BorgBackup vs CrashPlan
A detailed comparison to help you choose between BorgBackup and CrashPlan.
Quick Verdict
4.3/5
BorgBackup
0 reviews
3.7/5
CrashPlan
0 reviews
BorgBackup is rated higher (4.3 vs 3.7). BorgBackup is a free, open source, deduplicating backup program for Linux/macOS with compression, encryption, and deduplication. Pairs with BorgBase for managed repository hosting. Our long-standing pick for self-hosters. CrashPlan provides unlimited endpoint backup for businesses. Deploy to employee laptops and workstations centrally. No file size limits, unlimited versioning, and forensic restore capabilities.
BorgBackup Open source deduplicating backup — free self-hosted | CrashPlan Unlimited endpoint backup for businesses | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.3 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.7 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | free | paid |
| Starting price | Free✓ | From $7.33/mo |
| Best for | Technical users and self-hosters who want deduplicated, encrypted, versioned backups to storage they control, without per-gigabyte vendor fees | IT departments at businesses under a few hundred employees that want centrally managed, unlimited-version endpoint backup with self-serve restore |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ✓ | |
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | — | CrashPlan cloud; enterprise can use Azure, AWS, Wasabi, Backblaze or their own S3 |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tieropen sourceself hostable | team features |
| Visit BorgBackup → | Visit CrashPlan → | |
BorgBackup
Pros
- + Deduplication plus per-repo compression makes repeated backups far cheaper in storage than full-image schemes
- + Authenticated encryption with a documented untrusted-server model; append-only mode defends backup history against compromise
- + Free BSD-licensed software with a decade-long public track record and detailed on-disk format documentation
- + Runs against any filesystem or SSH target — no lock-in, no required vendor
- + Mature companion ecosystem: Borgmatic for config-driven runs, Vorta for desktop GUI, BorgBase for hosted repos
Cons
- - Command-line only with no official GUI; keyfile and retention semantics take real learning
- - No native S3/object-storage repository mode in 1.4.x — cloud-object workflows need rclone-style workarounds
- - File-level tool: consistent database or VM backups need hooks or snapshots; no bare-metal restore agents
- - Support is community-based unless you pay for consulting or a hosting provider's SLA
CrashPlan
Pros
- + Endpoint backup at $7.33/user/month (annual) with unlimited cloud storage and unlimited versioning — retention length and restore count do not change the bill
- + Published small-business pricing with self-serve signup, 14-day full-function trial, and no per-server license on the enterprise tier
- + Long track record: continuous product since 2007 (ex-Code42), 900+ enterprise and 120,000+ small-business customers cited at the 2022 carve-out
- + Enterprise tier supports bring-your-own storage (Azure, AWS, Wasabi, Backblaze or your own S3) plus SSO, legal hold, immutable copies and audit logging
Cons
- - Vendor pages contradict themselves on endpoint storage ('unlimited' on the plan page vs 50 GB pooled in the pricing FAQ) — resolve before rollout
- - Cost scales per user and the governance features (SSO, legal hold, immutable copies, dedicated CSM) sit above the 250-user / quote-only line
- - No personal plan, no free tier, no published uptime SLA, and endpoint deleted-file retention caps at 90 days
- - Server tier's 250 GB pooled storage with $90/year per 250 GB add-ons is stepped pricing that grows quietly with data volume
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