Softwr

Backup · head to head

Restic vs Skopeo

Restic logo

Restic

Backup

Fast, secure, and efficient backup program

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Skopeo logo

Skopeo

Cloud

Inspect, copy and sign container images without pulling them

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Skopeo single-purpose: it neither builds nor runs images, so it is one tool in a chain rather than a solution
  • They diverge on capability: Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Skopeo covers Remote inspection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Restic and Skopeo actually diverge.

Attributes where Restic and Skopeo differ
AttributeResticSkopeo
Pricing modelfreeOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindows, Mac, LinuxLinux, macOS
CategoryBackupCloud
Founded2014Unknown

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 Restic

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

Only in Skopeo

  • Remote inspection
  • Registry-to-registry copy
  • Format conversion
  • Image signing

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 Skopeo
  • Scripted server backups with snapshot retention policiesnot Skopeo

Skopeo

  • Promoting images between staging and production registries without a round tripnot Restic
  • Inspecting an image’s contents before deciding to deploy itnot Restic
  • Mirroring images into an air-gapped or internal registrynot 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

Skopeo

  • Single-purpose: it neither builds nor runs images, so it is one tool in a chain rather than a solution
  • Command syntax with transport prefixes such as docker:// is unusual and trips people up initially
  • Documentation is sparse compared with the rest of the container ecosystem

Pricing, plan by plan

Restic

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

Skopeo

Free
  • SkopeoFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

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 Skopeo if

  • You need remote inspection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS.
  • You also want registry-to-registry copy.
Skopeo review

Questions people ask

Is Restic or Skopeo better?
Neither clearly leads. Restic starts at Free and Skopeo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Restic or Skopeo?
Restic starts at Free and Skopeo at Free.
Does Restic or Skopeo run on more platforms?
Restic runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. Skopeo runs on Linux, macOS.
Can I use Restic for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Skopeo is typically brought in for.
What can Restic do that Skopeo cannot?
Restic covers Content-defined chunking, Cryptographic verification, Deduplication, Encryption. Skopeo covers Remote inspection, Registry-to-registry copy, Format conversion, Image signing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Skopeo: Is Skopeo free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Skopeo: Why copy images without pulling them?

A registry-to-registry copy avoids downloading and re-uploading gigabytes, which is faster and much cheaper on bandwidth in CI.

Skopeo: Can Skopeo run containers?

No. It only inspects, copies, signs and deletes images. Running them is Podman’s or Docker’s job.

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