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Backup · head to head

Proxmox Backup Server vs Restic

Proxmox Backup Server logo

Proxmox Backup Server

Backup

Deduplicating backup server for virtual machines, containers and Linux hosts, with verification built in

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: Proxmox Backup Server there is no Windows client, so physical Windows machines must be backed up by something else and the estate ends up with two backup products.; 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: Proxmox Backup Server covers Deduplicated chunk store, Restic covers Content-defined chunking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Proxmox Backup Server and Restic actually diverge.

Attributes where Proxmox Backup Server and Restic differ
AttributeProxmox Backup ServerRestic
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefree
PlatformsLinuxWindows, Mac, Linux
FoundedUnknown2014

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 Proxmox Backup Server

  • Deduplicated chunk store
  • Incremental guest backups
  • Client side encryption
  • Verification jobs
  • Remote sync
  • Live restore and file level restore

Only in Restic

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

What people use each for

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

Proxmox Backup Server

  • Backing up a Proxmox VE cluster with incremental block level backups of running guestsnot Restic
  • Replacing a backup product whose licence is priced per socket or per terabyte on a virtualisation estatenot Restic
  • Proving backup integrity on a schedule rather than discovering corruption during a restorenot Restic
  • Keeping an encrypted second copy on a remote server or on tape without a third party servicenot Restic

Restic

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

Where each one falls short

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

Proxmox Backup Server

  • There is no Windows client, so physical Windows machines must be backed up by something else and the estate ends up with two backup products.
  • The datastore is millions of small chunk files, so it needs storage with real input and output capability and performs poorly on a single spinning disk or an SMB or NFS share.
  • Deduplication is per datastore, so splitting workloads across datastores for retention or tenancy reasons multiplies the storage those workloads consume.
  • Garbage collection depends on file access time semantics on the underlying filesystem, so a datastore mounted with the wrong options can fail to reclaim space or, worse, behave unpredictably.
  • Subscriptions are priced per CPU socket per year, so a backup server consolidated onto fewer larger dual socket machines pays twice per host for the supported repository.

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

Proxmox Backup Server

Free
  • No subscriptionFree
    • Full functionality with no capacity limit
    • Community package repository
    • Community forum support
  • Subscription$undefined/year
    • Priced per CPU socket per year
    • Access to the enterprise package repository
    • Vendor support tickets

Restic

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Proxmox Backup Server if

  • You need deduplicated chunk store.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want incremental guest backups.
Proxmox Backup Server 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 Proxmox Backup Server or Restic better?
Neither clearly leads. Proxmox Backup Server 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, Proxmox Backup Server or Restic?
Proxmox Backup Server starts at Free and Restic at Free.
Does Proxmox Backup Server or Restic run on more platforms?
Proxmox Backup Server runs on Linux. Restic runs on Windows, Mac, Linux.
Can I use Proxmox Backup Server for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Proxmox Backup Server best used for?
Proxmox Backup Server is most often used for backing up a proxmox ve cluster with incremental block level backups of running guests, replacing a backup product whose licence is priced per socket or per terabyte on a virtualisation estate, proving backup integrity on a schedule rather than discovering corruption during a restore, keeping an encrypted second copy on a remote server or on tape without a third party service. Of those, backing up a proxmox ve cluster with incremental block level backups of running guests and replacing a backup product whose licence is priced per socket or per terabyte on a virtualisation estate are not what Restic is typically brought in for.
What can Proxmox Backup Server do that Restic cannot?
Proxmox Backup Server covers Deduplicated chunk store, Incremental guest backups, Client side encryption, Verification jobs. Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Cryptographic verification, Deduplication, Encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Proxmox Backup Server: Can it back up machines that are not on Proxmox?

Linux hosts yes, through the client, at file level. Other hypervisors and physical Windows machines are outside its scope.

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
Proxmox Backup Server: Is a subscription required?

No. Without one you use the community repository and forum support. The subscription buys the tested enterprise repository and vendor tickets.

Proxmox Backup Server: How do I know a backup will restore?

Run verification jobs. They re-read the stored chunks and mark snapshots verified or failed, which is stronger evidence than a successful backup log.

Proxmox Backup Server: What storage should the datastore be on?

Local disks, ideally with ZFS and enough input and output capacity for many small files. Network shares are supported but routinely disappointing.

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