Is SST or UrBackup better?

Neither clearly leads. SST 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, SST or UrBackup?

SST starts at Free and UrBackup at Free.

Does SST or UrBackup run on more platforms?

SST runs on AWS, Cloudflare, Node.js. UrBackup runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.

Can I use SST for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is SST best used for?

SST is most often used for deploying next.js frontends with serverless backends, managing databases and storage alongside application code, creating staging environments for feature testing. Of those, deploying next.js frontends with serverless backends and managing databases and storage alongside application code are not what UrBackup is typically brought in for.

What can SST do that UrBackup cannot?

SST covers Single config file, Resource linking, Local development, Multi-cloud support. UrBackup covers Windows image backups, File backups, Web interface, Client discovery.

Cloud · head to head

SST vs UrBackup

SST

Cloud

Build full-stack apps on your own infrastructure

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

UrBackup

Backup

Open source client server backup doing both file and whole disk image backups of Windows machines

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: SST primarily optimized for AWS with Cloudflare support; 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: SST covers Single config file, UrBackup covers Windows image backups.
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SST and UrBackup actually diverge.

Attributes where SST and UrBackup differ
Attribute	SST	UrBackup
Pricing model	Unknown	Open source, no licence fee
Platforms	AWS, Cloudflare, Node.js	Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD
Category	Cloud	Backup

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 SST

Single config file
Resource linking
Local development
Multi-cloud support
Multiple deployment stages
VPC tunneling

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.

SST

Deploying Next.js frontends with serverless backendsnot UrBackup
Managing databases and storage alongside application codenot UrBackup
Creating staging environments for feature testingnot UrBackup

UrBackup

A small office with Windows workstations that needs bare metal restore without per seat licensingnot SST
Schools and labs where machines are re-imaged often and a known good image must be recoverablenot SST
Backing up a mixed fleet to one server on premises with a web interface non specialists can usenot SST
Replacing an expiring commercial endpoint backup licence where the budget is the constraintnot SST

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

SST

Primarily optimized for AWS with Cloudflare support
Learning curve for developers unfamiliar with infrastructure concepts
Limited documentation for some advanced use cases

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

SST

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SST review.

UrBackup

Free

UrBackupFree
- Full functionality, unlimited clients
- File and image backups
- Web administration interface

Which should you pick?

Choose SST if

You need single config file.
You want to start without paying.
You work on AWS, Cloudflare, Node.js.
You also want resource linking.

SST review

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.

UrBackup review

Questions people ask

Is SST or UrBackup better?: Neither clearly leads. SST 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, SST or UrBackup?: SST starts at Free and UrBackup at Free.
Does SST or UrBackup run on more platforms?: SST runs on AWS, Cloudflare, Node.js. UrBackup runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
Can I use SST for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is SST best used for?: SST is most often used for deploying next.js frontends with serverless backends, managing databases and storage alongside application code, creating staging environments for feature testing. Of those, deploying next.js frontends with serverless backends and managing databases and storage alongside application code are not what UrBackup is typically brought in for.
What can SST do that UrBackup cannot?: SST covers Single config file, Resource linking, Local development, Multi-cloud support. UrBackup covers Windows image backups, File backups, Web interface, Client discovery.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SST: Is SST free?

Yes, SST is open source and free. You only pay for cloud resources from AWS and other providers.

Source

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.

SST: What cloud providers does SST support?

SST supports over 150 providers through built-in AWS and Cloudflare components, plus Pulumi and Terraform providers.

Source

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.

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.

SST vs UrBackup

SST

UrBackup

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in SST

Only in UrBackup

What people use each for

SST

UrBackup

Where each one falls short

SST

UrBackup

Pricing, plan by plan

SST

UrBackup

Which should you pick?

Choose SST if

Choose UrBackup if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on SST

More on UrBackup

Keep looking

Other head to heads