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Backup · head to head

Borg Backup vs Crossplane

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Backup

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Crossplane logo

Crossplane

Cloud

The Cloud-Native Framework for Platform Engineering

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Borg Backup linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform; Crossplane requires Kubernetes expertise and infrastructure
  • They diverge on capability: Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Crossplane covers Kubernetes extension.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Borg Backup and Crossplane actually diverge.

Attributes where Borg Backup and Crossplane differ
AttributeBorg BackupCrossplane
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsLinux, MacKubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP
CategoryBackupCloud
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Borg Backup

  • Content-defined chunking
  • Deduplication
  • Compression
  • Authenticated encryption
  • Pruning
  • Mount archives
  • SSH
  • BorgBase

Only in Crossplane

  • Kubernetes extension
  • Custom API building
  • Resource management anywhere
  • Declarative interfaces
  • Component library
  • Provider ecosystem

What people use each for

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

Borg Backup

  • Deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensivenot Crossplane
  • Encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintextnot Crossplane
  • Browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over FUSEnot Crossplane
  • Scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to runnot Crossplane

Crossplane

  • Building platform-as-a-service offerings for internal teamsnot Borg Backup
  • Creating unified control layers for multi-cloud infrastructurenot Borg Backup
  • Designing declarative APIs for infrastructure provisioningnot Borg Backup

Where each one falls short

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

Borg Backup

  • Linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform
  • Command-line only, with no graphical interface in the project itself
  • Version 2.0 is still in beta, so production use means staying on the 1.4 line
  • Restoring requires the Borg tooling, since archives are a deduplicated chunk store rather than plain files

Crossplane

  • Requires Kubernetes expertise and infrastructure
  • Steep learning curve for teams new to Kubernetes patterns
  • Provider ecosystem smaller than Terraform

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

Crossplane

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Crossplane review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Borg Backup if

  • You need content-defined chunking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac.
  • You also want deduplication.
Borg Backup review

Choose Crossplane if

  • You need kubernetes extension.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP.
  • You also want custom api building.
Crossplane review

Questions people ask

Is Borg Backup or Crossplane better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and Crossplane at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or Crossplane?
Borg Backup starts at Free and Crossplane at Free.
Does Borg Backup or Crossplane run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. Crossplane runs on Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP.
Can I use Borg Backup for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Borg Backup best used for?
Borg Backup is most often used for deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensive, encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintext, browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over fuse, scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to run. Of those, deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensive and encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintext are not what Crossplane is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that Crossplane cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption. Crossplane covers Kubernetes extension, Custom API building, Resource management anywhere, Declarative interfaces.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Borg Backup: What is the cost of BorgBackup?

BorgBackup is completely free and open source under the BSD license with no mandatory costs for the core software.

Source
Crossplane: Is Crossplane free?

Yes, Crossplane is open source and free to use. It requires a Kubernetes cluster but has no licensing costs.

Source
Borg Backup: Are there paid services available for BorgBackup?

Yes, optional third-party services are available: BorgBase for specialized Borg repository hosting, Hetzner Storage Box with Borg support, and rsync.net cloud storage integration.

Source
Crossplane: What is Crossplane used for?

Crossplane is used to build control planes and platforms for infrastructure management, enabling platform teams to expose safe APIs to other teams.

Source
Borg Backup: How can I support the BorgBackup project?

BorgBackup accepts voluntary contributions through Open Collective, GitHub Sponsors, Liberapay, and PayPal, though donations are optional.

Source
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