#9 of 16 open-source backup tools · Updated October 2026
restic review 2026
restic · Community tool, broad base
restic ranks #9 of 16 open-source backup tools in the Open-Source Backup Ledger 2026, with a Ledger Index of 58.1 out of 100. restic is the most widely adopted tool in this Ledger: encrypted, deduplicated backups to almost any storage. A tool, not a platform: no central console.
Scores
Source: Open-Source Backup Ledger 2026, edition 2026-10-02. How each score works: methodology.
Pros
- Storage efficiency and targets4.5/5
Cons
- New-platform support (VMware exit)1/5
- Databases and applications1.5/5
- Virtual and physical servers2.5/5
What the Ledger says
restic is the most widely adopted backup tool in this Ledger: encrypted, deduplicated, compressed backups to almost any storage, delivered reliably by a responsive project. It is a tool, not a platform: no central console, database agents or VM integration of its own.
No AI features.
Capability by area
Buying, lock-in and release record
Buying and licence (sustainability risk)(lower is better)
- Maintainer concentration3
- Co-lead maintainer writes 57 to 76% of commits; two leads
- Backer health3
- No company; storage-provider sponsors
- Licence-change risk1
- Permissive, distributed copyright
- Abandonment signs0.5
- Active
- Security response1.5
- Active fixes
Technical lock-in(lower is better)
- Formats2
- Own repository format, documented
- Export path1
- Restore, dump or mount
- Stack coupling0.5
- Single Go binary
- Hardware / cloud coupling0
- Any local or cloud target
- Skills and tooling coupling1
- Common skills
Release credibility
- Cadence4
- Two to five releases a year
- Roadmap transparency4.5
- Public milestones and issues
- Say-do4.5
- 7 of 7 items shipped, 4 to 14 months
- Velocity4
- Steady
- Lifecycle stability4
- Format v2 introduced without forcing upgrades
Partners and services
- Paid support1.5
- No vendor support
- Consultants and partners2.5
- Used widely by consultancies
- Documentation4
- Good documentation
- Community and packaging5
- Largest community here; in all distributions; Backrest and resticprofile around it
Alternatives to restic
Questions about restic
Is restic any good?
restic ranks #9 of 16 open-source backup tools in the Open-Source Backup Ledger 2026, with a Ledger Index of 58.1 out of 100. Its strongest areas are storage efficiency and targets. Its weakest are new-platform support (vmware exit), databases and applications, virtual and physical servers.
What are the best alternatives to restic?
The closest by Ledger Index are Kopia (58.3), WAL-G (61.3), XtraBackup (61.3), Borg (54.4).
How is restic licensed and sold?
Co-lead maintainer writes 57 to 76% of commits; two leads.
How much lock-in does restic bring?
restic scores 4.5 out of 25 on technical lock-in (lower is better). Export path: Restore, dump or mount.
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