Borg Backup
Deduplicating archiver with compression and authenticated encryption for backups.
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Run the open-source version on your own infrastructure.
What is Borg Backup?
BorgBackup is an open-source deduplicating archiver designed for efficient, secure, and space-conscious data backups. It addresses the problem of redundant storage by using content-defined chunking to store identical data only once, significantly reducing storage overhead. System administrators, developers, and organizations requiring long-term data preservation use BorgBackup to protect against data loss, corruption, or accidental deletion. Its combination of compression, encryption, and deduplication makes it ideal for environments where storage efficiency and security are critical, such as cloud backups, server archives, or personal file vaults. The tool’s primary focus is on eliminating redundancy while maintaining data integrity. By encrypting data with AES and using cryptographic authentication, BorgBackup ensures that backups cannot be tampered with. Its support for multiple compression algorithms (lz4, zstd, zlib, lzma) allows users to balance speed and compression ratio. Additionally, the ability to mount archives as a filesystem via FUSE enables access to historical versions of files, bridging the gap between traditional backups and version control systems.
How it works
BorgBackup is a deduplicating archiver that combines compression, encryption, and chunk-based storage to create space-efficient backups. It eliminates redundant data by storing identical chunks only once, ensuring minimal disk usage even for large datasets. The tool is designed for users needing secure, long-term data preservation. Its authenticated encryption prevents unauthorized access, while deduplication reduces storage costs. It is particularly useful for environments where data integrity and efficiency are paramount, such as enterprise systems or personal archives. BorgBackup’s core capabilities include content-defined chunking, which deduplicates data across files, machines, and time. It supports AES encryption with HMAC for data authenticity, ensuring backups cannot be altered. Compression options like lz4 (speed), zstd (balance), zlib, and lzma (maximum compression) allow users to tailor performance and storage trade-offs.
How to use it
- 1Install BorgBackup via package managers (e.g., apt, brew) or download binaries. 2. Initialize a repository with `borg init` to set up encryption and compression settings. 3. Backup data using `borg create` with a repository path, source files, and options like `--compression zstd` or `--encryption AES-256-CTR`. 4. Verify backups with `borg check` and mount archives using `borg mount` for filesystem access. Practical tips: Use `--exclude` to skip unnecessary files, schedule backups with cron, and store encryption keys securely. For large datasets, prioritize lz4 for speed or zstd for balanced performance.
What it can do
- backup software
Use cases
Assumptions and limitations
Assumptions
- source: https://github.com/borgbackup/borg
- license: BSD-3-Clause — free to use
- privacy: Self-hosted — you control your data
Limitations
- Primarily command-line interface may pose a learning curve for non-technical users
- Manual setup required for repository initialization and configuration
- Mounting archives via FUSE may introduce performance overhead
- Not inherently cloud-native; requires additional integration for cloud storage
- Compression settings demand user expertise to balance speed and efficiency
Understanding the result
Deduplicating archiver with compression and authenticated encryption for backups.
Tool details
- Clearly flagged when a network request is needed.
- No account, no sign-up, and no tracking of your content.
- Powered by (BSD-3-Clause).
- Built with
- (borgbackup/borg)
- License
- BSD-3-Clause
- Runs locally
- No — requires a network request
- Verification
- Not yet verified
- Input
- Query
- Output
- Text
Built with borgbackup/borg. OpenToolVault provides the discovery and browser interface while crediting the original project maintainers.
- Built with
- License
- BSD-3-Clause
Open-source project
OpenToolVault is an independent directory. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by this project.
References
- / — GitHub Repository
Upstream project · GitHub
- BSD-3-Clause License
Upstream project
Frequently asked
What is BorgBackup and how does it differ from traditional backups?
BorgBackup is a deduplicating archiver that eliminates redundant data by storing identical chunks only once, unlike traditional backups that retain full copies. It combines compression, encryption, and chunking to minimize storage use while ensuring data security. This makes it ideal for long-term archives where space efficiency is critical, whereas traditional backups often consume more disk space.
How does BorgBackup ensure data security and integrity?
BorgBackup uses AES-256 encryption with HMAC for authenticated encryption, ensuring data cannot be tampered with. Cryptographic authentication verifies that backups remain unaltered during storage and transmission. Additionally, content-defined chunking ensures data is stored in immutable, deduplicated segments, preventing unauthorized modifications or data corruption.
How do I back up a directory using BorgBackup?
To back up a directory, run `borg create /path/to/repo::backup-name /path/to/source --compression zstd --encryption AES-256-CTR`. Replace `/path/to/repo` with your repository location, `backup-name` with a unique identifier, and `/path/to/source` with the directory to back up. Use `--compression` to select an algorithm and `--encryption` to enable encryption. Verify with `borg check` after creation.
How does BorgBackup compare to rsync or Rclone?
Unlike rsync, which copies files without deduplication, BorgBackup eliminates redundant data at the chunk level, saving storage. Rclone offers cloud integration but lacks Borg’s deduplication and encryption features. BorgBackup is more suited for archival use cases where space efficiency and security are priorities, while rsync is better for incremental backups without deduplication.
What should I do if I encounter a 'repository not found' error?
The error typically occurs if the repository path is incorrect or not initialized. Verify the path using `borg list` to check existing repositories. If the repository is corrupted, use `borg check` to diagnose issues. Reinitialize the repository with `borg init` if necessary, ensuring encryption and compression settings match the original configuration.