Restic
restic backs up data on Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD; its project describes it as fast, efficient, and secure.
About Restic
Restic is a backup program for Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD and OpenBSD. It creates password-protected repositories, saves snapshots of directories with deduplication for incremental changes, and lets users restore files or mount repositories via FUSE to browse previous snapshots.
It stores backups in a local directory or on remote backends including SFTP, HTTP REST server, S3-compatible storage, OpenStack Swift, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, and other services via rclone. Repository access requires the password; if the password is lost, the data cannot be recovered.
Key features
- Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD and OpenBSD
- Creates password-protected repositories for backups
- Saves incremental snapshots with deduplication
- Restores files or mounts snapshots via FUSE
- Stores to local directory, SFTP, REST and S3-compatible storage
- Supports Swift, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob, Google Cloud and rclone
Best for: People backing up files on Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD or OpenBSD to local or remote storage.
Good for
- Supports five operating systems including three major desktop systems
- Works with many native remote storage backends plus rclone
- Open source under BSD 2-Clause License
Watch out for
- Losing the repository password makes backup data irrecoverably lost
Restic at a glance
- Website
- github.com/restic/restic
- Category
- Software & Utilities › Backup & Recovery
- Type
- Open-source project
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Linux, macOS, Windows
- Open source
- Yes · Source code
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
Guides for Backup & Recovery
Restic alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
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Borg UI adds a web interface for creating, scheduling, and restoring Borg Backup jobs, replacing terminal commands with a graphical workflow.
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restic backs up files from Linux, BSD, Mac, and Windows to multiple storage destinations, according to its project introduction.
PhotoRec recovers data using file carving, and its project describes the tool as free and open source.
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Restic FAQ
What happens if I lose my repository password?
Knowledge of the password is required to access the repository, and lost passwords mean data is irrecoverably lost.
Where can Restic store backups?
Local directory, SFTP server, HTTP REST server, S3-compatible storage, OpenStack Swift, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, and other services via rclone.
How can I access files from previous snapshots?
Use restic restore to restore files, or restic mount to mount the repository via FUSE and browse snapshots.
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