Software · head to head
Apple Time Machine vs Restic
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Apple Time Machine apple states the Time Machine backup disk should be used only for Time Machine backups and not for storing other files, unless you split it into a separate APFS volume; 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: Apple Time Machine covers Automatic backup, Restic covers Content-defined chunking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apple Time Machine and Restic actually diverge.
| Attribute | Apple Time Machine | Restic |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Founded | 1976 | 2014 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Apple Time Machine
- Automatic backup
- Hourly snapshots
- Visual restore interface
- Network backup
- System restore
- macOS
- AirPort Time Capsule
- NAS devices
Only in Restic
- Content-defined chunking
- Cryptographic verification
- Deduplication
- Multiple backends
- Snapshot management
- AWS S3
- Azure
- Google Cloud
Both cover
- Encryption
- Mac support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apple Time Machine
- Automatic versioned local backups of a Mac to an external drivenot Restic
- Restoring a Mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup historynot Restic
Restic
- Encrypted deduplicated backups to S3, B2, SFTP and local disk from the command linenot Apple Time Machine
- Scripted server backups with snapshot retention policiesnot Apple Time Machine
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Apple Time Machine
- Apple states the Time Machine backup disk should be used only for Time Machine backups and not for storing other files, unless you split it into a separate APFS volume
- Apple recommends the Time Machine volume be twice the storage capacity of the Mac being backed up
- It requires an attached external storage device or network disk; there is no built-in cloud destination
- It backs up Macs only
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
Apple Time Machine
Free- Built-inFree
- Automatic backup
- Visual restore
- Network backup
Restic
Free- FreeFree
- Content-defined chunking
- Encryption
- Multiple backends
Which should you pick?
Choose Apple Time Machine if
- You need automatic backup.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Mac.
- You also want hourly snapshots.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Apple Time Machine or Restic better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apple Time Machine 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, Apple Time Machine or Restic?
- Apple Time Machine starts at Free and Restic at Free.
- Does Apple Time Machine or Restic run on more platforms?
- Apple Time Machine runs on Mac. Restic runs on Windows, Mac, Linux.
- Can I use Apple Time Machine for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Apple Time Machine best used for?
- Apple Time Machine is most often used for automatic versioned local backups of a mac to an external drive, restoring a mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup history. Of those, automatic versioned local backups of a mac to an external drive and restoring a mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup history are not what Restic is typically brought in for.
- What can Apple Time Machine do that Restic cannot?
- Apple Time Machine covers Automatic backup, Hourly snapshots, Visual restore interface, Network backup. Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Cryptographic verification, Deduplication, Multiple backends. Both handle Encryption, Mac support.