Cloud · head to head
Skopeo vs UrBackup
Skopeo
Cloud
Inspect, copy and sign container images without pulling them
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
UrBackup
Backup
Open source client server backup doing both file and whole disk image backups of Windows machines
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Skopeo single-purpose: it neither builds nor runs images, so it is one tool in a chain rather than a solution; UrBackup backups are stored on the server without encryption at rest by default, so the backup server holds a readable copy of every machine it protects and becomes the highest value target on the network.
- They diverge on capability: Skopeo covers Remote inspection, UrBackup covers Windows image backups.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Skopeo and UrBackup actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), 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 Skopeo
- Remote inspection
- Registry-to-registry copy
- Format conversion
- Image signing
Only in UrBackup
- Windows image backups
- File backups
- Web interface
- Client discovery
- Internet mode
- Filesystem deduplication
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Skopeo
- Promoting images between staging and production registries without a round tripnot UrBackup
- Inspecting an image’s contents before deciding to deploy itnot UrBackup
- Mirroring images into an air-gapped or internal registrynot UrBackup
UrBackup
- A small office with Windows workstations that needs bare metal restore without per seat licensingnot Skopeo
- Schools and labs where machines are re-imaged often and a known good image must be recoverablenot Skopeo
- Backing up a mixed fleet to one server on premises with a web interface non specialists can usenot Skopeo
- Replacing an expiring commercial endpoint backup licence where the budget is the constraintnot Skopeo
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
UrBackup
- Backups are stored on the server without encryption at rest by default, so the backup server holds a readable copy of every machine it protects and becomes the highest value target on the network.
- Deduplication relies on filesystem features such as hard links, btrfs or ZFS, so a server built on the wrong filesystem silently consumes far more space and the fix is a rebuild rather than a setting.
- There is no native object storage target, so offsite copies mean replicating the server storage with another tool rather than backing up to a bucket directly.
- Restoring a full Windows image requires booting a restore environment, which is a manual, on site procedure that needs to be rehearsed before the day it is needed.
- A single server holds everything and there is no built in clustering, so its own failure removes every recovery point at once unless you have separately solved replication.
Pricing, plan by plan
Skopeo
Free- SkopeoFree
- Full functionality
- No usage limits
- Community support
UrBackup
Free- UrBackupFree
- Full functionality, unlimited clients
- File and image backups
- Web administration interface
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose UrBackup if
- You need windows image backups.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
- You also want file backups.
Questions people ask
- Is Skopeo or UrBackup better?
- Neither clearly leads. Skopeo starts at Free and UrBackup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Skopeo or UrBackup?
- Skopeo starts at Free and UrBackup at Free.
- Does Skopeo or UrBackup run on more platforms?
- Skopeo runs on Linux, macOS. UrBackup runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
- Can I use Skopeo for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Skopeo best used for?
- Skopeo is most often used for promoting images between staging and production registries without a round trip, inspecting an image’s contents before deciding to deploy it, mirroring images into an air-gapped or internal registry. Of those, promoting images between staging and production registries without a round trip and inspecting an image’s contents before deciding to deploy it are not what UrBackup is typically brought in for.
- What can Skopeo do that UrBackup cannot?
- Skopeo covers Remote inspection, Registry-to-registry copy, Format conversion, Image signing. UrBackup covers Windows image backups, File backups, Web interface, Client discovery.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Skopeo: Is Skopeo free?
Yes, open source with no licence fee.
UrBackup: Does it back up Linux servers as well?
File backups yes, image backups no. The image path is Windows only through volume shadow copy.
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.
UrBackup: Is the data encrypted?
Transport can be encrypted, and there is optional client side file encryption, but the default server storage is not encrypted at rest. Use full disk encryption on the server.
Skopeo: Can Skopeo run containers?
No. It only inspects, copies, signs and deletes images. Running them is Podman’s or Docker’s job.
UrBackup: Can I back up to Amazon S3?
Not directly. The server writes to local or mounted storage, so cloud copies are made by replicating that storage separately.
UrBackup: How many clients can one server handle?
Dozens is routine on decent hardware. The limit is usually storage input and output during overlapping backup windows rather than client count.
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