Softwr

Software · head to head

Borg Backup vs Paragon Backup & Recovery

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Software

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paragon Backup & Recovery logo

Paragon Backup & Recovery

Software

Professional-grade backup for Windows

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Borg Backup has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Borg Backup linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform; Paragon Backup & Recovery the free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • They diverge on capability: Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Borg Backup and Paragon Backup & Recovery actually diverge.

Attributes where Borg Backup and Paragon Backup & Recovery differ
AttributeBorg BackupParagon Backup & Recovery
Starting priceFree$50/year
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, MacWindows
Founded20151994

Identical on both: 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 Borg Backup

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

Only in Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk backup
  • File-level backup
  • Incremental/differential
  • Recovery media
  • Virtual disk mount
  • UEFI support
  • Windows
  • Network shares

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 Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintextnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over FUSEnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to runnot Paragon Backup & Recovery

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk and partition backup on Windowsnot Borg Backup
  • Bare metal recovery from an imagenot Borg Backup
  • Scheduled incremental backups for a home machinenot Borg Backup
  • Migrating an installation to a new drive on the paid editionsnot 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

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • The free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • Windows only, and specifically Windows 10 x64 from 1809, Windows 11 x64 and Windows 11 Arm64
  • Volume and OS copying, partition management and email notifications need the Advanced edition
  • Windows Server support requires the Business edition
  • Paid edition prices are not shown on the product page

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

Paragon Backup & Recovery

$50/year
  • Community Edition$50/year
    • Full disk backup
    • File-level backup
    • Recovery media

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 Paragon Backup & Recovery if

  • You need full disk backup.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want file-level backup.
Paragon Backup & Recovery review

Questions people ask

Is Borg Backup or Paragon Backup & Recovery better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and Paragon Backup & Recovery at $50/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or Paragon Backup & Recovery?
Borg Backup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Borg Backup and $50/year for Paragon Backup & Recovery.
Does Borg Backup or Paragon Backup & Recovery run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. Paragon Backup & Recovery runs on Windows.
Can I use Borg Backup for free?
Yes. Borg Backup has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paragon Backup & Recovery starts at $50/year.
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 Paragon Backup & Recovery is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that Paragon Backup & Recovery cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption. Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup, File-level backup, Incremental/differential, Recovery media.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Borg Backup

More on Paragon Backup & Recovery

Keep looking

Other head to heads