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Software · head to head

Restic vs Comet Backup

Restic logo

Restic

Software

Fast, secure, and efficient backup program

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Comet Backup logo

Comet Backup

Software

White-label backup software for service providers

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Comet Backup endpoint costs starting at $2 per endpoint per month on top of base plan
  • They diverge on capability: Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Comet Backup covers White-label branding.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Restic and Comet Backup actually diverge.

Attributes where Restic and Comet Backup differ
AttributeResticComet Backup
Starting priceFree$49/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux
Founded20142017

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 Restic

  • Content-defined chunking
  • Cryptographic verification
  • Deduplication
  • Encryption
  • Multiple backends
  • Snapshot management
  • REST server

Only in Comet Backup

  • White-label branding
  • Bring your own storage
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Chunking deduplication
  • Delta compression
  • Multi-tenant
  • Wasabi
  • Web support

Both cover

  • AWS S3
  • Azure
  • Google Cloud
  • Backblaze B2
  • SFTP
  • 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 Comet Backup
  • Scripted server backups with snapshot retention policiesnot Comet Backup

Comet Backup

  • MSP backup and disaster recovery solutionsnot Restic
  • Cloud-to-cloud backup automationnot Restic
  • Ransomware protection with immutable storagenot 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

Comet Backup

  • Endpoint costs starting at $2 per endpoint per month on top of base plan
  • Storage costs vary based on destination, adding to overall expenses

Pricing, plan by plan

Restic

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

Comet Backup

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Comet Backup review.

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.
Restic review

Choose Comet Backup if

  • You need white-label branding.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want bring your own storage.
Comet Backup review

Questions people ask

Is Restic or Comet Backup better?
Neither clearly leads. Restic starts at Free and Comet Backup at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Restic or Comet Backup?
Restic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Restic and $49/month for Comet Backup.
Does Restic or Comet Backup run on more platforms?
Restic runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. Comet Backup runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Restic for free?
Yes. Restic has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Comet Backup starts at $49/month.
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 Comet Backup is typically brought in for.
What can Restic do that Comet Backup cannot?
Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Cryptographic verification, Deduplication, Encryption. Comet Backup covers White-label branding, Bring your own storage, End-to-end encryption, Chunking deduplication. Both handle AWS S3, Azure, Google Cloud, Backblaze B2.
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