Last Updated on February 1, 2023
Backup software is used to perform a complete back up of a file, data, database, system or server. It enables users to make a duplicate of everything contained on the original source. This type of software is also used to perform a recovery of the data or system in the event of a disaster.
Making file backups is an essential activity for all users, yet many users do not take adequate steps to protect their data. Whether a computer is being used in a corporate environment, or for private use, the machine’s hard disk may fail without any warning signs. Alternatively, some data loss occurs as a result of human error. Without regular backups being made, data will inevitably be lost even if the services of a specialist recovery organisation are used.
While it has always been possible to use command line tools to backup files in Linux, this can be a daunting task for beginners and end-users. This article explores how making regular backups can be a painless task. We explore backup software with intuitive graphical interfaces, applications that backup systems with snapshots, whilst not forgetting the powerful command-line tools that exist.
To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 34 high quality free Linux backup tools. Hopefully, there will be something of interest for anyone who wishes to safeguard their hard work.
Let’s explore the 34 backup tools at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, providing a screenshot of the software in action (where relevant), a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, together with links to relevant resources.
| Backup | |
|---|---|
| restic | Fast, efficient and secure backup software |
| Borg | Deduplicating backup software |
| Duplicity | Encrypted bandwidth-efficient backup |
| TimeShift | Takes regular incremental snapshots of the filesystem |
| Clonezilla | Offers similar functionality to Symantec Ghost |
| Duplicati | Store encrypted backups online |
| bup | Backup a system based on the git packfile format |
| Mondo Rescue | A powerful disaster recovery suite |
| Amanda | Advanced Maryland Automatic Network Disk Archiver |
| Déjà Dup | Hides the complexity of doing backups the Right Way |
| Bacula | Network backup, recovery and verification |
| Bareos | Backup Archiving Recovery Open Sourced |
| rsync | Fast remote file copy program |
| BackupPC | High-performance, enterprise-grade system for backing up PCs |
| UrBackup | Easy to setup open source client/server backup system |
| Back in Time | Equivalent of OS X's Time Machine |
| Rescuezilla | Easy backup, recovery & bare metal restore |
| Kopia | Secure backup/restore tool that allows you to create encrypted snapshots |
| KBackup | Backup program targeted at non-computer experts |
| Vorta | Desktop client for Borg Backup |
| rsnapshot | Local and remote filesystem snapshot utility |
| FOG | Cloning / imaging solution / rescue suite |
| Partclone | Provides utilities to save and restore used blocks on a partition |
| XtraBackup | Backup tool for InnoDB and XtraDB databases |
| kup | Backup scheduler for the Plasma desktop |
| BURP | Uses librsync to save network traffic and space |
| Pika Backup | App focused on backups of personal data |
| PING | Also offers similar functionality to Symantec Ghost |
| fwbackups | Feature-rich backup software |
| dar | Full featured archiver with support for differential backups |
| tar | Tar archiving utility |
| Cedar Backup | Local and remote backups to CD or DVD media |
| Cronopete | Graphical backup utility based on Apple Time Machine |
| SafeKeep | Centralized and easy to use backup program |
You may have read the story about a man deleting his entire company with one mistaken piece of code: accidentally misusing rm -rf in Ansible. It was a fairly obvious hoax designed to be a viral marketing effort. It achieved that goal as scores of media sources carried the story. But at least it will have alerted readers to the importance of making sure their data is safe. But remember, human error is not the only source of data loss. Other ways of losing data include mechanical damage to RAID or disks, file system corruption, theft, fire, as well as viruses and malware.
 Read our complete collection of recommended free and open source software. Our curated compilation covers all categories of software. The software collection forms part of our series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. There are hundreds of in-depth reviews, open source alternatives to proprietary software from large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. There are also fun things to try, hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. |