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Backup · head to head

Acronis Cyber Protect vs rustic

Acronis Cyber Protect logo

Acronis Cyber Protect

Backup

Integrated backup and cybersecurity protection

From
$68/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
rustic logo

rustic

Backup

Rust reimplementation of restic that reads and writes the same repository format

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only rustic has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Acronis Cyber Protect technical support response is slow and inconsistent for resolving issues; rustic the project is small with a short list of active maintainers, so bus factor is a genuine consideration for software whose job is to still work in five years.
  • They diverge on capability: Acronis Cyber Protect covers AI-based ransomware protection, rustic covers restic format compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acronis Cyber Protect and rustic actually diverge.

Attributes where Acronis Cyber Protect and rustic differ
AttributeAcronis Cyber Protectrustic
Starting price$68/yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, Cloud, On-premisesLinux, macOS, Windows
Founded2003Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Backup).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Acronis Cyber Protect

  • AI-based ransomware protection
  • Continuous data protection
  • Disk cloning
  • Universal restore
  • Backup validation
  • Vulnerability assessments
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace

Only in rustic

  • restic format compatibility
  • Configuration profiles
  • Deduplicated encrypted backups
  • Cold and append only storage support
  • Multiple back ends
  • Library crates

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Acronis Cyber Protect

  • Data protectionnot rustic
  • Disaster recoverynot rustic
  • Business continuitynot rustic
  • Ransomware protectionnot rustic
  • Compliancenot rustic

rustic

  • An existing restic user who wants configuration files rather than long command lines in cronnot Acronis Cyber Protect
  • Backing up a memory constrained machine where the reference implementation is uncomfortably heavynot Acronis Cyber Protect
  • Writing to append only or cold object storage where the default tooling assumes rewritable bucketsnot Acronis Cyber Protect
  • Keeping a second implementation available so a long lived archive does not depend on one codebasenot Acronis Cyber Protect

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Acronis Cyber Protect

  • Technical support response is slow and inconsistent for resolving issues
  • UI performance is slow when handling operations like checking backup status or initiating restores
  • Backup speed can be slow with limited replication options
  • Complex pricing policies with multiple licensing models make cost prediction difficult
  • Antivirus engine can significantly impact system performance on client machines

rustic

  • The project is small with a short list of active maintainers, so bus factor is a genuine consideration for software whose job is to still work in five years.
  • It inherits the restic repository format, so design limits in that format, including the cost of pruning large repositories, are inherited rather than fixed.
  • Command names, flags and behaviour do not map one to one onto restic, so scripts and runbooks need rewriting rather than a binary swap.
  • Far fewer people have performed a real restore from it under pressure, and backup software is one of the few categories where being second most used is itself a risk.
  • Alternating between rustic and restic against one repository works but doubles the surface for a version incompatibility to corrupt state, so most operators should pick one and stay with it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Acronis Cyber Protect

$68/year
  • Standard$68/year
    • Backup and recovery
    • Basic security
  • Advanced$129/year
    • Enhanced security
    • Ransomware protection
    • Anti-malware
  • Business$5.67/month
    • Enterprise features
    • Support
    • Multiple workloads

rustic

Free
  • rusticFree
    • Full functionality, no data limit
    • All supported storage back ends
    • Community support via GitHub

Which should you pick?

Choose Acronis Cyber Protect if

  • You need ai-based ransomware protection.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, Cloud, On-premises.
  • You also want continuous data protection.
Acronis Cyber Protect review

Choose rustic if

  • You need restic format compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want configuration profiles.
rustic review

Questions people ask

Is Acronis Cyber Protect or rustic better?
Neither clearly leads. Acronis Cyber Protect starts at $68/year and rustic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acronis Cyber Protect or rustic?
rustic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $68/year for Acronis Cyber Protect and Free for rustic.
Does Acronis Cyber Protect or rustic run on more platforms?
Acronis Cyber Protect runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Cloud, On-premises. rustic runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use rustic for free?
Yes. rustic has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acronis Cyber Protect starts at $68/year.
What is Acronis Cyber Protect best used for?
Acronis Cyber Protect is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what rustic is typically brought in for.
What can Acronis Cyber Protect do that rustic cannot?
Acronis Cyber Protect covers AI-based ransomware protection, Continuous data protection, Disk cloning, Universal restore. rustic covers restic format compatibility, Configuration profiles, Deduplicated encrypted backups, Cold and append only storage support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Acronis Cyber Protect: What does Acronis Cyber Protect include?

Acronis Cyber Protect combines backup, disaster recovery, next-generation anti-malware, cybersecurity, and endpoint management in a single platform for complete cyber resilience.

Source
rustic: Can it read my existing restic repository?

Yes, that is the point of the project. Take a copy and verify before you rely on it, as with any change to backup tooling.

Acronis Cyber Protect: What are the main pricing plans for Acronis Cyber Protect?

Acronis offers Cyber Protect Standard at $68/year, Cyber Protect Advanced at $129+/year for consumers, and business plans at $5.67-$8.60/month. Acronis runs three licensing models: per-workload, per-GB, and solution-based.

Source
rustic: Should I switch from restic?

Only for a specific reason such as configuration profiles, memory use or cold storage handling. Compatibility means there is no cost to trying and no cost to going back.

Acronis Cyber Protect: Does Acronis offer an API for integrations?

Yes, Acronis exposes REST APIs allowing partners to integrate existing solutions and create new ones. They provide 300+ pre-built integrations and support both inbound (CyberApps) and outbound API integrations.

Source
rustic: Is it production ready?

It is used in production by a small community, but it is younger and less exercised than the implementation it is compatible with. Test restores accordingly.

Acronis Cyber Protect: Can Acronis Cyber Protect be deployed on-premises?

Yes, Acronis Cyber Protect supports multiple deployment options including on-premises and SaaS, giving organizations flexibility in how they manage their backup and disaster recovery infrastructure.

Source
rustic: Does it support the same back ends?

The common ones, including local, SFTP, S3 compatible storage and rclone. Check the current list before committing to an unusual target.

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