Softwr

Backup · head to head

Proxmox Backup Server vs rustic

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
rustic logo

rustic

Backup

Rust reimplementation of restic that reads and writes the same repository format

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.; rustic the project is small with a short list of active maintainers, so bus factor is a genuine consideration for software whose job is to still work in five years.
  • They diverge on capability: Proxmox Backup Server covers Deduplicated chunk store, rustic covers restic format compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Proxmox Backup Server and rustic differ
AttributeProxmox Backup Serverrustic
PlatformsLinuxLinux, macOS, Windows

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), 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 rustic

  • restic format compatibility
  • Configuration profiles
  • Deduplicated encrypted backups
  • Cold and append only storage support
  • Multiple back ends
  • Library crates

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 rustic
  • Replacing a backup product whose licence is priced per socket or per terabyte on a virtualisation estatenot rustic
  • Proving backup integrity on a schedule rather than discovering corruption during a restorenot rustic
  • Keeping an encrypted second copy on a remote server or on tape without a third party servicenot rustic

rustic

  • An existing restic user who wants configuration files rather than long command lines in cronnot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Backing up a memory constrained machine where the reference implementation is uncomfortably heavynot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Writing to append only or cold object storage where the default tooling assumes rewritable bucketsnot Proxmox Backup Server
  • Keeping a second implementation available so a long lived archive does not depend on one codebasenot 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.

rustic

  • The project is small with a short list of active maintainers, so bus factor is a genuine consideration for software whose job is to still work in five years.
  • It inherits the restic repository format, so design limits in that format, including the cost of pruning large repositories, are inherited rather than fixed.
  • Command names, flags and behaviour do not map one to one onto restic, so scripts and runbooks need rewriting rather than a binary swap.
  • Far fewer people have performed a real restore from it under pressure, and backup software is one of the few categories where being second most used is itself a risk.
  • Alternating between rustic and restic against one repository works but doubles the surface for a version incompatibility to corrupt state, so most operators should pick one and stay with it.

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

rustic

Free
  • rusticFree
    • Full functionality, no data limit
    • All supported storage back ends
    • Community support via GitHub

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 rustic if

  • You need restic format compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want configuration profiles.
rustic review

Questions people ask

Is Proxmox Backup Server or rustic better?
Neither clearly leads. Proxmox Backup Server starts at Free and rustic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Proxmox Backup Server or rustic?
Proxmox Backup Server starts at Free and rustic at Free.
Does Proxmox Backup Server or rustic run on more platforms?
Proxmox Backup Server runs on Linux. rustic runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
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 rustic is typically brought in for.
What can Proxmox Backup Server do that rustic cannot?
Proxmox Backup Server covers Deduplicated chunk store, Incremental guest backups, Client side encryption, Verification jobs. rustic covers restic format compatibility, Configuration profiles, Deduplicated encrypted backups, Cold and append only storage support.

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.

rustic: Can it read my existing restic repository?

Yes, that is the point of the project. Take a copy and verify before you rely on it, as with any change to backup tooling.

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.

rustic: Should I switch from restic?

Only for a specific reason such as configuration profiles, memory use or cold storage handling. Compatibility means there is no cost to trying and no cost to going back.

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.

rustic: Is it production ready?

It is used in production by a small community, but it is younger and less exercised than the implementation it is compatible with. Test restores accordingly.

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.

rustic: Does it support the same back ends?

The common ones, including local, SFTP, S3 compatible storage and rclone. Check the current list before committing to an unusual target.

Share

Related pages

More on Proxmox Backup Server

More on rustic

Keep looking

Other head to heads