Backup & Disaster Recovery · head to head
Restic vs Acronis Cyber Protect
Restic
Backup & Disaster Recovery
Fast, secure, and efficient backup program
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Acronis Cyber Protect
Backup & Disaster Recovery
Integrated backup and cybersecurity protection
- From
- $68/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Restic has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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; Acronis Cyber Protect technical support response is slow and inconsistent for resolving issues
- They diverge on capability: Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Acronis Cyber Protect covers AI-based ransomware protection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Restic and Acronis Cyber Protect actually diverge.
| Attribute | Restic | Acronis Cyber Protect |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $68/year |
| Pricing model | free | Unknown |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux | Windows, Mac, Linux, Cloud, On-premises |
| Founded | 2014 | 2003 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Backup & Disaster Recovery).
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 Restic
- Content-defined chunking
- Cryptographic verification
- Deduplication
- Encryption
- Multiple backends
- Snapshot management
- AWS S3
- Google Cloud
Only in Acronis Cyber Protect
- AI-based ransomware protection
- Continuous data protection
- Disk cloning
- Universal restore
- Backup validation
- Vulnerability assessments
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
Both cover
- Azure
- Windows support
- Mac support
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Restic
- Encrypted deduplicated backups to S3, B2, SFTP and local disk from the command linenot Acronis Cyber Protect
- Scripted server backups with snapshot retention policiesnot Acronis Cyber Protect
Acronis Cyber Protect
- Data protectionnot Restic
- Disaster recoverynot Restic
- Business continuitynot Restic
- Ransomware protectionnot Restic
- Compliancenot Restic
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Acronis Cyber Protect
- Technical support response is slow and inconsistent for resolving issues
- UI performance is slow when handling operations like checking backup status or initiating restores
- Backup speed can be slow with limited replication options
- Complex pricing policies with multiple licensing models make cost prediction difficult
- Antivirus engine can significantly impact system performance on client machines
Pricing, plan by plan
Restic
Free- FreeFree
- Content-defined chunking
- Encryption
- Multiple backends
Acronis Cyber Protect
$68/year- Standard$68/year
- Backup and recovery
- Basic security
- Advanced$129/year
- Enhanced security
- Ransomware protection
- Anti-malware
- Business$5.67/month
- Enterprise features
- Support
- Multiple workloads
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Acronis Cyber Protect if
- You need ai-based ransomware protection.
- You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, Cloud, On-premises.
- You also want continuous data protection.
Questions people ask
- Is Restic or Acronis Cyber Protect better?
- Neither clearly leads. Restic starts at Free and Acronis Cyber Protect at $68/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Restic or Acronis Cyber Protect?
- Restic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Restic and $68/year for Acronis Cyber Protect.
- Does Restic or Acronis Cyber Protect run on more platforms?
- Restic runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. Acronis Cyber Protect runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Cloud, On-premises.
- Can I use Restic for free?
- Yes. Restic has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acronis Cyber Protect starts at $68/year.
- What is Restic best used for?
- Restic is most often used for encrypted deduplicated backups to s3, b2, sftp and local disk from the command line, scripted server backups with snapshot retention policies. Of those, encrypted deduplicated backups to s3, b2, sftp and local disk from the command line and scripted server backups with snapshot retention policies are not what Acronis Cyber Protect is typically brought in for.
- What can Restic do that Acronis Cyber Protect cannot?
- Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Cryptographic verification, Deduplication, Encryption. Acronis Cyber Protect covers AI-based ransomware protection, Continuous data protection, Disk cloning, Universal restore. Both handle Azure, Windows support, Mac support, Linux support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Acronis Cyber Protect: What does Acronis Cyber Protect include?
Acronis Cyber Protect combines backup, disaster recovery, next-generation anti-malware, cybersecurity, and endpoint management in a single platform for complete cyber resilience.
SourceAcronis Cyber Protect: What are the main pricing plans for Acronis Cyber Protect?
Acronis offers Cyber Protect Standard at $68/year, Cyber Protect Advanced at $129+/year for consumers, and business plans at $5.67-$8.60/month. Acronis runs three licensing models: per-workload, per-GB, and solution-based.
SourceAcronis Cyber Protect: Does Acronis offer an API for integrations?
Yes, Acronis exposes REST APIs allowing partners to integrate existing solutions and create new ones. They provide 300+ pre-built integrations and support both inbound (CyberApps) and outbound API integrations.
SourceAcronis Cyber Protect: Can Acronis Cyber Protect be deployed on-premises?
Yes, Acronis Cyber Protect supports multiple deployment options including on-premises and SaaS, giving organizations flexibility in how they manage their backup and disaster recovery infrastructure.
Source