utility that creates incremental filesystem snapshots and restores a system to an earlier state. It offers rsync snapshots using hard links and BTRFS snapshots using built-in filesystem features. Scheduling can run hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or at boot, with configurable retention counts. Home-directory contents are excluded by default, because the tool focuses on system files and settings rather than personal data. Restores can run from the active system or another installation with Timeshift, including an Ubuntu Live CD or USB; a restore launched from the running system requires a reboot to finish. Listed supported configurations include normal, LUKS-encrypted, LVM2, BTRFS, GRUB2, and EFI setups, subject to constraints. BTRFS requires an Ubuntu-type layout with @ and @home subvolumes. Docker and other containerized systems are unsupported. Timeshift is maintained by Linux Mint within the XApp project, with installation instructions for Debian-based distributions, Fedora, Arch, and ALT Linux.

UrBackup is backup software from UrBackup in Ulm, Germany, covering computers, mobile devices and servers. It runs on Android, Linux, macOS and Windows. The listed backup scope combines file and image backups, while restore modes are mixed. Ransomware protection is included. UrBackup core is AGPLv3+ open-source software with a self-hosted server for file and image backups; no price is listed for that plan. A free plan is available, with paid options from €15.50. The Change block tracking option for the UrBackup Client on Windows costs €15.50 a month, billed per client excluding VAT. It speeds incremental image and file backups, includes 2.x updates and works with UrBackup Server 2.x. A separate client for Microsoft Hyper-V 2016 or later backs up virtual-machine disks as images and restores those images to VHD or VHDX files.