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Backup · head to head

AOMEI Backupper vs Restic

AOMEI Backupper logo

AOMEI Backupper

Backup

Complete backup and restore solution for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Restic logo

Restic

Backup

Fast, secure, and efficient backup program

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AOMEI Backupper windows only, covering Windows 7 through 11; Restic cold storage is not natively supported; restoring from S3 Glacier and S3 Glacier Deep Archive is only available as an experimental feature behind a feature flag
  • They diverge on capability: AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, Restic covers Content-defined chunking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AOMEI Backupper and Restic actually diverge.

Attributes where AOMEI Backupper and Restic differ
AttributeAOMEI BackupperRestic
Pricing modelone-timefree
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Mac, Linux
Founded20102014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 AOMEI Backupper

  • System backup
  • Disk clone
  • File sync
  • Real-time sync
  • Universal restore
  • Bootable media
  • OneDrive
  • Google Drive

Only in Restic

  • Content-defined chunking
  • Cryptographic verification
  • Deduplication
  • Encryption
  • Multiple backends
  • Snapshot management
  • AWS S3
  • Azure

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

AOMEI Backupper

  • Free disk and file backup on a personal Windows machinenot Restic
  • System image and bare metal recoverynot Restic
  • Cloning a drive when upgrading to a larger disk on the paid editionsnot Restic
  • Scheduled incremental backupsnot Restic

Restic

  • Encrypted deduplicated backups to S3, B2, SFTP and local disk from the command linenot AOMEI Backupper
  • Scripted server backups with snapshot retention policiesnot AOMEI Backupper

Where each one falls short

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

AOMEI Backupper

  • Windows only, covering Windows 7 through 11
  • The free Standard edition is licensed for personal use; business use requires a paid edition from $39.95
  • Differential backup, cloud backup and system cloning are all withheld from the free edition, which clones data disks only
  • The free edition reads from disk more slowly than the paid ones
  • Email notifications on Standard are limited to Gmail and Hotmail servers
  • Support on the free edition is business hours rather than 24/7

Restic

  • Cold storage is not natively supported; restoring from S3 Glacier and S3 Glacier Deep Archive is only available as an experimental feature behind a feature flag
  • A Windows file whose name contains a character Windows treats as invalid cannot be read by restic and has to be renamed
  • Antivirus real-time protection degrades performance on Windows unless the restic binary is added to an exclusions list
  • On large repositories the built-in five minute stuck-request timeout fires during file listing and has to be raised manually with --stuck-request-timeout

Pricing, plan by plan

AOMEI Backupper

Free
  • StandardFree
    • Free forever
    • 1 PC license
    • Data disk cloning only
  • Professional$39.95/one-time
    • 1 PC license
    • System clone
    • Differential backup
  • Workstation$49.95/one-time
    • 1 PC license
    • System clone
    • Differential backup

Restic

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Content-defined chunking
    • Encryption
    • Multiple backends

Which should you pick?

Choose AOMEI Backupper if

  • You need system backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want disk clone.
AOMEI Backupper review

Choose Restic if

  • You need content-defined chunking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux.
  • You also want cryptographic verification.
Restic review

Questions people ask

Is AOMEI Backupper or Restic better?
Neither clearly leads. AOMEI Backupper starts at Free and Restic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AOMEI Backupper or Restic?
AOMEI Backupper starts at Free and Restic at Free.
Does AOMEI Backupper or Restic run on more platforms?
AOMEI Backupper runs on Windows. Restic runs on Windows, Mac, Linux.
Can I use AOMEI Backupper for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AOMEI Backupper best used for?
AOMEI Backupper is most often used for free disk and file backup on a personal windows machine, system image and bare metal recovery, cloning a drive when upgrading to a larger disk on the paid editions, scheduled incremental backups. Of those, free disk and file backup on a personal windows machine and system image and bare metal recovery are not what Restic is typically brought in for.
What can AOMEI Backupper do that Restic cannot?
AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, Disk clone, File sync, Real-time sync. Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Cryptographic verification, Deduplication, Encryption. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AOMEI Backupper: Is AOMEI Backupper free?

Yes, AOMEI Backupper Standard Edition is free forever. Professional Edition costs $39.95 and Workstation Edition costs $49.95 as one-time purchases, with a 90-day money-back guarantee.

Source
Restic: How much does restic cost?

Restic is entirely free to use and completely open source. There are no subscription tiers, paid plans, or licensing costs.

Source
AOMEI Backupper: Can AOMEI Backupper clone system drives?

System drive cloning requires Professional Edition ($39.95) or Workstation Edition ($49.95). The free Standard Edition supports data disk cloning only.

Source
AOMEI Backupper: How many PCs can one AOMEI Backupper license cover?

Each AOMEI Backupper license covers 1 PC only. Separate licenses are required for multiple computers.

Source
AOMEI Backupper: What backup features are included in each edition?

Standard is free but limited to data disk cloning. Professional ($39.95) and Workstation ($49.95) both include system cloning, differential backup, and cloud backup. Workstation also offers faster task execution speeds.

Source
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